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Thinking of becoming a District Councillor?

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A brief guide

 

Role of a Councillor - What does a Councillor do?

Role
Councillors (also called Members) are elected by local people to plan, run, monitor and develop council business. Councillors work to improve the quality of life for people within the South Cambridgeshire area and make decisions about local issues. Councillors are essential in deciding what is in the public interest amidst a range of conflicting issues and views.

The role of Councillor can be very varied and it is up to each individual Councillor how they work. However, the three main areas of responsibility are:

1. Representation

Representing the people in their area (ward) and becoming a representative of South Cambridgeshire District Council to external bodies or explaining the Council to residents. Many councillors see the first and foremost role as representing their ward and the people who live there. To do this they:

  • Hold 'drop-in surgeries', usually in community buildings such as a local community centre - a place where local people regularly go
  • Support local partnerships and organisations
  • Support individual constituents in their dealings with the Council
  • Campaign on local issues, championing the causes, which further the interests, quality of life and development of the community
  • Win resources for their ward
  • Encourage community participation and citizen involvement in decision-making
  • Listen to the needs of local people and take their views into account when considering policy proposals and in decision-making
  • Explain Council policy and make sure that the policy has been carried out fairly

2. Community Leadership

Community leadership is central to the Government's thinking about modern local government. It involves partnership with other organisations. South Cambridgeshire District Council works in partnership with many local bodies and Councillors serve on these local forums on behalf of the council. Councillors exercise community leadership by:

  • Representing the Council and constituents on local management boards, school governor committees or local partnership panels
  • Participating in the activities of any outside body to which they are appointed and reporting back to the council
  • Developing a working knowledge of the organisations, services, activities and other factors important to the community's well being and identity

3. Formulating policy

All Councillors are involved in decision-making. Councillors, as Members of Council and Scrutiny and Overview Committee, meet with Councillor colleagues from all political and other groups, to debate and approve Council business in a formal setting.

Most meetings are open to the press and public. There are written rules that govern behaviour and procedures at these meetings called Procedure Rules (see Part 4 of the Council's Constitution) and these enable Councillors to take part effectively. Councillors can influence local policies through:

  • Their role on full Council
  • For some, membership of the Cabinet
  • Their role on committees which both scrutinise the work of the Cabinet and recommend policy developments
  • Membership of management boards of voluntary bodies and school governors
  • Undertaking casework
  • Councillors who choose to be involved in Development and Conservation Control and Licensing Committees take decisions on planning and licensing applications

NOTE:
Things you promise during your election campaign could have an effect on your ability to participate in certain discussions or decisions if elected, since all Councillors when declaring their acceptance of that office undertake to be guided by the National Code of Local Government Conduct. In essence, if you have a private or personal interest in a matter on which the Council has to decide, you should take no part in that decision. You should also never seek advantage from your position or preferential treatment in any personal dealings with the Council and you should never disclose or use confidential information for personal advantage.

Further details are available in the SCDC Constitution (Part 5 Codes and Protocols: F - Members' Code of Conduct (This link will open in a new window)) or from the Standards Board for England (This link will open in a new window).

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overviewSee also:
About Councillors, Wards and Parishes

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Links

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