Cambourne Parish Council - Less Democratic. More Self Appointed.

Cambourne Parish Council (CPC) is a body that has 13 Councillors. Every 4 years all 13 councillors are up for election. At the last election, in 2012, only 11 people put their names forward for election and were therefore elected. To get up to 13 councillors 2 people were therefore co-opted. Co-option is where the council decides who will be a councillor as no election was called by the public. To call an election 10 electors of the parish need to ask for one.

With further resignations over the last few years, there has been only one by-election, the rest being co-opted, the point has been got to where the number of elected councillors (6) has been surpassed by the number of co-opted councillors (7).

Ron says: Co-option is the last option which has become the way of choice for Parish Councils. This is problem across the parish council sector. Who is to blame? Elections need to be called by the electors of the parish. By not calling elections or standing for elections electors are allowing the parish council to become appointed Council appointed by Councillors.