Becoming a councillor
If you want to:
- be the voice of your community
- make your community safer
- ensure there are homes for everyone
- help the environment and improve where you live
Then you could become a Councillor.
The next Borough and Parish elections are scheduled for May 2027
Local councils deliver hugely important services which affect the lives of people every day. Being a councillor means you can play a part in shaping those services and make a difference to people’s lives. It’s also about representing the views of residents on a variety of issues and being a real voice for the community. This is part of a nationwide initiative to encourage potential community leaders in standing as a councillor.
Important information about the roles of Borough and Parish Councillors, and some Frequently Asked Questions, are included in the download panel below.
For more information about standing for election, contact democracy@melton.gov.uk.
For information on becoming a Parish Councillor, please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council you wish to stand in.
Shadowing a Councillor
If you are interested in getting a flavour of what being a Councillor is like, we can arrange for you to “shadow” one of our existing Councillors.
Please contact democracy@melton.gov.uk or call 01664 502502 for further details.
The following video shows our councillors explaining why they became a councillor, and what others should consider when thinking about becoming a councillor.
Please take some time to have a look through our Prospective Councillor Brochure which is available to download below.
If you missed our Candidates and Agents Briefing on the 3rd March 2023, then you can now catch the video below with the briefing from the event.
To stand at a Local Election you must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- a British, Irish Republic, Commonwealth or European Union citizen
You must also meet at least one of the four following qualifications on the day you are nominated:
- Currently registered as a local government elector in the local authority area
- Lived in the local authority for the whole of the last 12 months
- Your main or only place of work during the 12 months has been in the local authority area
- You have occupied, as an owner or tenant, any land or premises in the local authority area during the last 12 months
You cannot stand as a Councillor if:
- you are an employee of the local authority or hold a politically restricted post with another authority
- you are subject to a bankruptcy order or interim order
- in the last five years you have been in prison or on a suspended sentence for three months
You do not have to belong to a Political Party to stand for election. It is possible to stand for election as an Independent Candidate. This means that you do not belong to any particular Party/Group.
If you wish to stand as a Candidate for a Political Party/Group then you need to be a member of that party. Please contact your local branch of the party for more information on joining it. Further information regarding Political Parties can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
Borough Elections
Each candidate must be nominated by a separate nomination paper, signed by a proposer, seconder and eight other registered electors of the ward in which you are to stand.
If you are standing as a Candidate for a registered political party you are also required to submit a certificate from the Party’s Nominating Officer, authorising your candidacy and use of the Party’s descriptions and emblem.
If you are standing as an Independent you can only describe yourself as “Independent” or give no description at all.
You must also give your consent to your nomination in writing.
All these documents must be submitted to the Returning Officer by 4pm, 19 working days before polling day.
No deposit is required to stand as a Borough Councillor.
Nomination packs are available from the elections Office prior to the Election, or from the Electoral Commission website.
Parish Council Elections
Each candidate must be nominated by a separate nomination paper, signed by a proposer and a seconder who are registered electors in the Parish or Parish Ward in which you are to stand.
You must give your consent to your nomination in writing.
All these documents must be submitted to the returning Officer by noon, 19 working days before polling day.
No deposit is required to stand as a parish Councillor.
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Be A Parish Councillor FAQs (151.6kb) Uploaded 19 August 2021
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Prospective Councillor Event Brochure (9.5mb) Uploaded 31 January 2023