Can a person be on two different but neighbouring parish councils?

Question

One of our parish councillors is also a parish councillor for a neighbouring area.

Answer 1

Simple answer: Yes.

They cannot be elected twice to the same parish (ward 1 and ward 2), but there is no restriction - and in rural areas quite common for people to be elected to two parish councils - it can help with work between the two parishes for events and fundraising.

There are 4 qualifications to be elected: Live, Work, Land, Distance, mean that you can live in 1 parish, work in another, own land in a third and live within 3 miles of the 4th parish. (as long as you have done each thing for at least the last 12 months).

I have stood in elections for 2 different parishes, both were on the Distance rule (I was 1 month short of being able to use the work rule). I live 200yds from the other parish boundary.

Comments

"They cannot be elected twice to the same parish (ward 1 and ward 2)" can you provide a citation for this? I ask as one person has just been elected on my local council for a second time, in a different ward, in a by-election. It is my assumption they must now resign their seat for the first ward, but I cannot find any rule/source/legislation that explicitly states this, only that they cannot stand for election in two wards. Many thanks, Robert.

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They cannot be elected to to two seats at the same time. They can only vote once, etc.
How has electoral services departme t allowed this?
I will check with my copy of Arnold Baker, but this is long standing.