How to become a local councillor

First of all you need to decide if being a local councillor is for you. Councillors have three main areas of work:

  1. Decision-making: through attending meetings and committees with other elected councillors, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented;
  2. Monitoring: councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working;
  3. Getting involved locally: as local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their parishioners and local organisations. This often depends on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available.

The day-to-day work of a councillor may include:

  • going to meetings of local organisations
  • going to meetings of bodies that affect the wider community, such as the police, the Highways Authority, schools and colleges
  • bringing parishioners' concerns to the attention of Cheshire East Council

The NALC website has more information on how to become a councillor 

For more information contact the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC)

Page last reviewed: 07 October 2021