Becoming a councillor

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Become a cllr

Why become a councillor?

If you care about the community you live in and are able to listen, communicate and work well with others then you may be interested in becoming a Councillor.

National Government have also provided guidance and requirements on involving the community more in taking an active participation in local government. The Council wishes to attract new talent from all walks of life, age groups and ethnic backgrounds to become Councillors.

How does the council work?

There are 55 Members elected to the council by the public.

There are approximately 600 Officers who are employed by Maidstone Borough Council to deliver the services to our residents and work with the Members to achieve the aims of the Council for our customers.

There are currently 4 political groups elected on to the council:

Conservative 30
Liberal Democrat 19
Independent 5
Labour 1

The council vote to elect a Leader of the council. The Leader then appoints the Cabinet Members (The Leader and Cabinet are also known as the Executive).

Wards

The borough of Maidstone is split into 26 Wards. To become a councillor you will require the support of 10 registered electors from the Ward you wish to represent.

There are also 36 Parish Councils (plus 5 Parish Meetings) within the borough. To find out more about becoming a Parish Councillor, please contact your local Parish Clerk

Committees

Most councillors have a non-Executive role. There are various Committees that non-Executive councillors will be nominated to participate in.

There are regulatory Committees — fpr example. Planning and Licensing where the council is responsible for granting planning permissions, licensing certain premises, taxis etc. These Committees reflect the political membership of the council but are totally separate from the Executive.

There are also non-regulatory Committees — for example Overview & Scrutiny, Audit, Standards and so on.

How we support Councillors

Councillors receive an annual allowance to help with their expenses.

Find out about the Members Allowance Scheme

We provide training and learning opportunities for all Councillors. Some Committees (such as Planning and Licensing) require Members to receive full and appropriate training before they can sit on the Committee. Development of Members is fully encouraged and supported by the Council.

National Bodies

Local Government Association - LGA

Improvement and Development Agency - IdEA

For more information, please use the email us link to the right.