Councillors are elected by the electors of the Parish (section 16 (2) of the Local Government Act 1972) every four years; or bye-election, co-option, appointment by the district council or by return after a successful election petition.

The last Parish Council Elections took place in May 2023. Herstmonceux Parish holds seats for 11 councillors in which 9 Councillors were elected.

Please see our Casual Vacancy and Co-option Procedures (below) to explain how we recruit a new Councillor other than through an election. Following the 2023 election, the Parish Council were left with two seats, one in Cowbeech and one in Castle Wards, to co-opt on to.

Further information regarding the elections, nominations and voting can be found on the Wealden District Council website and on this website.

Voter ID

The UK Government now has a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station.

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:

• Passport

• Driving licence (including provisional license)

• Blue badge

• Certain concessionary travel cards

• Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)

• Biometric Immigration document

• Defence identity card

• Certain national identity cards

For more information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

If you don't already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you're not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can apply for this at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk.

Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form and send this to the Electoral Services team at Rother District Council.

If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact Rother District Council at elections@rother.gov.uk.

Find out more

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, go to electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID, or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

It is sometimes said that democracy can only be achieved through the ballot box and that making co-options is a failure of the democratic process. However, this need not be the case, and co-options can be a positive tool. Arguably, every local (parish and town) council benefit from having a mix of councillors drawn from various backgrounds. They are capable, enthusiastic, and engaged in reflecting on their communities.

Where elections result in shortfalls or, indeed, imbalances in their membership, making co-options can be an opportunity for councils or their committees to address them. Unlike the conduct of elections, which are subject to a massive range of rules and primarily administered by more-distant authorities, the law gives local councils a much freer rein to make co-options. This is a power and a privilege which should be exercised responsibly and creatively. The following is NALC's advice on good practice, working within the legal provisions where they exist.

When does the power to co-opt become available?

There are two ways that co-options can occur:

• There have been insufficient candidates to fill all the available seats at an election.
• A casual vacancy has arisen between elections, and there is no demand to hold a by-election.

What is the process for co-opting a councillor?

NALC suggest the following simple steps:

1. The council should identify any shortfalls and imbalances in their membership. These might be based on gender, age, geographical coverage within the parish, or other characteristics
2. Agreeing on a role description and person specification may be sensible to target specific characteristics, skills, or groups. Also, highlight the skills needed to be a good councillor: good communication, problem-solving, analytical thinking and team player. However, the most important attribute is to care about the community and be willing to take an active role. Details of the statutory criteria of eligibility should also be made available.
3. The council should specify how to apply for the role, in writing, with any deadlines, with or without CVs, and stipulate how co-options will be made. For example, via a public or private interview with or without prior shortlisting.
4. Advertise the role across relevant local media platforms. For example, through social media, community newsletters, websites, and notice boards. And work with community groups to advertise the vacancy.
5. Following the deadline for receipt of applications, eligibility can be assessed, and, if applicable, any shortlisting can be undertaken. Advice on eligibility is usually available from the electoral registration officer or the county association of local councils. The council may conduct interviews, whether conducted by the entire council or by a delegated group. However, the final decision must be made by the full council.
6. Where there are more candidates than vacancies, a vote should take place. Voting can take place using show-of-hands or on paper by secret ballot. Suppose there are more than two candidates for one available position. In that case, the result must be by a clear majority, meaning that the chosen candidate must receive more votes than the other candidates' total votes. The Council do not have to co-opt if they feel all candidates are unsuitable. In this circumstance, the council may issue a further co-option notice.
7. Following this decision, the new councillor must sign a declaration of Acceptance of Office, and they can then join the council as a fully-fledged member. Within 28 days, the new councillor must complete a declaration of Interests form which must be sent to and published by the council's monitoring officer. The council should also consider what induction, training, and other support should be given to the new councillor.

Should a vacancy arise on the Parish Council, the following procedure will be followed:

The Council will then revert to their Co-option Procedures as found below, ensuring that:

Prospective councillors qualify for membership of the Council under one of the provisions of S 79 of the Local Government Act 1972, i.e.,

a) they are on the electoral register for the Parish;

b) they have owned or rented land in the Parish for twelve months;

c) they have worked in the Parish for twelve months; or

d) they have lived in the Parish or within three miles/4.8 kilometres of the Parish boundary for twelve months.

In addition they should be a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Community and have attained the age of 18.