CHANGES to the electoral cycle for parish council elections will come into force next year.

The issue came before St Helens councillors during the full council meeting at the Town Hall last week.

Members noted the previous decision to move the cycle for parish elections to align with those of the borough council, with effect from May 2022, and to delegate authority to the director of legal and governance/monitoring officer to make the necessary legal order to implement the change to the electoral cycle elections for parish councils.

At an extraordinary meeting in July 2020, the council resolved to move from elections by thirds to whole council elections every four years with effect from the ordinary day of elections in May 2022.

Members also resolved to move parish council elections to match those of the borough council.

A report which came before full council at Wednesday’s meeting said, while there was no legal requirement on the borough council to consult parish councils prior to taking such a decision, the director of legal and governance/monitoring officer has recently written to all parish council chairs and clerks as a courtesy, to formally notify them of the implications, namely that the parish elections scheduled for 2023 will be brought forward to 2022.