Parish Councillors

Parish Councillors of Minshull Vernon and District are elected into one of the four 'ward' areas - Leighton Rural (LR), Leighton Urban (LU), Minshull Vernon (MV), and Woolstanwood (W). 

Those representing specific wards may have a defined interest in that ward, for example they may reside in that area.

However, ANY Parish Councillor can be contacted to discuss any issues or concerns.

Ward	Name	Telephone	E-mail
LR	Joe Parker	tba	parker769@btinternet.com
LR	Linda Horne	01270 522 386	linda88@hotmail.com.uk
LU	Bill Barnes	01270 258 103	not available
LU	Terry Beard	01270 212 866	terry.beard@cheshireeast.gov.uk
LU	Derek Bebbington	01270 522 902	derek.bebbington@cheshireeast.gov.uk
LU	Doug Forrest  (Chairman)	01270 584 056	DFDutchess@talktalk.net
LU	Dave Preece	07787 864 860	dppreece@yahoo.co.uk
LU	Jim Winstanley	01270 522 478	grjw-winstanley@tiscali.co.uk
MV	Keith Halford            (Vice Chairman)	01270 522 522	jkhalford@btinternet.com
MV	Richard Hollinshead	01270 522 440	not available
MV	Les Horne	01270 522 386	les.10@hotmail.co.uk
MV	Mike McGlone	01270 522 762	96mcg@tiscali.co.uk
MV	Brian Palin	01270 522 209	not available
MV	John Whittingham	01270 761 228	not available
W	Penny Butterill	01270 625 575	pennybutterill@tiscali.co.uk
W	Marshall Wilson	01270 214 386	not available

Who Can Become a Parish Councillor?

You do not have to have had experience of local government to get involved with your parish council, and the vast majority of councillors are independent of political parties.

To become a councillor you would generally need to stand at the main election, which happens every four years (the next being in May 2011).

But, volunteers can serve on the council without having to go through the formal process of campaigning and standing for election. People can be appointed to the council in two situations:

• If there are not enough candidates to fill all council seats at election time

• If a seat becomes vacant mid-term and the council chooses not to hold a by-election

In either of these situations the council can choose to ‘co-opt’.

This is when they collectively appoint the new council members from a list of people, filling the vacant seats. You may add your name to this list at any point by simply contacting your parish council.

If you join the council this way you will, in most cases, be eligible to vote and therefore part of local decision-making. For example you could help provide such public services in your community as allotments, shelters and transport.

Becoming a Parish Councillor requires a commitment to your community, and a small amount of time (usually no more than an hour or two per week).

As a Parish Councillor, you should be prepared to attend Parish Council meetings (usually once every 6 to 8 weeks), be a focal point for concerns from parishoners, discuss and debate issues that are ongoing in the parish, etc.

Involvement can be very rewarding, and YOU can make a difference to life quality for yourself, neighbours, friends, and fellow parishoners.

Eligibility

The general eligibility requirements to become a Parish Councillor are:

• Persons aged 18 or over (21 if co-opted mid term)

• Persons who live in, or near to, the parish

• Persons who own, or have tenancy of, property within the parish

• Persons whose sole, or primary place of work is within the parish

• Persons who have a legitimate interest in the dealings and management of the parish

(NB - Certain restrictions apply that could make a person ineligible to become a Parish Councillor, including bankruptcy, custodial sentences, etc.) 

For further information please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council