Apathy and new rules forcing candidates to declare personal and business interests are being blamed for a lack of nominations in this year's parish council elections, reports Jennie Dennett.

On May 2, as voters in 18 wards choose their district council representatives, they were also supposed to be electing their parish councillors.

But due to a lack of volunteers willing to serve for grassroots local government, only four out of the five parish councils up for re-election will go to the polls.

As the number of nominations is less than the number of seats on these councils, candidates are automatically elected and the new council must try to recruit extra members itself.

The normally over-subscribed Lakes Parish Council has six vacancies this year following the retirement of several long-serving members, while at Dent Parish Council there are three empty chairs, at Garsdale four and Sedbergh one.

Only candidates for Kendal Town Council will have to campaign for their seats and even here not in every ward - at Kendal Castle, Nether, Oxenholme and Strickland, there are enough nominations for the available seats so candidates will automatically go forward.

The clerks of Lakes and Sedbergh parish councils, Robin Martakies and John Stanton respectively, blamed general lethargy among the electorate.

SLDC electoral services officer Claire Wheatman also held apathy responsible, plus the pressure of time for people living increasingly busy lives.

The poor take-up comes at a time when the Government is keen to see parish councils take on additional powers covering areas like consultation on planning applications.

But moves to bring their conduct into line with district and county councils are actually forcing some parish councillors to resign and further erode the numbers of councillors.

Council leaders estimate that around 12 parish councillors throughout Cumbria have quit over the new Parish Councils (Model Code of Conduct) Order out of the 2,000 town and parish councillors who serve the county.

The code requires members to list their employment or business; the name of any firm in which they are a partner; and other information covering business and land ownership.

Guy Richardson, chief officer of umbrella organisation the Cumbria Association of Local Councils, said some members found the register of interests "a bit of an intrusion", but that early estimates of around one-third of councillors quitting over the issue had been wide of the mark.

Arnside parish councillor David Marland resigned after four years because of increasing "political bureaucracy" involved in the unpaid job.

"I don't see why somebody who's representing parishioners should be told what he can do, what he can't do, what he's got to disclose and everything else," he said.

Acting Arnside Parish Council chairman David Willacy said members found the register intrusive because parish councils did not have powers to grant planning permission, or manage large sums of money.

Nether Kellet Parish Council chairman Tom Holden said: " Parish councillors are not paid, they do the job voluntarily, and have been doing it for all these years without the need for this kind of code."