Could you be a parish councillor?

WOULD you like to be one of the next Melksham Without Parish councillors?

Local elections are coming up in May – for town, parish and unitary roles – and residents are being encouraged to think about whether they would like to volunteer for their community.

In an effort to encourage more people to put themselves forward as candidates for election, Melksham News is asking local councillors to share their experiences of what it is like to volunteer for the community and be part of a local council.

In the last issue, we spoke to Melksham’s town councillors, and for this fortnight’s issue, the spotlight falls on Melksham Without Parish Council, who represent the surrounding villages – Bowerhill, Berryfield, Beanacre, Shaw, Whitley and the Blackmore ward.

Speaking to Melksham News, Melksham Without Parish councillors have shared their thoughts on the role; giving an insight into the work that they do; and what it means to them to volunteer for their community.

Cllr Richard Wood, who is the current chair of the parish council, said, “I’ve been a local councillor on the town council (1987 – 1995) and on the parish council, since 2006. 

“I joined the town council because I was active in local politics and it offered a way to make a difference, however small, to the way things happened in the town. 

“I soon found that it introduced me to a whole set of people that I’d not met in the 15 years I’d already spent in town, and made me aware of the huge range of organisations all working to make things better. It was a great honour to serve as mayor for two years, but as I progressed in my teaching job at George Ward, it became clear how difficult it was to be effective at school, to be a good husband and father and still be on the council, so I reluctantly decided not to stand in 1995. 

“When I retired in 2006 I applied to be co-opted to MWPC, where I’ve been ever since. 

“If you want to play a part in our local community, be involved in decisions that eventually make a difference to us all, and most all just find out how things work it’s well worth giving it a go. 

“Politics don’t play a part on the parish, we all get on well, and if you can face the fact that quite often we can’t make things happen the way we’d like, but at least we have a go, then it may be for you!”

Cllr Paul Carter said, “Councils are a bureaucratic institution that delivers the services that your council tax pays for. 

“Councillors make sure it is done well, and they do.  If you like committees, procedures, reading reports, talking and coming to a decision, which you have to do, this job is for you!

“If you want to help your constituents and address their concerns as swiftly as possible and making them feel part of the democratic process and you are here to serve them; this is for you!

“Delivering the campus or Shurnhold Fields then you will be disappointed to the point of despair because councils can’t function outside its bureaucratic embrace. Solving problems creating opportunities showing drive and initiative meeting deadlines are built out of the system. Not for you!

“Individual councillors have no power, and personal initiative is discouraged.  The collective power of a full council decision is greater provided they enforce its delivery.  This is where the system is designed to fail, the power imbalance between the clerk and councillors is such that no matter how long anything takes, councillors will not challenge the power of the clerk who decides, when and how long.”

Cllr John Glover, the current vice chair of the parish council said, “I have been on the parish council for around 20 years. Initially just being involved once a month as a new member with no specific roles on the council. However, to take an active part on behalf of the parish, but more importantly the ward,  it is necessary to become involved with the various committees and working parties/groups that undertake the detailed aspects of council work. Subsequently, I have been vice chair of the full council and a chair of various committees, and member of all the remainder.

“This is an unpaid task, for which you are both liked and disliked by either happy or aggrieved residents. Nevertheless, application to these duties takes up a considerable amount of one’s free time (just ask my wife!) 

“These days, there are weekly meetings every Monday, (starting at 7pm and scheduled up to 10pm). Occasional monthly, even 2 weekly, meetings on a Wednesday and Thursday, generally starting at 6pm and scheduled to finish by 8pm, but often later. That is without meetings with developers, Wiltshire Council officials, site meetings and site inspections during the day.

“The important aspects of the task are to “TRY” and influence the decisions of Wiltshire Council in their production of Local Plans and their planning decisions. We have no right of veto to planning proposals, although the Neighbourhood Plan which has taken 5 years to bring to fruition will help place development in areas the community prefers, rather than piecemeal development. It is the former that brings so much frustration to the task.”

Cllr Robert Shea-Simonds said, “Having had a 38-year working career in sales and general management, living in the Salisbury area, at the grand old age of 56, I became a Bowerhill resident in 2000. Within a short time I gained full time employment as a recruitment consultant with Bailey Employment. 

“Reaching formal retirement age, I gained a part time support role with the mental health charity Richmond Fellowship based in Devizes, where I’m still in post.

“21 years as a Bowerhill resident has provided me with a wide range of understanding about the community and its needs both residential, commercial and industrial.  

“Looking to have a formal community role, 3 years ago I was fortunate to join MWPC as a Bowerhill ward co-opted councillor. I have enjoyed learning about, and being involved with, the detailed workings of local government.

“I feel that I have made mature, considered and appropriate contributions to decision-making within the excellently administered parish council. 

“I would encourage any Bowerhill resident of a younger generation, keen to help shape the future of our community, to stand for election.”

Cllr Alan Baines said, “I have been a Melksham resident all my life and was taking an interest in local matters before I could stand as a councillor.  I had to wait until I was 21 in those days!  I remember an eastern bypass being discussed before Western Way ended up being built.  However, I first joined Melksham Without Parish Council in 1973, when Bowerhill was in its infancy as a new village and was still referred to as ‘The RAF Camp’.  It was a ‘sustainable’ project long before it became a fashionable buzzword, with Bradford & Melksham Rural District Council promoting residential and employment development side by side.

“As a councillor you very soon discover that very little can be achieved quickly, everything needs to be thought through and carefully justified, especially if it has a financial cost because you are spending the public’s money.  

“However, every successful project is a source of satisfaction, whether it is the provision of extra pavements in Whitley, improving street lighting from a feeble 100watt bulb on every other pole, providing notice boards, seats and bus shelters, enhancing play areas, adding local knowledge to advise the planning authority decisions, highway signage and parking issues, dealing with flooding, to safeguarding Bowerhill Sports Field for the future.  

“Then there are the regular issues of speeding traffic, dog fouling, blocked drains, potholes, overgrowing vegetation, fly tipping, inconsiderate parking, vandalism/anti-social behaviour and more.  

“The parish council role is very limited on highway issues as everything is governed by endless regulations with limited funding from Wiltshire Council (WC) as the principal authority allocated on injury-accident history. 

“Likewise, for planning matters the parish is only able to submit comments to WC who are the planning authority and who make the final decision.  

“It’s impossible to anticipate whether the next issue will be major or minor, or if the next planning application will be for another 200 houses or a replacement porch.  

“Becoming a councillor purely to take up a single issue is never going to be a success, because you need to be able to handle everything that comes up.  There is also a fair amount of frustration when higher level authorities fail to listen to the parish view arrived at after careful and detailed analysis of local considerations, or issues that never get fully resolved.

“It is not possible to be an effective councillor unless you possess, or acquire, a decent knowledge of the whole parish, because although elected for a particular ward, you are a councillor for the entire council area.  It is a voluntary unpaid position, and you also need to be able to devote sufficient time to play a full part.  Over the years there has been an increase in the amount of daytime meetings/consultations, which creates difficulty for those in employment.  

“I personally needed to pause my council involvement in 1995 to safeguard my career after serving a total of 8 years as council chairman, but it has become an even bigger job since then.  Having restored a work-life balance, I returned after 4 years at the next election, so will have completed 44 years as a parish councillor come May.  Having other interests and hobbies too, it’s no wonder I never had time to get married!

“In summary, the more you put in, the more you get out, but don’t necessarily expect to receive much praise or thanks.”

For more information about how to stand as a candidate in the next town council elections on 6th May, visit: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/candidate-or-agent/parish-council-elections-england

Or if you would like to talk to someone about the role of parish councillor and what it entails, you can contact the Melksham Without parish clerk, Teresa Strange by email: clerk@melkshamwithout.co.uk

In the next issue of Melksham News, we talk to Melksham’s Wiltshire councillors about their experiences representing the town at county level.