Ripponden Parish Councillors
Ripponden Parish Council is made up of twelve councillors who decide its aims, objectives and policies. The Parish Council covers four wards: Barkisland, Ripponden, Rishworth and Soyland. Each ward has three councillors to represent the residents of that ward.
Parish Councillors are unpaid holders of civic office. Councillors serve for four years, and after this period, there is a re-election process for the whole council. You don’t have to be connected to a political party to become a parish councillor.
Become a Parish Councillor
If you become a Parish Councillor, you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support: a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you represent.
Eligibility
To stand for election to Ripponden Parish Council, you must be, at least, 18 years old and a UK or Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or, correct as of July 2020, a citizen of a member state of the European Union.
You must also …
- be an elector of the parish, or;
- for the whole of the previous twelve months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
- during the previous twelve months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
- for the whole of the previous twelve months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.
If you become a Parish Councillor, you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct.
The best way to find out what it’s like to be a Parish Councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now. Come along to a Parish Council meeting, or speak to one of your Councillors and find out what they think of the role.