Darwen voters urged to get town council off to a flying start

Darwen voters are being urged to get their new town council off to a flying start by turning out in force on June 4.

That’s the day the first ever elections will be held for the new Darwen town council. Voters in the five wards which the town council will cover, Earcroft, Marsh House, Sudell, Sunnyhurst and Whitehall, will go to the polls to elect 13 town councillors.

Once in post, the new councillors will decide the scope and scale of operations for the town council which is equal to a parish council and represents the most local level of local government. Candidates have until 5pm on May 7 to put their names forward.

“This is a historic day for Darwen and I hope people in the five wards will get the town council off to a flying start by taking part in the elections,” said returning officer and chief executive Graham Burgess.

“It’s their chance to elect people to represent the concerns and needs of their community and work alongside Blackburn with Darwen Council just as other parish councils do in our borough.”

Polling cards have been distributed to 13,000 homes in the five wards and the election will run in the same way as other government elections with a mix of postal voting and casting votes at the polling station listed on the poll card.

Once in power, the new town councillors will need to draw up plans for how the town council will work and what it will do. Town and parish councils have a wide range of potential powers, which range from repairing and maintaining public footpaths and bridleways, to lighting roads, providing litter bins, bus shelters, traffic signs and public toilets. Some of these powers are granted to them by law, while others may be granted by negotiation with the principal local authority, which in this case is Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Town and parish councils play an equally important role in commenting on proposals which affect their area or local concerns such as planning applications or comments/complaints from local residents and feeding their views back to the principal local authority.

Town (and parish) councils are funded by raising tax from households in their area by adding a small amount (called a precept) to the Council tax bill. They do not receive grants from local or central government but may be able to bid for funding.

Darwen remains part of Blackburn with Darwen Council and the new town council will not affect borough council spending plans, borough council employees or police, fire and ambulance services. There are no elections to Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council this year.