Susan van de Ven

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Bassingbourn, Litlington, Melbourn, Meldreth and Whaddon Learn more

Why the new Melbourn Parish Council needs to co-opt four new councillors

by Susan van de Ven on 26 September, 2016

A few questions have come in regarding the item in our Community Newsletter, published yesterday, about the new Melbourn Parish Council and the process of co-opting four new councillors. Why are these co-options taking place and what are the guidelines governing the process?

When a parish councillor resigns, there is a period of 14 working days during which any ten electors in the parish can formally call for a by-election to fill that vacancy. If that call is not made, then the vacancy can only be filled by means of co-option by the parish council.

On 22 September, an election took place for eight parish council vacancies – because ten electors had made the formal request within the specified time of the resignations of eight parish councillors.

Prior to those eight resignations, there were already four vacancies on the parish council. There had been no call for an election, and the means of filling the vacancies was through co-option. The vacancies had been advertised but not filled – no one had come forward with an application to join the parish council.

After the eight resignations, there were just three members left on the parish council – not enough to form a quorum, and so the parish council was unable to conduct decision-making meetings.

After the by-election on September 22, the original four vacancies still remain, and now that the parish council is once again quorate, it can go through the process of co-option. The four vacancies have been advertised and Melbourn residents who are interested can apply.

A question has been posed as to those people who stood in the parish council by-election but were not elected – it so happens that that was a total of four people. Why should they not be automatically co-opted? The reason is that the process of co-option is open to everyone.

The next meeting of the parish council is on 10 October, 7:15, upstairs at the Melbourn Hub. The four vacancies for co-option are published on the Parish Council website: http://melbournparishcouncil.co.uk/.

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