Becoming a Councillor
- Councillor information
- Your Local Council
- Compliments and Complaints
- Environmental Information
- Freedom of Information (FOI)
- Public Notices and Consultations
- Weddings and Civil Partnerships
- Moving to Malvern
- Tackling climate change
- Browse Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
- Modern Slavery Act Statement
- Malvern Theatres £20m Levelling Up project
- Jobs
- Community Infrastructure Charging Levy Consultation
- Councillor information
- Your Local Council
- Compliments and Complaints
- Environmental Information
- Freedom of Information (FOI)
- Public Notices and Consultations
- Weddings and Civil Partnerships
- Moving to Malvern
- Tackling climate change
- Browse Meetings, Minutes and Agendas
- Modern Slavery Act Statement
- Malvern Theatres £20m Levelling Up project
- Jobs
- Community Infrastructure Charging Levy Consultation
Interested in becoming a councillor?
Read on to find out more about what’s involved in the role at Malvern Hills District Council.
What is a councillor?
A councillor is someone who is elected by local people to represent them on a local council. In Malvern you can be elected to a parish or town council, Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire County Council. District councillors are elected for a four year term.
Find a list of Parish or Town Councils (opens in new window)
What do councillors do?
Councillors are elected by the public to be their representatives. Malvern Hills District Council is responsible for a range of services from collecting people’s waste and recycling to ensuring there are enough homes for people to live in. As one of our councillors you will:
- Collectively be the ultimate policy-makers for the council, making major decisions on the services the council provides, setting the budget and overseeing how services are run
- Represent the interests of people in your ward (the area you are elected to represent) collectively, as well as dealing with individual concerns when they arise
- Respond to electors enquiries and concerns in a fair and impartial manner
- Contribute to and participate in the good governance of the council
- Take part in parish/town council meetings for your electoral ward
- Encourage your constituents to participate and become involved in the decision making process
- Maintain personal high standards of conduct and ethics in compliance with the Members Code of Conduct Document. pdf Read Members Code of Conduct Document (opens in new window) (1.81 MB)
The district council's formal meetings run on a cycle and are mostly held during the late afternoon or evening.
View calendar of meetings (opens in new window).
Each kind of council (county, district, town and parish) provides a different set of services to its local area.
County councils
Find out more about Worcestershire County Councils responsibilities (opens in new window).
District councils
District councils deal with issues local to their areas including:
- View Council Tax collection information
- View information about Refuse and Recycling
- Find information about Housing
- Find information about Licensing
- View more information about Planning
Parish and Town councils
By attending meetings of the parish or town councils within their wards, councillors act as a means of channelling information, and develop an awareness of local non-political activities, as well as dealing with important but immediate issues including:
- Grass-cutting
- Bus shelters
- Cemeteries and
- Litter
Further information on parish and town councils can be found at the Worcestershire County Association of Local Council (CALC) (opens in new window).
How much time does it take up?
It depends on how much time, effort and commitment each individual councillor is able to give to the role. As a councillor you will have responsibilities such as attending meetings and there is a minimum attendance requirement. A survey carried out by the Local Government Association in 2013 found on average a councillor spent 25 hours a week on their duties.
Will I get paid?
You will not get a salary but all Malvern Hills District Councillors are entitled to:
- A basic allowance, which is currently £4,350 per year (2018/19); and
- Travelling and subsistence expenses
Councillors with special responsibilities (such as Portfolio Holders and some chairmen of committees) will receive additional allowances. Find further details on the Councillors' allowances page.
We also provide other kinds of support such as an initial induction programme with on-going training and access to a councillors' resource portal.
Do I get time off work?
This depends largely on your employer, but anyone considering whether or not to stand as a councillor should bear in mind that there is no statutory right to paid time off work to attend council meetings. Some employers are good at encouraging their employees to be councillors and do allow time off within reason. Anyone considering standing for election as a councillor should always discuss this issue with their employer before standing. Although Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, provides that time off may be allowed for certain, but not all, public duties, this is largely at the discretion of individual employers.
Do I have to be political?
No. You do not have to be identified with a political party and roughly one-third of councillors are not affiliated with a political party. Groups within the current councillors include Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties, plus two groups of independent councillors.
For advice visit the Local Government Association's Independent Group website
How do I become a district councillor?
To become a councillor, you must stand for, and win, an election in one of the district’s electoral wards (there are currently 18 electoral wards, which are represented by 31 members). Malvern Hills District Council is elected in its entirety every four years. The next scheduled election is May 2023.
Who can stand for election?
If you are over 18, a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen and are registered to vote in the area or have lived, worked or owned property there for at least 12 months before an election, you can stand to become a councillor. You are unable to stand for election as a councillor if:
- In the last five years you have been in prison or on a suspended sentence for three months or more
- You have been declared bankrupt
- You are an employee of Malvern Hills District Council
- You have been disqualified
You will need nomination papers. When there is an election, either a full election or an unscheduled by-election occurring when a seat becomes vacant, once the formal Notice of Election has been published, nomination papers are available from the individual district council's election office for the area in which you wish to stand.
The district council’s elections staff will be able to answer your questions about the nomination process. If you have any queries please contact
You need to be nominated to stand as a candidate at the election by:
- Two electors of the electoral ward (as your proposer and seconder)
- Eight other electors (supporting your nomination)
An elector is anyone who is on the register of electors for that ward.