Stanford Dingley Parish Council Elections in May
Your Parish Needs You!
From: Stanford Dingley Parish Council
On behalf of the Stanford Dingley Parish Council, we feel it important to write to everyone in the Parish and let you know that Local Council Elections will take place on Thursday 4th May 2023.
These elections are vital for two reasons: they will elect Parish Councillors to represent the community for the next 5 years, and they give parishioners the opportunity to stand for election themselves. It is vital to understand that if there are fewer than 6 candidates, there will be NO ELECTION. In that instance all candidates standing will be deemed to be elected and the community will have lost its opportunity to select its councillors, as those standing will have effectively selected themselves. So we need willing volunteers to stand for election!
Five councillors is a relatively small number for a parish council but it has the advantage of providing an intimacy and strength of purpose when interfacing with the wider world on behalf of our community. The PC also employs an advisory Parish Clerk whose expertise looks after much of the administration and technical detail. The role of Parish Councillor can be summarised by the motto: “From the Community, for the Community.”
The current PC is keen to encourage parishioners to stand for election and, if successful, become a new member. We think it is important that there is renewal of talent and energy and wish to engender the widest possible demographic choice for parishioners on 4th May 2023.
The role is rewarding, not too onerous, and is a very important way of serving our local community through voluntary means. We meet, on average, about six times a year, but many of the tasks can be effected remotely.
On behalf of the community The PC interacts with public utilities, the District Council, the police service, and various other NGO’s. The council has an increasingly important role in planning decisions and development in the local area. The village design statement is constructed by the PC and will have a bearing on future development in our parish.
The PC is responsible for village assets, such as the village green, the village field, and the Club Room. It heads and liaises with the various village volunteer groups such as the Dredge Gang, footpath monitoring, Activities Committee, and Club Room management. It can also speak with various environmental groups, ARK, BBOWT, Natural England, the Environment Agency, and the Pang Valley Flood Forum on behalf of parishioners.
We live in a very special and inclusive community. Each of you reading this will have some valuable skill or insight which might benefit parishioners if you were elected. So, for the sake of the democratic process and the cause of electing a truly committed and representative Parish Council, we strongly encourage you stand for election. To do so, please let our clerk, Helen Pratt, know this by contacting her on:
If you are considering volunteering and electing to stand as a Parish Councillor then your notice of intent to stand needs to be completed and submitted in person to West Berkshire Council by the 4th of April. Helen can give you all the information you need regarding the forms for completing.
Alternatively, for more information about the role, please contact any one of the Parish Councillors who can let you know more about the work that is involved.
BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE, CAST YOUR VOTE ON 4nd MAY AT THE CLUBROOM.
Yours,
Parish Councillors:
Harry Fullerton
Edward Hanrahan
Aisling Bucknall
Charlotte Plank
Stuart Logan