Author: Parish Clerk

Co-Option of a Member of St Michael Parish Council – St Michael ward

The Chairman and other Councillors would warmly welcome enquiries from residents who may be interested in joining St Michael Parish Council through co-option, either for self-nomination or for on behalf of another individual.  Applicants will be considered at the next meeting which is due to be held 12 January 2021, by videoconference (Zoom meeting).

IF ANYONE IS STILL INTERESTED IN APPLYING, PLEASE CONTACT THE CLERK (see bottom of this page) AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE AS COUNCILLORS WILL CONSIDER THE APPOINTMENT AT THEIR MEETING ON TUESDAY 12th JANUARY

Please read on for more detail

The vacancy has arisen following the resignation of a serving member. St Albans City and District Council was notified and a formal Notice of Vacancy was posted for fourteen (working) days between 12^th July and 4^th August 2020, during which time it was possible for electors in the parish to demand that an election be called.

No such request was received and the vacancy will therefore be filled by St Michael Parish Council by co-option, in accordance with the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 2006. 

Candidates will be requested to submit a short biography or information about themselves, by way of letter or e-mail and to give a short presentation to the next meeting outlining the reasons for their application .Applicants will also be asked to confirm their eligibility to serve, based on the criteria given below.

Any person co-opted to fill the vacancy within the Parish Council must fulfil the same criteria as a person being formally nominated for a candidate at an election, that is:

• He/she is a registered elector for the parish; or
• has resided in the parish for the past twelve months or rented/tenanted land in the parish; or
• had his/her principal place of work in the parish; or
• who lives within three miles (straight line) of the parish boundary.

There are certain disqualifications – these are set out in full in the Local Government Act 1972 (see 5. 80) but the main exclusions are:

• holding a paid office of the Parish Council;
• bankruptcy;
• having been sentenced to a term of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) of not less than three months, without the option of a fine during the five years preceding the election; and
• being disqualified under any enactment relating to corrupt or illegal practices.

The Parish Council will announce after the closing date (or at the next meeting) how many applications have been received and whether a voting process needs to be invoked.  Details of that process will then be published, but in brief the existing Parish Council members would vote at a public meeting to determine the result. Please note that if a vote is needed, it is Parish Council members who would vote – it is not a public election.

Interested candidates should in the first instance please contact the Clerk, Julia Reading, in writing. Contact form through this link.

Julia Reading, Clerk to St Michael Parish Council
7th August 2020

These meetings have been deferred from May due to the Covid-19 situation, with a new date since firmly set for Tuesday 11th August at 6.30 pm.

You can view the agenda for the meetings here.

The meeting will be conducted remotely with access available to Councillors and the public through the internet.  Your device must be enabled with Zoom tele/video conferencing, which you can download as a free app from their website.

A link will appear here on 11th August, from 17.00 hrs at the latest, which will give you the specific internet address for the Zoom meeting. (Meeting completed; link now expired)

The Annual meetings in 2020 will be held on Tuesday 11th August at 6.30 pm. Find out how to attend and view the agenda here.

There can be confusion between the Annual Parish Meeting and the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council.

Both types of meeting are open for the public to attend, and both are required to be held during May, although in 2020 emergency regulations have been introduced to allow flexibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The same regulations permit meetings to be conducted remotely for Councillors and the public to attend through an internet link, details of which will be included when the Agendas are published (usually a week in advance).  Meetings should not commence before 6.00 pm.

The Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council is the occasion to review things such as who will be Chairman for the next year.  Otherwise it will follow the same structure as for other Parish Council Meetings in the year.  Members of the public are entitled to attend and observe, but as with all Parish Council Meetings, they are allowed to speak or ask questions only in a designated part of the proceedings or by the invitation of the Chairman.

All Parish and Town Councils throughout England are required by law to hold an Annual Parish Meeting, which acts as an annual democratic point of communication enabling the Parish Council to explain what it has been doing over the last year and providing an opportunity for the electors to have their say on anything they consider is important  to the people of the Parish.

Who can attend the Annual Parish Meeting?

The Annual Parish Meeting is a meeting of all the local government electors for the Parish, which the public are specifically entitled to attend and participate in.

Will I be able to ask questions and make suggestions?

Yes, any registered elector may ask questions at the Annual Parish Meeting, which will usually be answered by the Chairperson, the Clerk to the Council, or a designated Councillor.

An elector may also make suggestions and comment on anything relevant to the residents of the Parish.

Who will chair the Annual Parish Meeting?

The Chairman of the Parish Council will chair the meeting or in his/her absence the Vice Chairman.

Will Parish Councillors be there?

Yes, however, the purpose of the Annual Parish Meeting is to enable the ordinary electors to have their say. Councillors will listen with interest and as some are electors themselves, they also have the opportunity to raise questions and make comments if they wish.

Will notes be taken of the meeting?

Yes, a written record of the meeting will be taken and presented at the next Annual Parish meeting for approval.

How long will the meeting last?

As long as need be within reason.  It will depend on how many persons attend who wish to speak.

All the General Election notices have been published on-line by St Albans City & District Council, and are available through this link.  Their website also contains comprehensive information on all aspects of this and other types of election.

If you have not received a poll card with details of your polling station, or if you have registered for a postal vote but have not yet had it, you should check what’s happened with Electoral Services at St Albans District Council by ‘phoning 01727 819294 or emailing elections@stalbans.gov.uk.

Remember, poll cards are for information only, and you can still cast your vote if you lose or forget your poll card.  If you need to check which polling station you must use, again, please check with Electoral Services as above.