Full Council to discuss changes to Parish Council elections

Next week, Full Council will discuss plans to align Parish Council elections with Barnsley Council’s next all out elections. 

Following consultation with Parish Councils, these plans aim to streamline the electoral process and minimise costs. 

If approved, the next Parish Council elections will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026. This is the same day as Barnsley Council’s next all out elections. This change means that both elections would align to the same four-year cycle. 

If left unchanged, the next Parish Council elections are due to take place on Thursday 6 May 2027. Moving the Parish Council elections to May 2026 would remove extra costs of holding elections on different dates. As there are no other elections due on this date, aligning both elections schedules would provide better value for money. 

All fifteen Parish Councils have given responses in favour of the change.  

Councillor Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services, said: “We are grateful for the engagement from our Parish Councils on this proposal. We are committed to implementing changes that reflect their views and best serve our communities. If approved, aligning the election cycles will make the process more efficient and reduce unnecessary costs.” 

You can find more information about the report in the cabinet papers on our website.