Greenwich London Borough Council

Last updated

Greenwich London Borough Council
RB Greenwich.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Dominic Mbang,
Labour
since 25 May 2023 [1]
Anthony Okereke,
Labour
since 25 May 2022
Debbie Warren
since 12 December 2018
Structure
Seats55 councillors
Greenwich London Borough Council 2022.svg
Political groups
Administration (52)
  Labour (52)
Opposition (3)
  Conservative (3)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
 5 May 2022
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Woolwich town hall 1.jpg
Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich, London, SE18 6PW
Website
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Greenwich London Borough Council, also known as Greenwich Council or the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, [2] is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Greenwich in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971. It meets at Woolwich Town Hall and has its main offices at the Woolwich Centre opposite.

Contents

History

There has been a Greenwich local authority since 1856 when the Greenwich District was created, governed by an elected board. It was one of the lower tier authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. [3] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, each with a borough council, two of which were called Greenwich and Woolwich. [4]

The London Borough of Greenwich and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. [5] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities, being the councils of the two metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. [6] The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished. [7]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Greenwich) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. [8] Greenwich became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved. [9]

Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions. [10]

In 2012 the borough was given the additional honorific status of being a royal borough. [11] The council's full legal name since then has been "The Mayor and Burgesses of the Royal Borough of Greenwich". [12]

In May 2014 the Labour-run council refused to support the building of a memorial to Lee Rigby, whose murder by Islamists occurred in the borough, in spite of being "overwhelmed by interest in a local memorial". The authority previously faced criticism at the time of the killing, with the cabinet attending an away day immediately after the murder, therefore missing a visit by the Prime Minister. [13] Following a campaign which saw 25,000 people sign a petition in support of the memorial the council dropped its opposition to the tribute. [14]

Powers and functions

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. [15] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health. [16]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 1971.

The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows: [17]

Party in controlYears
Labour 1965–1968
Conservative 1968–1971
Labour 1971–present

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Greenwich is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been: [18] [19]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Ronald Stucke Labour 19641966
Thomas Smith Labour 19661968
William Manners Conservative 19681969
Charles Miles Conservative 19691971
John Cartwright Labour 19711974
Arthur Capelin Labour 19741982
John Austin Labour 19821987
David Picton Labour 19871989
Quentin Marsh Labour 19891992
Len Duvall Labour 19922000
Chris Roberts Labour 20002014
Denise Hyland Labour 201423 May 2018
Danny Thorpe Labour 23 May 201825 May 2022
Anthony Okereke Labour 25 May 2022

Premises

Although named after Greenwich, the council has always had its main offices and meeting place in Woolwich. Council meetings are held at Woolwich Town Hall on Wellington Street, which was completed in 1906 for the old Woolwich Borough Council. [20]

The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18 6HQ: Council's main offices since 2011 London, Woolwich, Wellington St, Woolwich Centre 01.jpg
The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18 6HQ: Council's main offices since 2011

The council's main offices are at the Woolwich Centre, on the opposite side of Wellington Street from the Town Hall. The Woolwich Centre was completed for the council in 2011 and also includes a library. [21]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 23 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [22]

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References

  1. ↑ "Council minutes, 25 May 2023". Royal Borough of Greenwich Council. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Road Traffic Acts". London Gazette. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. ↑ Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
  4. ↑ London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)
  5. ↑ "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
  6. ↑ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN   0901050679.
  7. ↑ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN   0901050679.
  8. ↑ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  9. ↑ Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40)
  10. ↑ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN   978-0714648590.
  11. ↑ "No. 60205". The London Gazette . 11 July 2012. p. 13300.
  12. ↑ "Inter Authority Agreement for the Local London Partnership Programme" (PDF). Havering Council. 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  13. ↑ The Telegraph, "Lee Rigby memorial: 'All I want is to know my son will not be forgotten'", Andrew Gilligan, 17 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Lee Rigby memorial: victory at last for campaigners". www.telegraph.co.uk.
  15. ↑ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Council minutes". Greenwich Council. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "London Boroughs Political Almanac". London Councils. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  20. ↑ Historic England. "Woolwich Town Hall (Grade II*) (1289668)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  21. ↑ Chamberlain, Darryl (3 March 2024). "Greenwich Council could hire out part of its Woolwich HQ to save cash". Greenwich Wire. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "The Royal Borough of Greenwich (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2021/1419, retrieved 6 April 2024
Awards and achievements
Preceded by LGC Council of the Year
2013		Succeeded by
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