Result of by election on 24 May 2018
George Hesse has been elected as the town councillor for Farnham Castle ward.
The result was as follows:
- Jo Aylwin, Liberal Democrats – 339 votes
- George Adam Hesse, Farnham Residents – 390 votes
- Rebecca Louise Kaye, The Labour Party Candidate – 41 votes
- Rashida Ahmad Nasir. The Conservative Party Candidate – 164 votes
See the result for the election of a borough council in Farnham Castle ward.
Statement of persons nominated
See the list of candidates who stood for election as town councillor in Farnham Castle ward.
See the list of candidates who stood for election as borough councillor in Farnham Castle ward.
Notice of election
See the Notice of Election for the election of a town councillor for the Farnham Castle ward.
Vacancy notice
A vacancy notice was displayed to inform the residents of Farnham about the vacancy for a Town Councillor in Castle ward. The notice was displayed with from 22 March to 13 April. The notice gave residents the opportunity to call for an election to fill the vacancy for the period between now and the next council elections in May 2019.
Becoming a councillor
You don’t have to be interested in politics or be a member of a political group to become a town councillor.
Throughout England, parish and town councils work towards improving community well-being and providing better services at a local level. 80,000 elected local councillors, people just like you, give up a little of their time, each week to represent the interests of their local community.
It takes all sorts of individuals from different parts of the community, of different ages with different life experiences to become a councillor. A passion for the town you live in and a desire to make a difference are the key attributes.
Think, listen and act locally
Through an extensive range of powers local councils provide and maintain a variety of important and visible local services including: allotments, bus shelters, car parks, open spaces, transport schemes, safety and crime reduction, events, leisure and sports facilities, litter bins, public toilets, street cleaning, older persons and youth projects. As a councillor, you can become a voice for your community and affect real change. Councillors are community leaders and represent the aspirations of the public that they serve. Town councillors are the most local part of our democratic system and are closest to the public. By standing for Farnham Town Council you could make a real difference to Farnham.
Farnham Town Council has a responsibility for the well-being of your local area. This is done by representing your local community, delivering services to meet local needs and by striving to improve the quality of life in Farnham.
About being a Farnham Town Councillor
Farnham Town Council is an achieving Council, recognised nationally for what it does. We look forward to having you on our Councillor team.
No special qualifications are needed and the most important thing is to have a keen interest in Farnham and be prepared to play an active part in the Council’s work. Initial training and ongoing training is available for all councillors.
The Council is acutely aware that councillors are volunteers and will endeavour not to have unrealistic expectations and to manage councillors’ time effectively. However, councillors are expected to attend monthly Full Council meetings plus bi-monthly meetings of any Working Groups on which they are members.
Find out more about what is involved in being a councillor
Bowse our website for more information on what we do, frequency of meetings and the activities the Council has been involved.
If you would like to know more please contact the Town Council office on 01252 712667 and ask for the Town Clerk , Iain Lynch or email: town.clerk@farnham.gov.uk. Alternatively contact one of your existing councillors or if you support a political group contact the local representative.
The following guides are useful sources of information for finding out more about town and parish councils and the role of councillors.
Publications from the National Association of Local Councils
Eligibility for Office
To qualify for election as a Farnham Town Councillor, and to hold such an office, applicants must be:
- British
- Irish
- qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- a citizen of any other member State of the European Union and on the relevant day (that is, the day of nomination or election) have reached 18 years of age or over.
In addition, candidates must meet at least one of these four qualifications.
- On the relevant day and thereafter they continue to be on the electoral register for the parish, or
- During the whole of the twelve months before that day they have owned or tenanted land or premises in the parish, or
- During the whole of the twelve months before that day their principal or only place of work has been in the parish, or
- During the whole of the twelve months before that day they have resided in the parish or within 4.8km (3 miles) of the parish boundary.
Disqualification
You may be disqualified from standing for election (or being co-opted, if you are employed by the council, have had bankruptcy restriction orders made against you or have a previous criminal conviction with a prison sentence of three months or more, and for some other reasons.) If you are in any doubt whether you would be able to stand for election please contact Waverley Borough Council Electoral Services on 01483 523116.
Requesting an election
Ten or more electors must write to the Returning Officer at Waverley Borough Council, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HR, requesting that an election be held to fill the vacancy. The Returning Officer will set a date for the election and further notices will be displayed informing those interested how to apply as a candidate for election. The cost of the election is borne by Farnham Town Council, although as Cllr Williamson was also a Borough councillor, it is anticipated that the by-election will be held on the same day and the costs shared with the Borough Council.
What happens if an election is not called
If an election is not called within the notice period by ten electors, Farnham Town Council will fill the position by co-option as soon as possible having first advertised the vacancy. The notice will also include the closing date for all expressions of interest to be received.
When the applications have been received Farnham Town Council will consider the application letter(s). If the applicant is:
- elected and not disqualified they may be co-opted on to the Parish Council.
- if there is more than one applicant then the decision will be decided by a vote at Full Council.
