Street Parish Council currently have a vacancy on the Parish Council which can be filled by co-option
If you have a keen interest in where you live and are passionate about Street please get in touch for more details!
Email – street.parish@street-pc.gov.uk or Call – 01458 440588
Applicants are invited to complete a co-option questionnaire and those received will be considered at the March 2024 Parish Council Meeting. If you are interested in being considered, please send your completed co-option questionnaire to the Clerk by Wednesday 13th March 2024.
Co-option-Questionnaire (Word)
Co-option-Questionnaire (PDF)
Background: Parish Councils are permitted to exercise the power to co-opt a person onto the Council to fill a casual vacancy when the requirements to hold an election have not been met (ie the vacancy has been the subject of a public notice and less than 10 registered electors have requested an election by a deadline date specified by Somerset Council).
What happens next?
At the next Full Council Meeting
- Clerk to confirm that each candidate is qualified to become a Councillor and is not disqualified from being a Councillor as set out in the Local Government Act 1972 s79 and s80.
- Chairman to invite candidates to introduce themselves if present at the meeting and say a few words or provide a short personal statement.
- Council vote on the acceptability of each candidate for co-option. Please note: An absolute majority is required for each candidate from all members present and entitled to vote (LGA 1972 Sch.12 Para.39). (The applicant with the least number of votes casted will be deleted and the vote taken again and again, etc, until the number of candidates equals the number of vacancies).
- The Clerk to approach and offer co-option to candidate(s) after the meeting in the order of priority determined by the vote, if the first choice does not accept the post then the second is to be approached and so on until the ranking list is exhausted.
- Assuming that the co-option position is filled, formally ratify the appointment at the next Full Council meeting.
- The Clerk to notify the Electoral Services of the new Councillor appointment, initiate ‘Acceptance of Office’ paperwork and ‘Registration of Interests’ on the appropriate website.
- If no one accepts the vacant post(s), the whole process is to be repeated when new individuals expressing interest are identified or until the next election.
