f. Casual vacancies

Casual vacancies occur if a councillor:

• fails to deliver their declaration of acceptance of office at the proper time, or

• resigns, or

• dies, or

• ceases to be qualified to be a councillor, or becomes disqualified, or

• becomes disqualified, or

• fails to attend meetings for six consecutive months (or unless absence approved by Council).

Such a vacancy would also occur if an election court declares an election void.

When this occurs, the parish council must inform the district council's democratic services department of the vacancy.

The district council will furnish the parish council with the official notice of the vacancy, which must be displayed/published within the locality and gives local electors the opportunity to require a by-election. If ten or more such requests are received by the district council within 14 days, a by-election will be held, otherwise the district will inform the parish council it should proceed to fill the vacancy by co-option, as soon as practicable.

If a vacancy arises within the six-month period prior to an ordinary election, a by-election will not be held and co-option by the parish council is optional.

See also g. co-option

NALC have issued an advice note on their website - Vacancies and co-option.  

[To access the NALC website you will need to set up an individual account (SALC members only).  Video guidance on how to do this is available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zapNDmP8jjY]