Birstall Parish Council has 20 Councillors serving the community. There are 5 wards in Birstall and they are: Greengate Ward, Netherhall Ward, Riverside Ward, Stonehill Ward and Goscote Ward. A Ward Map below identifies which areas are covered by each ward.

You can contact your Councillors through the Parish Council Offices, either by telephone, emailing the Clerk at admin@birstallpc.org.uk, by writing to the Parish Council Offices at the address on our Homepage or by visiting the Council offices on Birstall Road.

All Councillors Register of Members Interest's Forms are completed and returned to the Monitoring Officer, at Charnwood Borough Council, within 28 days of being elected or co-opted onto the Council.

Councillors then have an on going duty to ensure that these details are kept up to date and accurate by notifying the Monitoring Officer of any changes, particularly in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI's). You can check the current information that is held for your Parish Councillors by clicking on the link below.

https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/parishes/birstall

Our Councillors were either elected in May 2019 or have been co-opted since. If you would like to become a Councillor please read the information below before deciding to put yourself forward for consideration to fill any vacancies on the Parish Council.

What is a Parish Council?: A parish council is a local authority that makes decisions on behalf of the people in the parish. As it is the authority closest to the people, Parish Councils are invariably the first place people will go with concerns or ideas. For this reason they are a vital part of any community.

A very informative Legal Topic Note - LTN 5 relating to the intricacies and legalities of a Parish Council meeting is available at the bottom of this page to read and/or download.

Why become a Parish Councillor?: If you've never been to a Parish Council meeting before, you may be forgiven for thinking that parish Councillors are a group of (probably older) people who meet now and then in a draughty village hall. If, however, you live in a community where something 'big' has happened, you'll know that when people in the community need support and guidance, it is sometimes the Parish Council that is turned to.

By becoming 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 serve. Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped to make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.

What decisions do Parish Councils make?: Parish Councils make all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community. Probably the most common topics that Parish Councils get involved with are planning matters (they are statutory consultees), crime prevention, managing open spaces and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.

It's true to say that on their own, Parish Councils have limited powers to make decisions. But they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions (such as the borough council, health authorities, police etc).

In this respect Parish Councils are extremely powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a Parish Council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.

How much time does it take up?: The Council meets once a month for the main Council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited, and the meetings may last two or three hours, depending on the agenda set for the meeting to discuss, and this may be all the time you wish to commit, however, once members have joined the Council, after a time they feel that they would like to get involved with one or all of the other three Committees that deal with specific subjects, such as Planning, Estates & Recreation and Events, that also meet once a month. In addition to the regular meetings, councillors may be required to attend other meetings and represent the Parish Council? Such meetings won't happen every day, so it's not going to take over your life.

How long does a Parish Councillor serve for?: Once elected, Parish Councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years. If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election. However, you don't have to wait for the elections, you can put yourself forward for co-option onto the Council at any time between elections.

Am I eligible to be a Parish Councillor?: To stand for election on a parish council, you must:

• be a UK or commonwealth citizen, or;
• be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or;
• be a citizen of another Member state of the European Union;
• be a least 18 years old.

To be eligible to stand for an election for a particular parish, you must:

• be an elector of the parish, or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

You don't have to be connected to a political party, in fact Birstall Parish Council prides itself on being a-political.

What powers do parish councils have?: They have a wide range of powers which essentially related to local matters, such as looking after community buildings, open space, allotments, play areas, street lighting, car parks and much more. The Council also has the power to raise money through taxation, the precept. The precept is the Parish Council's share of the council tax. The precept demand goes to the billing authority, the borough council, which collects the tax for the Parish Council.

Parish Duties: Birstall Parish Council has 20 Councillors who stand for election every four years. The duties and functions of a Parish Council are many and varied. All meetings are open to the public and there is a forum before the start of the meeting at which members of the public can raise concerns and ask questions. There is also an annual meeting which all parishioners are invited to attend. All meetings are advertised on the council notice boards and the Council's website. Residents can bring to the attention of the Parish Council anything that concerns them, either directly or through the Clerk. If matters raised are not the responsibility of the Parish Council, the Clerk can bring them to the attention of the proper authority.

Don't take our word for it!: 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 our Councillors and find out what they think of the job.

If you are interested in applying to become a Parish Councillor, please contact the Clerk on Tel: 0116 267 6191 or email: admin@birstallpc.org.uk. Alternatively you can download the application form by clicking on the link below.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Our committees have specific tasks and can have delegated powers.

The Parish Council employ a team of staff, working together to deliver the wide range of services that the Parish Council provides for its residents. They can be contacted through the Birstall Parish Council offices on Birstall Road, by phone or email.