Gloucester City Council

Last updated

Gloucester City Council
CoA of City of Gloucester (minor).svg
Gloucester City Council.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Lorraine Campbell,
Conservative
since 20 May 2024 [1]
Jeremy Hilton,
Liberal Democrats
since 20 May 2024
Jon McGinty
Structure
Seats39 councillors [2]
Political groups
Administration (17)
  Liberal Democrats (17)
Other parties (22)
  Conservative (11)
  Labour (7)
  Independent (4)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
 2 May 2024
Next election
4 May 2028
Meeting place
Gloucester city council offices North warehouse - geograph.org.uk - 121623.jpg
North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EP
Website
www.gloucester.gov.uk

Gloucester City Council is the local authority for the city of Gloucester, in Gloucestershire, England. Gloucester has had a council since medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 Gloucester has been a non-metropolitan district with city status.

Contents

The council has been under no overall control since the 2024 election, being led by a Liberal Democrat minority administration. It meets at North Warehouse at Gloucester Docks and has its main offices within the Eastgate Shopping Centre.

History

Gloucester was an ancient borough. In 1483 it was made a county corporate with its own magistrates, making it administratively separate from the surrounding county of Gloucestershire. Gloucester gained city status on the creation of the Diocese of Gloucester in 1541. [3]

The city was reformed in 1836 to become a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Gloucester", but generally known as the corporation or city council. [4] When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 Gloucester was considered large enough to run its own county-level services and so it was made a county borough, independent from Gloucestershire County Council. [5]

The city was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The city kept the same boundaries but became a lower-tier district authority, with Gloucestershire County Council providing county-level services to the city for the first time. [6] The city's boundaries were enlarged in 1991, notably gaining the parish of Quedgeley from Stroud District. [7]

Governance

Gloucester City Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Gloucestershire County Council. [8] The Quedgeley area of the city is also a civil parish with a town council, which forms a third tier of local government. The rest of the city, roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 county borough, is an unparished area. [9]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2024, being led by a Liberal Democrat minority administration. [10]

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: [11] [12]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 1974–1984
No overall control 1984–1987
Conservative 1987–1990
No overall control 1990–1995
Labour 1995–2002
No overall control 2002–2011
Conservative 2011–2012
No overall control 2012–2015
Conservative 2015–2024
No overall control 2024–present

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Gloucester is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1995 have been: [13]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Kevin Stephens Labour 22 May 1995Sep 1995
Jon Holmes Labour 26 Oct 199517 May 1999
Kevin Stephens Labour 17 May 19994 May 2003
Bill Crowther Liberal Democrats 13 May 200327 Nov 2003
Mary Smith Labour 27 Nov 200322 Jun 2004
Mark Hawthorne Conservative 22 Jun 20046 May 2007
Paul James Conservative 21 May 200721 Nov 2019
Richard Cook Conservative 21 Nov 20197 May 2024
Jeremy Hilton Liberal Democrats 20 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2024 election the composition of the council was: [14] [15]

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 17
Conservative 11
Labour 7
Independent 4
Total39

The four independent councillors sit together as the "Community Independent Group". [16] The next election is due in 2028.

Premises

The council meets at North Warehouse at Gloucester Docks. Its main offices are at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in the city centre, and the main public reception is at The Gateway at 92-96 Westgate Street.

Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street: Council's headquarters 1892-1986. Gloucester - Guildhall (geograph 6690097).jpg
Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street: Council's headquarters 1892–1986.

Between 1892 and 1986 the council was based at the Guildhall at 23 Eastgate Street. [17] In 1985 the council purchased North Warehouse at Gloucester Docks, which had been built in 1826. [18] North Warehouse was reconfigured internally to provide a civic suite and council chamber, as well as office space for the council. The council vacated Guildhall and moved to North Warehouse in 1986. [19] [20] Around the same time, the council also leased from the Canal & River Trust three nearby warehouses called Herbert Warehouse, Kimberley Warehouse and Philpotts Warehouse, which had all been built in 1846. The former Kimberley and Philpotts warehouses were incorporated into Herbert Warehouse via glazed linking sections being added between them, with a public house and retail uses on the ground floor and additional council offices on the upper floors. [21] [22] [23] The Herbert Warehouse building was completed in 1988. [24]

In 2019 the council vacated Herbert Warehouse, instead leasing office space for its staff within Shire Hall and also acquiring a former shop at 92–96 Westgate Street to be the council's main public reception, called "The Gateway". The council's meeting place remains the council chamber and civic suite in North Warehouse. [25] [26] The council's offices moved from Shire Hall to the Eastgate Shopping Centre in 2022. [27]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 18 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire</span> County of England

Gloucestershire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire to the east, Wiltshire to the south, Bristol and Somerset to the south-west, and the Welsh county of Monmouthshire to the west. The city of Gloucester is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester</span> City and non-metropolitan district in England

Gloucester is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west; it is sited 19 miles (31 km) east of Monmouth and 17 miles (27 km) east of the border with Wales. Gloucester has a population of around 132,000, including suburban areas. It is a port, linked via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal to the Severn Estuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tewkesbury</span> Town and civil parish in England

Tewkesbury is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and thus became an important trading point, which continued as railways and, later, the M5 and M50 motorway connections were established. The town gives its name to the Borough of Tewkesbury, a local government district of Gloucestershire. The town lies on the border with Worcestershire, marked largely by the Carrant Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stroud District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Stroud District is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England. The district is named after its largest town of Stroud. The council is based at Ebley Mill in Cainscross. The district also includes the towns of Berkeley, Dursley, Nailsworth, Stonehouse and Wotton-under-Edge, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Over half of the district lies within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Gloucester is a constituency centred on the cathedral city and county town of the same name, represented in the House of Commons of the UK by Alex McIntyre of the Labour Party

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bath and North East Somerset Council</span> English local government council

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridge City Council</span> District council in the county of Cambridgeshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire County Council</span> Local authority in England

Gloucestershire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire, in England. The council was created in 1889. The council's principal functions are county roads and rights of way, social services, education and libraries, but it also provides many other local government services in the area it covers. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, the latter additionally including South Gloucestershire. The council went under no overall control following a change of allegiance in May 2024, having previously been under Conservative majority control. It is based at Shire Hall in Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter City Council</span> UK non-metropolitan district council

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcestershire County Council</span> Local government body in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth City Council</span> Local authority of the city of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walsall Council</span> Local government body in England

Walsall Council, formally Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The town of Walsall had been a borough from medieval times, which was reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 the council has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Gloucestershire Council</span>

South Gloucestershire Council is the local authority of South Gloucestershire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England, covering an area to the north of the city of Bristol. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Gloucestershire County Council. Since 2017 the council has been a member of the West of England Combined Authority.

Kingsway Village is an area adjacent to the town of Quedgeley and suburb of Tuffley in Gloucester, in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. It is built upon the old RAF Quedgeley site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Tewkesbury</span> Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

The Borough of Tewkesbury is a local government district with borough status in Gloucestershire, England. The borough is named after its largest town, Tewkesbury, which is where the council is based. The district also includes the town of Winchcombe and numerous villages including Bishops Cleeve, Ashchurch, Churchdown, Innsworth and Brockworth as well as other hamlets and surrounding rural areas. Parts of the district lie within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastgate Shopping Centre, Gloucester</span> Shopping mall in Gloucester, England

The Eastgate Shopping Centre is a two-story indoor shopping centre in Gloucester, England. It opened its portico entrance on 3 July 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Gloucester Guildhall is a former municipal building in Eastgate Street, Gloucester, which is now used as an arts and theatre venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Gloucester City Council election</span> UK local election

The 2021 Gloucester City Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Gloucester City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. There were held elections for all 39 of the City Council’s seats, Quedgeley Town Council and for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, all of which were postponed from May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastgate Street</span>

Eastgate Street is one of the ancient streets in Gloucester, so named because its eastern end was originally the location of the east gate in the city's walls. The part beyond the gate as far as GL1 leisure Centre was part of Barton Street It runs from the crossroads of Northgate, Eastgate, Southgate and Westgate Streets in the West to Barton Street in the East.

References

  1. ↑ "Council minutes, 20 May 2024". Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Councillors - Gloucester City Council".
  3. ↑ Herbert, N. M. (1988). A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4. London: Victoria County History. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will. 4 c. 76)
  5. ↑ "Gloucester County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 June 2023
  7. ↑ "The Gloucestershire (District Boundaries) Order 1991", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1991/281, retrieved 28 August 2023
  8. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. ↑ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Garcia, Carmelo (21 May 2024). "'Gloucester through and through' Lib Dem Jeremy Hilton elected City Council leader 42 years after first becoming a councillor". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Local elections: Gloucester". BBC News. 4 May 2006. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "Council minutes". Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "Your councillors by party". Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "Gloucester". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  17. ↑ Historic England. "Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street (1271663)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  18. ↑ Land Registry title number GR76944: North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2FB. Purchased by Gloucester City Council on 23 August 1985.
  19. ↑ Historic England. "North Warehouse, The Docks (1245466)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "City Council moves out - to the docks". Gloucester News. 11 July 1986. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Historic England. "Herbert Warehouse, The Docks (1245605)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  22. ↑ Historic England. "Kimberley Warehouse, The Docks (1245606)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  23. ↑ Historic England. "Phillpotts Warehouse, The Docks (1245467)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Office hand-over". Gloucester News. 6 October 1988. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  25. ↑ "Cabinet report, 6 November 2019" (PDF). Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  26. ↑ "New gateway to Gloucester City Council to open in the city centre". Gloucester City Council. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  27. ↑ Codd, Toby (6 August 2022). "Eastgate Shopping Centre to be new headquarters of Gloucester City Council". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "The Gloucester (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2015/2026, retrieved 28 August 2023
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