Village stuck in endless election cycle as no one wants to stand

A SOMERSET village has been stuck in a costly election loop for over a year because no one wants to be councillor.

Long Ashton parish council, on the outskirts of Bristol, has held eight byelections which no one has stood for.

It has cost £92 per time, bringing the total to at least £700.

The parish council has been seeking to fill places on an almost monthly basis since two councillors resigned in October 2021. Despite a lack of interest, rules dictate an election must be held if 10 or more electors call for one.

Hannah Harwood, parish clerk for Long Ashton, said potential candidates might have been put off by the 20-mile trip to Weston-super-mare to submit papers.

Interested parties had to hand their nomination papers into North Somerset Council’s offices in the town hall between 10am and 4pm on a working day.

Ms Harwood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The biggest thing that puts people off is that you hand-deliver the papers to Westonsuper-mare, which seems so archaic but, the way the laws are written, that’s the way it has to be done.”

Others believe general apathy is a problem and the fact that being a parish councillor is such a time-consuming post. There is frustration locally that the wasted money was not put to better use.

The village will hold full council elections in May.

A final by-election will be held in February – whether there are any candidates or not.