Walpole Parish

The next Parish Council elections will take place on Thursday 4 May 2023.
If you are thinking about standing as a candidate, please read all candidate ‘guidance’ which can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

This will cover everything from:• Qualifications for standing
• Completing and submitting nomination papers
• Spending and donations
• The campaign
• Right to attend key electoral events

Nomination papers

To apply to become a Parish councillor you will need to download and fill out a nomination pack.
If you need help completing a nomination pack please see our guidance for completing nomination forms.
Nomination papers can be handed in from Tuesday 21 March up until the deadline of 4pm Tuesday 4 April.
All nomination papers must be hand delivered only to the our offices at King’s Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn, PE30 1EX.
Where possible please telephone 01553 616200 to make an appointment and we encourage an early submission should any changes be needed to be made.

How do I apply to stand in an election or by-election?

When an election or by-election is called.

You need to complete a fairly straightforward nomination form. It must be signed by your proposer and seconder, and witnessed.

Nomination forms are obtained from Electoral Services Manager, Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, King’s Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1EXHow do I apply for co-option to the Parish Council?

Co-option is a less formal process than election.

The Parish Council may fill vacant seats on the Council by co-option

1. When seats on the Council remain unfilled after the four-yearly election (because fewer than eleven valid nominations were submitted), or
2. After a “casual vacancy” is created, for example by resignation of a councillor, and if, after the vacancy has been officially advertised, a by-election process has not been formally requested by 10 electors.

When the Parish Council has a vacancy which it is seeking to fill by co-option, if you want to put your name forward, or if you would like more information about what’s involved, please contact the Parish Clerk by email.

When can I apply to become a councillor?

All eleven seats on the Parish Council come up for election every four years, so the next time is 2023. The elections are held on the same day as Borough Council elections, almost always the first Thursday in May.

Sometimes, vacancies occur between elections, for example through resignation or moving away. These are known as “casual vacancies”. A casual vacancy must be advertised on the notice boards and elsewhere. Local electors have the opportunity to call for a by-election. If a by-election is not called, the Parish Council should fill the vacancy by co-option.

To be able to stand as a candidate you must:

1. be 18 years of age or over on the day of your nomination
2. be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any other member state of the European Union
3. meet at least one of the four qualifications:

(i) you are, and will continue to be, registered as a elector for Parish
(ii) you have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the Parish during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election
(iii) your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in Parish
(iv) you have lived in the Parish during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election

What’s Involved?

To be a Councillor you need to:

• Care about getting the best for your Community
• Have a willingness to represent your electorate
• Want to make a difference
• Undertake training courses
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct
• Register your interests
• Have the time
• Be committed and enthusiastic

You can spend a lot of time on council work – quite often Councillors say that their duties occupy them for about three hours per week. However, as with most things, the more you put in, the more you (and our community) will get out.

Our Parish Council meets 12 times a year, on the second Thursday of the month in, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm approx.

Sometimes additional meetings will be called, site visits may be needed from time to time, for example to keep an eye on play equipment or new developments.

Much of what the Council does is common sense, but training can open Councillors’ eyes to new possibilities, and it is essential that they understand training to fully partake in their role. A wide range of training for Councillors is available through the Norfolk ALC.

Do you want to do more for our community?

Town, Village and Parish Councillors are an essential element of the ’Big Society’, and have a long tradition of promoting a sense of pride in the local community.

As a Parish Councillor, you could help to look after, and improve, many of the facilities in our parish.

Parish Councils take responsibility for a range of local matters and community needs, such as allotments, playgrounds and the maintenance of local facilities under the Council’s control. Beyond this, they identify, support and manage local project initiatives and can fund grants to local organisations such as youth clubs and charities. Parish councils are consulted by the Borough council over matters such as planning applications in the parish.