• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Fordingbridge Town Council

Fordingbridge Town Council

Fordingbridge Town Council

Facebook

01425 654560

  • Home
  • Town Council
    • Your Town Council
      • Introduction
      • Areas of Responsibility
      • Your Councillors
      • The Role of a Councillor
      • Register for Members Interests
      • Elections
      • Projects
    • Meeting, Agendas & Minutes
      • Meetings & Committees
      • Representatives to Community and Local Organisations
      • Annual Council
      • General Council
      • Annual Town Assembly Minutes
      • Planning
      • Amenities
      • Finance & Policy
      • General Purposes
      • Staff & Remuneration
      • Transport
    • Policy & Admin
      • Finance
      • Grants
      • Policy and Procedures
    • Staff & Recruitment
  • Community
    • Services
      • Town Hall and Grounds Hire
      • Allotments
      • Cemetery
      • Other Services
    • Play Areas & Open Spaces
      • All Play Areas & Open Spaces
      • Fishing on the River Avon
    • Local Information
      • Defibrillator Locations
      • Electric car charging points
      • Foodbank
      • Fordingbridge Town Council Welcome
      • Local Groups and Societies
      • NFDC Local Plan
      • Queen’s Platinum Jubilee events
      • Places of Worship
      • Schools
        • School Events
      • The New Forest National Park
      • Twinning Association
  • Neighbourhood Plan
  • Useful Links
  • Calendar
  • News
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / The Role of a Councillor

The Role of a Councillor

The Councillor’s role

As a democratically-elected local representative a councillor has a unique and privileged position and the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives.

Representing your local area

A councillor’s primary role is to represent their ward or division and the people who live in it. Councillors provide a bridge between the community and the council. As well as being an advocate for local residents and signposting them to the right people or services, they will need to keep them informed about the issues that affect them.

In order to understand and represent local views and priorities there needs to be strong relationships built and to encourage local people to make their views known. Good communication and engagement is central to being an effective councillor.

As a local councillor, residents will expect them to:

  • respond to their queries and investigate their concerns (casework)
  • communicate council decisions that affect them
  • know their locality and be aware of any problems
  • know and work with representatives of local organisations, interest groups and businesses
  • represent electors’ views at council meetings
  • lead local campaigns on the elector’s behalf

Community leadership

Community leadership is at the heart of modern local government. Councils work in partnership with local communities and organisations – including the public, voluntary, community and private sectors – to develop a vision for their local area, working collaboratively to improve services and quality of life for citizens. Councillors have a lead role in this process.

Developing council policy

Councils need clear strategies and policies to enable them to achieve their vision for the area, make the best use of resources and deliver services that meet the needs of local communities. As a local councillor they will contribute to the development of these policies and strategies, bringing the views and priorities of the local area to the debate.

Planning

Town Councils do not have the power to approve or reject planning applications as they are not planning authorities. They do, however, have to be consulted by the Local Planning Authority as part of the process, and as part of this consultation, Councillors will be asked to comment on the planning applications

Code of conduct and standards

A councillor will be required to adhere to the council’s agreed code of conduct for elected members. Each council adopts its own code, but it must be based on the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s These were developed by the Nolan Committee. Which looked at how to improve ethical standards in public life, and are often referred to as the Nolan principles. 

What does a Councillor do?

Information for Prospective Town Councillors

Fordingbridge Town Council is the parish authority for Fordingbridge Town and has a estimated population of 6000 and 2920 dwellings. The Town Council comprises of 12 Councillors who are elected for a 4 year term. The next ordinary Town Council election will be held on 04 May 2023. Councillors who are elected at a subsequent by-election or are co-opted to fill a casual vacancy during the course of the 4 year term will hold office until the end of the 4 year term.

Town Councils are the fourth tier of government after parliament, the County Council and the District Council and its legal powers are granted to it and regulated by various government acts. The Town Council supplements the provision of local government services in Fordingbridge and provides a range of facilities and services, while promoting and representing the town with other national and statutory bodies. For example the Town Council acts as a consultee and lobbying force with both the County and District Council putting forward the wishes and needs of the local community.

Applying to be a Councillor

Footer

Fordingbridge Information Office
Kings Yard,
23 Salisbury Street,
Fordingbridge,
SP6 1AB

Opening hours:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday
10:00am – 4:00pm (excluding public holidays)
Tuesday and Thursday
Email and Phone Support only
(there is no public access)

Visit The Information Office page for further details.

Contact Us

T: 01425 654560
E:

Stay Connected

Visit our Facebook

Information

Accessibility

Policies

Copyright © 2023 · Fordingbridge Town Council · Developed by Seemore Graphics

Cookie Consent
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo