Councillor qualification criteria

Question

One the criteria  refers to the candidate living with in 3 miles of  the Parish. Two questions

a) Is this as the crows flies ?

b) it refers to a 12 months period  . Does this mean for the whole 12 months or is it any day during the 12 months?
c) If the latter I assume students can apply?

Answer 1

A) as the crow flies

B) the whole 12 months, though the importance is on the 12 months, not the category, so for example: if you lived outside the parish you could stand under the 3 mile rule (say for 20 years), and then move into the parish (6 months ago) under the elector rule, AND all this period would be consecutive.
It would be a perverse rule to disqualify on the basis of moving into the parish if they had stayed out, they would be qualified.

But this should be disclosed on the nomination paperwork to avoid falsely claiming from just one category. In my case I enclosed a map to show <3 miles from a Google Map.

For students, who want to represent in their family home parish: if they have a FORMAL tenancy they can stand, or if they remain an elector for the area they can stand or if they work they can stand otherwise they can't. (And the 12 month rule applies across the categories)

For student who want to stand in their new residence, the 12 month rule applies as normal.

Comments

We appear to have a local university student who produced a report for the Council and is much respected . He has however never lived in the Parish .  I therefore assume he lives in lodgings within 3 miles during term time then goes home during the hols. Therefore his stay cannot be regarded as continuous . Does this meet the criteria?

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If it is the 3 mile rule, then he needs to have lived there for 12 months, if he is year 2 student or higher and has "lived" within 3 miles, even in different houses he would be OK.

If his tenancy ran from September to August or July then I believe the returning officer would accept that, but it is always worth checking, they be of the view that s/he lives there substantially, so it would be OK, but the returning officer / elections department would give you their final advice, or you could contact the electoral commission and ask their advice.