Elections & Vacancies 2019

GENERAL ELECTION DECEMBER 2019

Who is eligible to vote?

To vote in a general election you must be registered to vote and 18 or above on polling day.

You must be a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or a Commonwealth citizen who meets certain eligibility criteria. You must live in the UK, or be a British citizen abroad who has been registered to vote in the last 15 years.

How do I register to vote?

It takes about five minutes to register on the government’s website, or you can register by post. You will need your National Insurance number, date of birth and address.

Students can vote using their university or home address. It is legal to be registered in two areas, but a criminal offence to vote in both.

People who are away for work or a holiday on election day can vote by post or proxy, which means nominating someone to cast a ballot for you. Your proxy must be a registered voter over the age of 18.

MAY ELECTIONS 2019

Penrith is split into six wards and there are 15 Councillors.

Scheduled elections took place on Thursday 2nd May 2019, with the following results:

For Contested results click on the following link: https://www.eden.gov.uk/voting-and-elections/election-results/parish-and-town-council-election-results/parish-and-parish-ward-results-2019/

For uncontested wards click on the following link: https://www.eden.gov.uk/voting-and-elections/election-results/parish-and-town-council-election-results/uncontested-parish-wards-2019/

The names of wards and councillor representations are as follows:

Name of Ward	Number of Councillors	Who
Penrith North	4	Cllr. Paul Donald Cllr. Scott Jackson Cllr. Ron Kenyon Cllr. Mike Shepherd
Penrith South	2	Cllr. Roger Burgin Cllr. Margaret Clark
Penrith East	3	Cllr. Nicola Hawkins Cllr. James Fallows Cllr. Charlie Shepherd
Penrith West	3	Cllr. Jonathan Davies Cllr. David Knaggs Cllr. Hilary Snell
Penrith Pategill	1	Cllr. Grattan Bowen
Penrith Carleton	2	Cllr. Doug Lawson Cllr. Stephen Clarke

Ward Maps:
Penrith East Penrith West Penrith North Penrith South Penrith Pategill Penrith Carleton

If you are passionate about Penrith and

want to make a difference

become a Penrith Town Councillor

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BECOMING A TOWN COUNCILLOR PLEASE READ ON:

You don’t have to be interested in politics or be a member of a political group to become a town councillor.

It takes all sorts of individuals from different parts of the community, of different ages with different life experiences to become a councillor.

Think, Listen and Act Locally

As a councillor, you can become a voice for your community and affect real change.

Councillors are community leaders and represent the aspirations of the public that they serve.

Town councillors are the most local part of our democratic system and are closest to the public.

Spend Your Time Productively

The Town Council looks to blend a variety of skills and backgrounds in its members.

No special qualifications are needed and the most important thing is to have a keen interest in Penrith and be prepared to play an active part in the Council’s work.

The National Association of Local Councils has produced a short video on how to stand for an election. Please click on the following video:

Training and guidance from Council officers will be available throughout your term of office.

The Council is acutely aware that councillors are volunteers and will endeavour not to have unrealistic expectations and to manage councillors time effectively. However, councillors are expected to attend bi monthly Full Council meetings plus regular meetings of committees to which they are members.

A candidate for a Town Council is qualified if, when nominated:

he or she is a British citizen, Commonwealth citizen, citizen of the Irish Republic or a citizen of another European Union State.
has attained 18 years of age, and
is either in the register of electors for Penrith or has during the whole of the preceding twelve months, occupied land as owner or tenant, had a principal place of work there, or resided in or within 4.8 kilometres or 3 miles of it.

You cannot stand for election if you:

are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order.
have, within 5 years before the day of the election, been convicted in the UK of any offence and have had a prison sentence (whether suspended or not) for a period of over 3 months without the option of a fine.
work for the council you want to become a councillor for.

Interested?

Have a look at this website which provides information on the committee structure, frequency of meetings and the activities the Council has been involved in.

If you would like to know more please contact the Town Council office on 01768 899773 and ask for the Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk or email:

office@penrithtowncouncil.co.uk