Where have all the candidates gone? (From Gazette & Herald)

Where have all the candidates gone?

THERE is such a dire shortage of candidates for parish council seats that elections will have to be re-run in several villages.

Out of 91 parishes and wards there will be elections in only 11, and six parishes have no candidates at all, while a number of others are not 'quorate', says Moira Bell, Ryedale's election officer. That means there are not enough candidates to form the required number of people to operate as a council.

The crisis has raised a question over the long-term future of small rural parishes and whether they might be merged by the Boundary Commission to make them viable.

Parishes which have a quorum will be able to operate and co-opt new members, said Ms Bell. But where there are insufficient numbers or no candidates at all, Ryedale District Council is having to issue new notices of election, she said.

Now, people interested in their villages are being urged to put their names forward by the time nominations close at mid-day on May 15. Should there be more than the required number, elections will be held on June 12.

The six councils where there are no nominations are Yedingham, the Crambeck ward of Welburn (York), Wharram, Stape, Sherburn and Pockley.

However, there will be elections at Helmsley, where ten people are fighting for seven seats on the town council, which is seeking to win the prestigious quality status from the Government, as well at East Heslerton, Thornton-le-Dale, Willerby (Staxton) Scagglethorpe, Thixendale, Rosedale East, Rosedale West, Rievaulx, Kirby Misperton, and Hutton-le-Hole.

The beauty spot of Stape, which for generations has been part of Pickering Town Council's area, opted for it to be given parish status for the 71 electors for the first time. That would give it three seats, and enable it to be linked with the neighbouring parish of Newton-upon-Rawcliffe.

However, no one has put their names forward.

Coun Alan Farnaby, leader of Ryedale District Council and long-serving clerk of Sheriff Hutton parish council, said it was "very sad" that local people were not prepared to give a few hours a week to their community.

"If this level of democracy goes, then the 'local' goes out of local government."

Coun Farnaby believes the Government's new legislation requiring parish councillors to sign a declaration of interests had deterred some people from standing for election.

"The Government intervened for no good reason," he said.

In his own parish, it was the first time for many years that there had not been a full complement of members - five for seven seats - though there had since been expressions of interest.

Coun Farnaby said the parish system of local government was sound, adding: "As a district councillor, I know Ryedale District Council does welcome and value the views of our parish councils."

One fear is that some small parishes could be merged if there was to be a future review of parish government by the Boundary Commission, creating small versions of the former rural district councils which existed before the 1974 shake-up of local government.

John Clark, who is standing for the Liberal Party in the Ryedale district elections in the Cropton ward, which covers the villages of Stape, Newton-upon-Rawcliffe, Cropton, Middleton, Aislaby, Wrelton, Marton and Normanby, has been canvassing opinions as he knocks on doors in his campaigning.

He said he had found people to be "bored" by politics. "Central government should devolve more powers to the local level. What is happening is that it is having more control, and in turn control is being seeped into Europe.

"People have got nothing to get excited about in elections, because there is no political debate."

Mr Clark believes one of the problems is that the political parties have been so similar.

"They are moving away from what they traditionally stood for towards policies which they believe will get them elected."

Sheena Spencer, assistant secretary of the Yorkshire Local Councils Association, said that feedback showed that the Ryedale position was reflected in many parts of the county.

"It is disappointing where parishes have insufficient members, or even worse, none."

However, she added, parish councils which were active in promoting interest in their work had seen some keen interest in the elections.

"Some parish councils have promoted the elections through posters and newsletters and one council even organised a public meeting to explain its work to would-be candidates."

Ms Spence added: "We want to see more people getting involved in parish councils because they can do a great deal to help their communities."

The shortage of candidates is similar in the Scarborough area, where there will be elections in just four out of 22 parish councils.

Only 35 out of nearly 180 seats in the area are being contested and many councils will have to co-opt due to having insufficient numbers. Elections are to be held at Cloughton, Filey, Muston and Osgodby.

The situation is even more dire at Whitby, where only six candidates have put their names forward to fill 19 seats.

Updated: 13:26 Wednesday, April 16, 2003