Acle Parish Council

Jess Royal has moved from the area and has therefore resigned as a parish councillor. The councillors thank Jess for her hard work and commitment during her time on the parish council.

There is therefore one vacancy for a parish councillor. There is a technical process during which the district council advertises the vacancy in case there is a demand for an election for this one space.

If no election is requested, then the Council will look to co-opt a person, probably at the meeting on 15th December.

Being a parish councillor

The position of parish councillor is a voluntary position, and unpaid.

To be eligible to be a parish councillor you must be at least 18 years old, be a British or Commonwealth citizen, and either (a) be a local government elector or (b) live within 3 miles of the parish, or work in or rent/own land in the parish of Acle.

There are 12 parish councillors for Acle Parish Council. Every parish councillor stands down at each parish council election, normally linked to district council elections, and usually every 4 years.

Generally, candidates are invited to attend the parish council meeting and, at the end, to say just a few words about why they would like to be a parish councillor, what they care about particularly in the area, and what their interests are. The councillors then discuss the candidates and vote on which person to choose. The councillors look for someone to complement the existing skills base within the council, or someone who has an interest in or enthusiasm for a forthcoming project.

The parish council employs a parish clerk, deputy clerk and assistant clerk (all part-time) and part-time cleaners and general operative for the public toilets and for some open spaces. The council looks after street lights, 3 play areas, the cemetery, some grasscutting, the allotments, and some bins and benches. It also pays for the youth club and helps the Recreation Centre, Social Club and other village groups and clubs. The council owns the Fletcher Community Rooms, Folly Tree House and the Brian Grint Centre.

The council is consulted on planning applications in the area, and on some larger projects in the county.

Meetings are usually on the last Monday of each month, apart from when that falls on a bank holiday, when the meeting is moved forward by one week. Meetings are held at 7.00pm, usually in the Methodist Meeting Room.

New councillors are encouraged to undertake some introductory training courses, which are paid for by the council.

For more information, please contact the clerk, Pauline James, on 01493 751070 or AclePCclerk@gmail.com