Guide for prospective councillors

What does a County Councillor do?

A councillor (member) is elected by local people to represent them through involvement in the development, monitoring and running of council business. A councillor also works with the community to support individuals, as constituents, with their problems.  In Norfolk you can be elected to a Parish or Town Council, to a District Council or to the County Council. County Councillors are elected for a four-year term but, if councillors are elected at a by-election, they will serve until the next scheduled local election takes place.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a County Councillor?

The council has developed a series of profiles covering the roles of all members and of those appointed to positions with special responsibilities. These are set out in the Norfolk County Council Constitution Part 3A: Role profiles

Key elements of the roles expected of all County Councillors include:

• Encouraging community participation in decision-making
• Representing the interests of their electoral division and of individual constituents
• Participating in good governance
• Championing the improvement of the quality of life of the community
• Contributing to the formation of the council's priorities, policies and strategies

As local councillors they should seek to ensure that the application of council policies and the delivery of services in their own locality meets the needs of the local community.

As technology continuously advances, good ICT skills are paramount. Most documents and members training materials are stored online and the majority of our initial training will be delivered remotely using MS Teams.

Do I have to be a member of a political party?

No. You do not have to be identified with a political party, although most councillors are. Some local authorities have independent members on their councils.

For information on the political groups or about standing as an independent councillor, visit Local Government Association - Political groups.

Who can become a councillor?

Local Government Association - Becoming a councillor

Norfolk is a diverse county and councillors come from a very wide range of backgrounds. The County Council is strongly committed to equality for all, which includes increasing participation in local politics of people who are often underrepresented as well as delivering fair and accessible services. Officers are always on hand to ensure councillors with specific access needs have appropriate support in place - for more details visit Training and development support .