A candidate for a Parish or Town Council is qualified if, when nominated -
(a) he or she is a British citizen, Commonwealth citizen, citizen of the Irish Republic or a citizen of another European Union State.
(b) is 18 years of age, and
(c) is either in the list of electors for that Parish or Town or has during the whole
of the preceding twelve months
(i) occupied land as owner or tenant in it, or
(ii) had a principal place of work there, or
(iii) resided in or within three miles of it.
Where there are an equal number or fewer candidates than there are vacancies, all candidates are elected unopposed, and no election takes place.Where there are fewer candidates than vacant seats, the parish council has the duty to any person or persons to fill the vacancies. This power, however, may only be exercised if there is a quorum of councillors present and within 35 days of the election. If the parish council fails to fill the vacancies within this period, the district council may dissolve it and order fresh elections.
Where there are more candidates than vacancies, an election must be held under the bloc vote system.
Where a vacancy occurs during the term of a parish council, it may be filled by either election or cooption. Elections only occur if, following the advertisement of the vacancy for 14 days, 10 electors send a written request to the returning officer. If no request is received, the parish council will be required to fill the vacancies by cooption.
If the number of vacancies on the parish council is such that there is no longer a quorum, the district council may temporarily appoint persons to bring the council up to strength in the interval prior to an election.
Parish councils have powers to provide some facilities themselves, or they can contribute towards their provision by others. There are large variations in the services provided by parishes, but they can include the following:
They may also provide the following subject to the consent of the county council or unitary authority of the area in which they lie:
Parish councils must be notified by county council of:
The Cedar Hall is Dilwyn's community hall and is an excellent facility for wedding receptions and parties of any description, as well as for meetings, film show, etc. The rates are very competitive and compare most favourably with similar facilities elsewhere.