Any upcoming elections or vacancies will be advertised on this page and on the Council noticeboard outside the Town Council office. There are no vacancies at present.

Ulverston Town Council has eighteen democratically elected local councillors who represent members of the community on a day-to-day basis. All councillors serve a term of four years and ensure that Ulverstonians are listened to by both the Town Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. The next Town Council election will be 2027.  If councillors wish to stay in post, they can stand for re-election.

If a Councillor wishes to leave before the end of their term, the vacancy will be advertised on this page and the Council noticeboard outside the Town Council office.

Who can be a Town Councillor?

Anyone who is –

• A British or a citizen of the Commonwealth
• At least 18 years old
• Registered to vote in Ulverston or have lived, worked, or owned property there for at least 12 months before an election

In addition, they must meet one of the following criteria –

• Be an elector in the parish ward
• Occupied any land or other premises as owner or tenant in the parish/community during 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election
• Worked in the parish as principle or only place of work during the previous 12 months
• Lived in or within 3 miles of the parish boundary for the whole of the previous 12 months

Ulverston has six wards (areas) –

Voters not only decide who is elected on to Ulverston Town Council, they also choose who stands for election.

Why become a Town Councillor?

Becoming a councillor is both a rewarding and privileged form of public service. Councillors can make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people and how local issues are dealt with. In order to understand and represent local views and priorities, they need to build strong relationships and encourage local people to make their views known.

The diversity of local councils is their strength. Ulverston Town Council represents the interests of the whole community and understanding the needs of different groups in the community is an important part of a Councillors role. As a Councillor you are able to influence planning decisions, engage with the community, help make environmental improvements, join council committees and contribute to and review council policies.

Groups made up of diverse individuals tend to make better informed decisions. It is important that councils have councillors who not only reflect and represent the communities they serve, but also have a broad range of skills and life experience. You don’t have to be highly educated or have a profession, skills gained through raising a family, caring for a sick or disabled relative, volunteering or being active in faith or community groups can be just as valuable.

You don’t need any special qualifications to be a councillor, having the following skills and attributes (or being able to develop them) will help to fulfil the role:

What matters to you in the local area? Is it the local park, the need for more activities for young people, improving services for older people, making the roads safer or ensuring that local businesses can thrive? You may already be involved in local affairs and want to take the next step or you may be looking for a worthwhile and rewarding way to help your local community.

Being an effective councillor requires both commitment and hard work but can be an extremely rewarding role.

What does Ulverston Town Council do?

Ulverston Town Council owns and manages:

• The Sir John Barrow Monument on Hoad Hill
• Sir John Barrow Cottage at Dragley Beck
• Seven allotment sites, containing over 350 allotments
• The Gill Public Conveniences
• Nine bus shelters
• Manages two green spaces (Little Hoad and Gill Banks)

The council also:

• Is a statutory consultee on all planning applications in Ulverston
• Liaises with Westmorland and Furness Council on issues of concern to residents and businesses
• Works with local businesses to support the growth of Ulverston
• Organises the annual Charter Festival family day, Eco Fair and Carols at the Coro events
• Organises Civic Sunday
• Organises the Remembrance Sunday parade
• Provides grants to local charitable organisations and festivals
• Funds the Ulverston Community Partnership to market and promote the town
• Supports Ulverston in Bloom
• Is committed to improving biodiversity in the town
• Supports the Ulverston – Albert Twinning Association

Tree planting on Little Hoad for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 21 trees were planted by nurseries, schools and community groups as part of Ulverston Town Council’s Queen’s Green Canopy project

The Mayor of Ulverston opened the new outdoor gym at Ford Park. The gym was funded by Ulverston Town Council and has been a great asset to the community

Ulverston Town Council support Ulverston in Bloom who make our town look beautiful all year round!

Ulverston Town Council organise an annual Eco Fair which highlights the climate change emergency and promotes ways for people to live more sustainably

Powers of a Town Council

The Council has the power to raise money through taxation which is called the precept. The precept is the Town Council’s share of the Council Tax, which is collected via the billing authority Westmorland and Furness Council.

Ulverston Town Council also has a range of powers relating to local matters such as maintaining community buildings, providing public conveniences, maintaining open spaces, allotments, bus shelters and many more.

Ulverston Town Council agrees its budget in January for the following financial year and based on the money that is required to carry out the plans for coming year, the precept request is made. The total amount required is divided by the council tax base, which is the number of tax payers in Ulverston. Ulverston Town Council aims to engage with residents on all matters, especially regarding financial matters, and if there are plans to increase the precept.

Other ways you can get involved

All of our meetings are open to the public and there is an opportunity at each for members of the public to raise concerns and ask questions. There is also an Annual Town Meeting which the community is invited to attend; this is an open forum meeting and much less formal than our usual monthly meetings. Residents can contact the Council via telephone, email or via social media and can also call into the Council office in County Square. Issues or concerns can also be raised with Town Councillors, and these will then be brought before the Council.

The contact details of all Town Councillors are available on the council website or by contacting the office, as well as being published in the Annual Report. We actively seek the views of members of the public via survey, councillor surgeries and at our events. We encourage you to engage with us and tell us how we can improve local participation. All council meetings are advertised on our notice boards, the Town Council website and social media pages so you can keep up to date with council matters. You can always find out what the Town Council is discussing and decisions made as agendas, papers and minutes of meetings are published online or you can request a hard copy at the council office.

Use your vote!

In the UK, there are three different ways you can vote. Most people vote in person at a polling station.

However, if you are not able to go to the polling station in person on election day, you can apply to vote by post or by proxy (where someone votes on your behalf). How you vote is up to you but please ensure that you do vote for your local representative!

Find out more information about becoming a councillor here – www.beacouncillor.org.uk