Milton Keynes City Council

Last updated

Milton Keynes City Council
City of Milton Keynes
Arms of Milton Keynes.svg
Coat of Arms of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes Council Logo.svg
Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Marie Bradburn,
Liberal Democrat
since 15 May 2024 [1]
Peter Marland,
Labour
since 11 June 2014 [2]
Michael Bracey
since 26 October 2018
Structure
Seats57 councillors
Political groups
Administration (30)
  Labour (30)
Other parties (27)
  Liberal Democrats (18)
  Conservative (9)
Elections
Last election
 2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes.jpg
Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ
Website
milton-keynes.gov.uk

Milton Keynes City Council is the local authority for the City of Milton Keynes, a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England. The council was established in 1974 as Milton Keynes Borough Council. Since 1997 it has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent of Buckinghamshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

Contents

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2024. It is based at Milton Keynes Civic Offices.

History

The non-metropolitan district of Milton Keynes and its council were created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of Bletchley Urban District, Newport Pagnell Urban District, Wolverton Urban District, Newport Pagnell Rural District and that part of Winslow Rural District within the designated area for the new town of Milton Keynes. From its creation, the district was also given borough status, entitling the council to be known as Milton Keynes Borough Council and allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [3] [4]

From 1974 until 1997, the council was a lower-tier district authority, with county-level services provided by Buckinghamshire County Council. On 1 April 1997, following a recommendation of the Local Government Commission for England, the council became a unitary authority. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Milton Keynes covering the same area as the borough, but with no separate county council; instead the existing borough council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority. [5] Milton Keynes remains part of the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire for the purposes of lieutenancy. [6]

From being made a unitary authority in 1997 until 2022 the council styled itself Milton Keynes Council. The borough was awarded city status on 15 August 2022. [7] The council then changed its name to Milton Keynes City Council, and amended its logo to emphasise the new status.

Powers and functions

The local council derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Milton Keynes is within a non-metropolitan area of England. 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 and is responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal. The council also appoints members to Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority and the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel, both of which serve the borough.

Political control

The first election to the district council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [8] [9]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1982
No overall control 1982–1990
Labour 1990–1992
No overall control 1992–1996
Labour 1996–1997

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
Labour 1997–2000
No overall control 2000–2002
Liberal Democrats 2002–2006
No overall control 2006–2024
Labour 2024–present

The council was under no overall control from 2006 to 2024. From May 2014 to May 2021, the Labour Party held office as a minority administration. From May 2021 to May 2024, the administration was a Labour Party and Liberal Democrat "progressive alliance". [10] Since May 2024 the Labour Party has had a majority on the council.

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Milton Keynes. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1996 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Kevin Wilson [11] [12] [13] Labour May 1996May 2000
Norman Miles [14] [15] Labour 23 May 2000May 2002
Isobel McCall [a] [16] Liberal Democrats 21 May 2002May 2009
Sam Crooks [17] Liberal Democrats 19 May 2009May 2010
Cec Tallack [18] Liberal Democrats 25 May 2010May 2011
Andrew Geary [19] [20] Conservative 24 May 2011May 2014
Peter Marland [21] Labour 11 Jun 2014

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was: [22]

PartyCouncillors
Labour 30
Liberal Democrats 18
Conservative 9
Total57

The next election is due in 2026. [23]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2014, the council has comprised 57 councillors representing 19 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. [24]

The Local Government Boundary Commission has invited comments on a proposal to revise the ward boundaries and increase the number of councillors to 60 in time for the 2026 elections. If approved, all council seats will be up for election that year. [25] [26]

Premises

A wide angle view of the Civic offices building and flagpole in July 2020 MK City Council.jpg
A wide angle view of the Civic offices building and flagpole in July 2020

The headquarters of the council, including the council chamber, is the Milton Keynes Civic Offices building at 1 Saxon Gate East in Central Milton Keynes. The building dates from 1979 and was designed by architects Faulkner Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor. [27] The building is sited very close to the moot mound (meeting place) of the Anglo-Saxon Sigelai (or Secklow) Hundred. [28]

Logos

Milton Keynes City Council has had two logos. The first logo was an oak leaf which was used from the 1990s.

The second logo is more colourful than the previous version, and consists of the two letters M and K, representing Milton Keynes. The 'M' is coloured in azure and 'K' is coloured in green: this is the logo that is currently in use, with a recent revision to change the font and text accompanying it to mark Milton Keynes' city status.

Coat of arms of Milton Keynes City Council
Notes
Granted 3 December 1975 by the College of Arms.
Crest
Perched upon the battlements of a tower Proper issuant therefro on either side a branch of oak fructed of five acorns and as many leaves an eagle displayed wings iverted Or gorged with a collar dancetty of four points upward per fess dancetty Gules and Sable.
Torse
Argent and Gules.
Escutcheon
Vair three bars Gules issuant from the base an oak tree of five branches fructed and the trunk enfiling a mural crown Or.
Supporters
On either side a fallow buck Proper charged on the shoulder with a representation of a Cretan double axe erect Or.
Motto
By Knowledge Design And Understanding [29]

Technology facilitation

In recent years, the council has promoted the city as a test-bed for experimental urban technologies. The most well-known of these is the Starship Technologies' (largely) autonomous delivery robots: Milton Keynes provided its world-first urban deployment of these units. By November 2020, said Starship, Milton Keynes had the 'world's largest autonomous robot fleet' [30] Other projects include the LUTZ Pathfinder pod, an autonomous (self-driving) vehicle built by the Transport Systems Catapult. Trials took place in Milton Keynes in 2016. [31] [32]

Controversies

Blakelands Warehouse

In May 2017, the City Council approved plans to build an 18m (59ft)-high warehouse in Blakelands, with the warehouse (which was constructed in 2018) being criticised by local residents as "oppressive", and there were concerns about planning malpractice, including the lack of a noise barrier and the retention of trees and hedges. [33] In February 2019, the Council commissioned external planning expert Marc Dorfman to review the decision, although the report was not complete due to Dorfman's resignation later that year. Following this, the Council appointed independent barrister Tim Straker to carry out an independent report, with the report (published in 2021) finding that while planning conditions were missed as a result of "human error", there was "no untoward conduct." [34]

Related Research Articles

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

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the east, Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, and Oxfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Milton Keynes, and the county town is Aylesbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Milton Keynes</span> Unitary authority area in England

The City of Milton Keynes is a borough with city status, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is the northernmost district of the South East England Region. The borough abuts Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the remainder of Buckinghamshire. The borough is administered by Milton Keynes City Council, a unitary authority.

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

Newport Pagnell is a town and civil parish in the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The Office for National Statistics records Newport Pagnell as part of the Milton Keynes urban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham City Council</span> Non-metropolitan district council for the unitary authority of Nottingham

Nottingham City Council is the local authority for the city of Nottingham, in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. Nottingham has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Keynes North (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

Milton Keynes North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the 2024 United Kingdom general election by Chris Curtis for the Labour Party.

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

Slough Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Slough in Berkshire, England. Slough has had an elected council since 1863, which has been reformed several times. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City and County of Swansea Council</span> Local government of Swansea

The City and County of Swansea Council, or simply Swansea Council, is the local authority for the city and county of Swansea, one of the principal areas of Wales. The principal area also includes rural areas to the north of the built-up area of Swansea and the Gower Peninsula to the west. The council consists of 75 councillors representing 32 electoral wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitary authorities of England</span> Local government in some parts of England

The unitary authorities of England are a type of local authority responsible for all local government services in an area. They combine the functions of a non-metropolitan county council and a non-metropolitan district council, which elsewhere in England provide two tiers of local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 United Kingdom local elections</span>

The 1997 United Kingdom local elections took place on Thursday 1 May 1997 in England, and Wednesday 21 May 1997 in Northern Ireland. Elections took place for all of the English country councils, some English unitary authorities and all of the Northern Ireland districts. The local elections were held on the same day as the 1997 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council</span>

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is the local authority of Blackburn with Darwen in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. Since 1998 it has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Lancashire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipswich Borough Council</span> English local authority

Ipswich Borough Council is the local authority for Ipswich, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Suffolk, England. It is the second tier of a two-tier system, fulfilling functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning, with Suffolk County Council providing county council services such as transport, education and social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby City Council</span> Local government unitary authority for Derby, England

Derby City Council is the local authority for the city of Derby, in the ceremonial county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands region of England. Derby has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

The History of local government districts in Buckinghamshire began in 1835 with the formation of poor law unions. This was followed by the creation of various forms of local government body. In 1894 the existing arrangements were replaced with a system of municipal boroughs, urban and rural districts, which remained in place until 1974. Between 1974 and 2020 there were five non-metropolitan districts in the county, one of which became a unitary authority in 1997. The other four districts were abolished in 2020 when the rest of the county was placed under the Buckinghamshire Council unitary authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton and Hove City Council</span> Local authority for Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove City Council is the local authority for Brighton and Hove, a local government district with city status in the ceremonial county of East Sussex, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023. It is based at Hove Town Hall.

Milton Keynes City Council is the local authority for the City of Milton Keynes, a unitary authority in Buckinghamshire, England. Until 1 April 1997 it was a non-metropolitan district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Somerset Council</span>

North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southend-on-Sea City Council</span> Local authority of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England

Southend-on-Sea City Council is the local authority of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Southend has had an elected local authority since 1866, which has been reformed several times. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Essex County Council

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2023 structural changes to local government in England</span> Planned changes to local government authorities in England

Structural changes to local government in England took place between 2019 and 2023. Some of these changes continue the trend of new unitary authorities being created from other types of local government districts, which was a policy of Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick from 2019.

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

Buckinghamshire Council is the local authority for Buckinghamshire (district), a non-metropolitan county in England. It is a unitary authority, performing both county and district-level functions. It was created on 1 April 2020, replacing the previous Buckinghamshire County Council and the councils of the four abolished districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Wycombe. The territory of the Council is about four-fifths of Buckinghamshire and has about two-thirds of its population.

References

  1. ↑ Called Isobel Wilson until 2005
  1. ↑ "Milton Keynes welcomes new Mayor". Milton Keynes City Council. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "CMIS > Councillors". milton-keynes.cmis.uk.com.
  3. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Table III(a)". Local Government in England and Wales. a Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. pp. 15–109. ISBN   0117508470.
  5. ↑ "The Buckinghamshire (Borough of Milton Keynes) (Structural Change) Order 1995: Article 8", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1995/1769 (art. 8), retrieved 13 July 2024
  6. ↑ "Lieutenancies Act 1997: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1997 c. 23 (sch.1), retrieved 29 May 2024
  7. ↑ "Crown Office". The London Gazette (63791). TSO. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Milton Keynes" in search box to see specific results.)
  9. ↑ "Milton Keynes". BBC News . Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  10. ↑ Norford, Olga (19 November 2021). "Progressive Alliance in Milton Keynes celebrates six months of putting people before politics" (Press release) – via Milton Keynes Citizen.
  11. ↑ Larner, Steve (9 May 1996). "In the hot seat!". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Larner, Steve (25 May 2000). "Council cabinet plan gets the thumbs down". Milton Keynes Citizen. p. 7. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  13. ↑ Tooley, David (16 May 2019). "Councillors pay warm tributes at first meeting following death of former Milton Keynes Council leader Kevin Wilson". MK Citizen. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "Council minutes, 23 May 2000" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "Milton Keynes Council leader Norman Miles is to be the first permanent executive director of Milton Keynes Lifelong Learning Partnership". Milton Keynes Citizen. 2 May 2002. p. 21. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  16. ↑ "Council minutes, 21 May 2002" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  17. ↑ "Council minutes, 19 May 2009" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  18. ↑ "Council minutes, 25 May 2010" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  19. ↑ "Council minutes, 24 May 2011" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  20. ↑ "Local elections: Labour make gains in Milton Keynes". BBC News. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "Council minutes, 11 June 2014" (PDF). Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  22. ↑ "Milton Keynes result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  23. ↑ "Milton Keynes". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  24. ↑ "The Milton Keynes (Electoral Changes) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2014/22, retrieved 13 July 2024
  25. ↑ "Electoral boundaries and maps | Milton Keynes City Council". www.milton-keynes.gov.uk. Milton Keynes Council. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  26. ↑ "Milton Keynes". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  27. ↑ "Civic Offices Milton Keynes Council". Race Cottam Associates. 2018.
  28. ↑ Historic England. ""Secklow Hundred mound: a moot at the junction of North Row and North Ninth Street" (1007940)". National Heritage List for England .
  29. ↑ "Armorial Bearings". WhatDoTheyKnow. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  30. ↑ "Milton Keynes now has 'world's largest autonomous robot fleet' as Starship expand further". Starship Technologies (Press release). Retrieved 6 November 2020– via MKFM.
  31. ↑ Burn-Callander, Rebecca (11 February 2015). "This is the Lutz pod, the UK's first driverless car". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  32. ↑ Davies, Rob (11 October 2016). "Self-driving car tested for first time in UK in Milton Keynes". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  33. ↑ "Milton Keynes warehouse planning decision 'bona fide'". BBC News. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Milton Keynes warehouse: Blakelands planning conditions were missed as a result of "human error"". BBC News. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.