Parish Councillor
Could you provide a voice for people living in Pembury?
Do you have some time to spare? Do you want to get involved in the future of Pembury? If so, why not think about joining the Parish Council as we currently have a vacancy. We are an active council looking for enthusiastic people to join us!
This is a voluntary position and you will need to be available to attend afternoon and evening meetings at the Parish Office in Lower Green Recreation Ground. Meetings are usually scheduled on a Monday afternoon or evening.
What we do
We own and manage various facilities in the village such as Lower Green Recreation Ground, Woodside Playing Fields, the Village Green, the Old Coach Road, Pembury Burial Grounds and Lower Green Cemetery.
We also hold several community events such as Fireworks, Picnic in the Park, the community litter pick in conjunction with Rapid Relief Team, Remembrance Sunday in partnership with the churches and Carols on the Green. We also publish the quarterly newsletter, the Pembury Village News, delivered to all homes in the village.
We are consulted on all planning applications in the Parish.
Our current projects include:
- Working in partnership with the Pembury Community Gardening Group to improve various “grot spots” in the village
- Converting our streetlights to LEDs
- Improving the condition of vacant plots at the allotments
- Improvements to the play equipment at the Recreation Ground
- Encouraging use of twittens with new signage
What does a Parish Councillor do?
A councillor’s primary role is to represent their parish and the people who live in it. As part of a local council you will work with Council staff to:
- run local services such as our open spaces and recreation facilities
- influence the long term development policy and comment on planning applications in the parish
- improve the quality of life and the environment in our local area
- identify issues which are important to residents
- improve the lives of residents by providing local community projects, lobbying other service providers and working in partnership with other parishes, community groups and agencies.
How much time does it take?
It depends on how many committees you sit on! Each councillor much attend Full Council which is held monthly. The meetings start at 7:15pm and usually finish around 9pm. Between meetings you will also receive and reply to various emails and be expected to read documents related to the Council or committee.
Each committee meets at different times and various intervals between meetings as follows:
- Planning & Highways Committee – once a month – meetings start at 3:30pm
- Finance & HR Committee – once a quarter – meetings start at 2pm
- Open Spaces Committee – once a quarter – meetings start at 3pm
Councillors are encouraged to sit on at least one committee. For details of what each committee is responsible for, please check out our page on Committees and Working Groups.
Eligibility
You must:
- be a British, Irish or EU citizen
- be over 18 years old
- live in the parish of Pembury or within 3 miles of it or have your principle place of work in the parish of Pembury
How to Apply
Please read our policy on the Co-option process and complete the application form below and return it to the Council by email to clerk@pemburyparishcouncil.gov.uk or by post to the Parish Office.
