Parish councils suffer a candidate crisis

In run-up to local elections research shows disturbing number of uncontested seats and empty councils

Thousands of parish councils across the country are believed to be unable to attract enough candidates to hold elections. In a handful of cases, no one at all has come forward to contest seats. In Dorset, 130 out of 163 parishes have not attracted enough candidates to hold elections on May 2. Of those, 20 have no candidates at all so will no longer be functioning. Another election will be called, but if there are still not enough candidates, district councils will take over their responsibilities.

By Hayley Dixon, Yohannes Lowe

and Katie Sewell

THEY are thought of as hotbeds of gossip and corruption, packed full of village busybodies and colourful oddballs.

But in the run-up to local elections next month a different picture of parish councils is emerging – one of empty seats. Thousands across the country are estimated to be avoiding the polls because not enough people have come forward to contest the seats. In a handful of cases, no one has come forward.

In Dorset, 130 out of 163 parishes have not attracted enough candidates to hold elections on May 2. Of those, 20 have no candidates at all so will no longer be functioning.

Another election will be called but if there are still not enough candidates, district councils have an obligation to take over their responsibilities.

Cllr Andrew Brewer has been chairman of Crossways parish council, near Dorchester, for eight years, following in the footsteps of his father Ronald, who was chairman before him. It is one of the county’s largest villages and rapidly expanding, but the council seats will be uncontested this year and it will be four councillors short of the full 11.

“Everybody grumbles about the local decisions and there are plenty of people who tell us what we should be doing,” Cllr Brewer said. “But there are very few people who are prepared to come forward and take responsibility.

“People have busy lives. They see their free time as precious. That sense of community has gone as well.

“And it is not just Crossways. My grandfather will be spinning in his grave to know that the council he served on in Tincleton has not had a single person stand.” There are around 10,000 parish and town councils in Britain, but there is no centrally held data on how many will hold elections, or how many no longer have enough candidates to function.

Research by The Daily Telegraph has shown that the picture in Dorset is similar in other areas.

In Stockton on Tees, 18 out of 24 parish council elections are uncontested and in one parish no candidates put themselves forward. In Telford and Wrekin there are uncontested seats in 34 out of the 67 town and parish wards. In Central Bedfordshire 77 out of 101 parish and town councils are uncontested. In West Berkshire 48 out of 55 will not go to the polls.

A similar picture of apathy is clear in more urban areas.

In the area covered by Coventry city council none of the three parishes are being contested, and in Calderdale borough council’s area six of the 17 parishes will not go to the polls. In Knowsley city council, one of the five parish councils is uncontested.

Jonathan Owen, chief executive of the National Association of Local Councils, said: “We are pretty up front about the challenges that the forthcoming local elections faces, given what’s happening in Westminster and the fact people lead such busy and changing lives, but it is far from doom and gloom.

“We already have across the country more than 100,000 people, real hyper local heroes, who are spending their time and energy helping their communities. Local councils are actually becoming one of the most important parts of local government as they are closest to the people.”

‘People have busy lives. They see their free time as precious. That sense of community has gone as well’