Bishop Monkton Parish Council is appealing to villagers to put themselves forward to get the Council back up to its full strength. After recent resignations, there are just three councillors left, the minimum number required for the Council to be quorate. The remaining councillors, the Chair, Stephen Verrill, the Vice-Chair, Sheila Parsons and Councillor Kai Shand, are looking to find three people to become councillors thus getting the Council back to its maximum number of six councillors . There are no elections scheduled until 2027 but the Council has power to co-opt people to fill the three vacancies.

Stephen Verrill told us:- “I know the Parish Council has been going through difficult times recently and that may have put some people off volunteering to join us. But the remaining councillors, Sheila, Kai and myself, are determined to make things work for the benefit of the village. But we do need more people to join us so that we can improve facilities in the village, fulfil our vital role of scrutinising planning applications and hold North Yorkshire Council to account for the services it delivers here. Becoming a parish councillor is a great chance to put something back into the village and can be a rewarding way of serving the local community.”

Anyone interested in having a chat about becoming a councillor is asked to contact either Stephen or Sheila via email – [email protected] or [email protected]