Councillors and committees

Local Councillors are elected by the community to decide how the council should carry out its various activities. They represent public interest as well as individuals living within the ward in which he or she has been elected to serve a term of office.

The Chorley council constitution sets out basic rules and principles which describe how the council operates, how decisions are taken, and the procedures which ensure that decisions are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.

A parish or town council is an elected body made up of local people representing the interests of their community. The general rule is that parish and town councils are based on an area that reflects community identity and interests.

View calendar of council meetings.

View information on the structure of council committees

You can stand as a candidate in 3 different types of elections: local elections, UK parliamentary elections (general elections) , Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Most candidates are nominated through a political party. However, individuals are welcome to stand in their own right.

View information on council meetings, agendas and minutes of previous meetings

The Planning Committee makes decision on planning and related applications and is made up of elected councillors of Chorley Council.

As part of our commitment to openness and improving the level of public participation in local government you can ask questions, and/or speak at most of our public meetings.

Lots of different types of decisions are made by councillors. These include strategic decisions, such as the corporate strategy and setting Council Tax, but decisions are also taken regarding certain planning applications and licensing matters.

Decisions made by the Executive, either together as Executive Cabinet, or individually by Executive Member Decisions (EMDs) are included within a published plan.

Councillors who are not members of the Executive act as watchdogs examining Executive decisions and policies, and the overall performance of the council. These 'non-executive' members of the council make recommendations to the Executive about improvements for residents; this is known as 'overview and scrutiny'.

Members sometime declare interests at meetings. Interests are published for public to view.

Currently Chorley Council has 47 councillors, elected into power for 4 years (known as a 'term') to represent a particular area of the borough.

Councillors get certain allowances for the work they do in the community. Member allowances are published for the public to view.

We are committed to promoting the highest standards of conduct by members, we have adopted a Code of Conduct for all members.

There is procedure for when a complaint is received that a member, co-opted member or parish member has or may have failed to comply with the relevant Code of Conduct for Members within the Council's Constitution.

Members are appointed to represent the council on external organisation meetings, such as village hall management committees and voluntary, community and faith organisations.