Types of Council

Buckinghamshire has 3 tiers of local government: County, District and Parish/ Town. There are 163 Parish/Town and 4 District Councils in Buckinghamshire.

1. County Council has responsibility for services like education, highways and social services
2. District Council has responsibility for services like waste collection, housing and planning applications
3. Parish and Town Councils are independent, with little political orientation and have powers to do a wide range of functions in their local communities such as responsibility for parks, public halls and litter bins.

Councillor elections are usually held once every four years. If a seat becomes vacant mid-term (or if there are not enough candidates to fill all council seats at election time) the Council will hold a by-election.