Becoming a Councillor
If you are interested in helping your local community or would like to influence the way things are done in your area, have you thought of becoming a Councillor?
Councillors are elected in and to serve a specific local area, known as a Ward (Borough Elections) or a Division (County Elections), for a period of 4 years before they would be up for election again. Councillors are not paid a salary, but do receive a basic allowance to cover out of pocket expenses and time devoted to council business.
Borough Councillors
Scheduled Borough Council elections take place on the first Thursday of May for 3 years in a 4 year cycle. The last scheduled election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024 and the next scheduled elections will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
West Lancashire is made up of 15 Wards, which elect 3 Councillors each, 1 per year, in 3 years of the 4 year cycle.
County Councillors
Elections are held every four years, in the year when no Borough Elections are held. The next scheduled elections will take place on Thursday 1 May 2025 and the last scheduled elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2021. Whilst Lancashire County Council are responsible for the overall delivery of these elections, the constituent district/borough councils within Lancashire administrate the election for their local area.
Within West Lancashire there are 8 Divisions, which elect 1 Councillor each.
Standing in an Election to be a Councillor
For information about elections, and how to stand as a Borough Councillor in West Lancashire, or as a County Councillor within the West Lancashire area, please contact Thomas Lynan on 01695 585013 or email thomas.lynan@westlancs.gov.uk
- The Local Government Association have produced guidance for people considering standing for election. This can be accessed at Be a Councillor guide (external link)
- You can also find guidance on the electoral process for candidates standing in an election at the following link - Electoral Commission (external link)