Town Council in search for a new councillor - could it be you?

Town Council are looking for a new councillor - could it be you?

Penrith Town Council are looking for a new councillor for Penrith East Ward - 

Following the Town Council elections in May, one seat on the town council remains unfilled in the Penrith East Ward which we can fill by the town council using co-option.  

Co-option following a non-contested election is a process whereby a qualifying person can be appointed by the Council during the course of a Council meeting to fill a vacant seat after election.

The town council currently has 15 seats across the 6 wards of the Penrith parish area served by the town council.

14 seats were filled in May with some uncontested and some wards subject to elections.

The Penrith West ward has a total of three seats with only two filled in May via an uncontested election.

The town council used co-option twice in the last council term to fill vacant seats on the council. As well as having a number of by elections with some uncontested one such uncontested by election was for the same Penrith West ward in August 2022.

You can apply to become a co-opted councillor if:

• you are 18 or over,

• you are a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the EU

• you are and will continue to be on the electoral role for Penrith

• you have lived in or within 3 miles of the parish for at least 12 months 

• you have occupied land or other premises in the parish area for at least 12 months

• your main or only place of work for at least 12 months is in Penrith 

You cannot apply for co-option if you are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction or order, you have been in prison (or have a suspended sentence) of 3 months or more, have been disqualified under the Representation of the People Act or you are the subject to the notification requirement of or under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Any applications for co-option onto the town council would be subject to the current town council members voting for a candidate to be co-opted as a new town councillor.

The process of co-option has drawn criticism as an undemocratic system that places the selection of a councillor in the hands of the current councillors and potential political bias towards any potential candidates that may come forward for cooption.

The Evolve Penrith group has called for a community governance review to be conducted for Penrith to look at the number of councillors on the town council, it’s wards and even the potential to replace the town council with 6 smaller parish councils serving the individual wards with examples given by Evolve Penrith of a new Carleton Parish council serving the Carleton community and a Castletown parish council covering the Castletown area of Penrith.

What do you think should vacant seats on the town council be subject to fresh elections or fillled by councillors picking a new town councillor themselves?