Telford and Wrekin Council
From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Telford and Wrekin Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
David Sidaway since January 2020 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 54 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Motto | |
| "Protect care and invest to create a better Borough" | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Southwater One, Southwater Square, Telford, TF3 4JG | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Telford and Wrekin Council is the local authority of Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county council and district council combined.
History[edit]
The council was created in 1974 as The Wrekin District Council, which was a lower-tier district authority with Shropshire County Council providing county-level services to the area. The district became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998, taking over county-level functions from the county council.[4] The district was renamed Telford and Wrekin on the same day.[5]
The district was granted borough status in 2002, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The council could therefore call itself "Telford and Wrekin Borough Council", but chooses to style itself simply "Telford and Wrekin Council".
Governance[edit]
As a unitary authority, Telford and Wrekin Council has the functions of a county council and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.[6] The whole borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government for the area.[7]
Political control[edit]
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2016.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils until the new arrangements came into force on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[8]
The Wrekin District Council (non-metropolitan district)
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1998 | |
Telford and Wrekin Council (unitary authority)
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1998–2006 | |
| No overall control | 2006–2008 | |
| Conservative | 2008–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–2015 | |
| No overall control | 2015–2016 | |
| Labour | 2016–present | |
Leadership[edit]
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Telford and Wrekin, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2008 have been:[9]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Eade | Conservative | pre-2008 | 26 May 2011 | |
| Kuldip Sahota | Labour | 26 May 2011 | 26 May 2016 | |
| Shaun Davies | Labour | 26 May 2016 | ||
Composition[edit]
Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:[10][11]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 38 | |
| Conservative | 8 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 6 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Total | 54 | |
The next elections are due in 2027.
Elections[edit]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 54 councillors representing 32 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[12]
Premises[edit]
The council has its main offices at Southwater One, a modern development in the centre of Telford, which opened in 2014.[13] Full council meetings are usually held at Telford Theatre in Oakengates.[14]
Until 2012 the council had its headquarters at the Civic Offices off Northgate Street. The building was subsequently demolished and a supermarket built on the site.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ "Your Councillors". 26 June 2023.
- ^ "The Mayor".
- ^ "Council minutes, 26 May 2016". Telford and Wrekin Council. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "The Shropshire (District of The Wrekin) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1866
- ^ "The Borough of Telford and Wrekin (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/2373, retrieved 19 January 2024
- ^ Sandford, Mark (22 July 2021). Unitary local government (Report). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Telford and Wrekin Council. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "Your Councillors". 26 June 2023.
- ^ "The Telford and Wrekin (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1368, retrieved 19 January 2024
- ^ "Telford's Southwater development opens its doors". Shropshire Star. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Southwater One". Telford and Wrekin Council. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Bulldozers reducing Telford and Wrekin Council offices to rubble". Shropshire Star. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
