Southampton City Council

Last updated

Southampton City Council
Southampton City Council.svg
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Valerie Laurent,
Conservative
since 17 May 2023 [1]
Lorna Fielker,
Labour
since 20 December 2023 [2]
Mike Harris
since 20 July 2022
Structure
Seats51 councillors
Southampton UK city council composition.svg
Political groups
Administration
  Labour (38)
Other parties
  Conservative (9)
  Liberal Democrat (3)
  Green Party (1)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
 4 May 2023
Meeting place
Southampton-CivicCentre-South.jpg
Civic Centre, Civic Centre Road, Southampton, SO14 7LY
Website
www.southampton.gov.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Southampton City Council is the local authority of the city of Southampton. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including council tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The council uses a leader and cabinet structure. Labour has been in control of the council since 2022.

Contents

History

The City of Southampton shown within Hampshire Southampton UK locator map.svg
The City of Southampton shown within Hampshire

Southampton was an ancient borough, with the earliest known borough charter dating from 1154. [3] Southampton City Council has records in its archives of council meetings as early as 1199. [4] It was reformed in 1836 to become a municipal borough governed by a corporation, also known as a town council. When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, Southampton was considered large enough to run its own services and so it was made a county borough, independent from Hampshire County Council. [5] [6] [7]

Southampton was granted city status on 11 February 1964, after which the corporation was also known as Southampton City Council. [3] Local government restructuring in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 made the City of Southampton a non-metropolitan district within Hampshire, putting it under the authority of Hampshire County Council for the first time. Southampton regained its independence from Hampshire County Council on 1 April 1997 when it was made a unitary authority. [8] [9]

In July 2023, Steve Leggett the cabinet member for finance resigned. [10]

Powers and functions

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Southampton is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Southampton City Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county 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.

In August 2018 the council launched its own not-for-profit energy company 'CitizEn', created with the ambition to offer competitive rates for energy to tackle fuel poverty in the city. [11] [12] [13] The company was set up in cooperation with Nottingham City Council’s company Robin Hood Energy. [11] The council is currently in talks with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council for them to become a partner in the scheme. [14]

Local Authority Trading Company

In response to the 2008 financial crash and the Great Recession the then city council, under the administration of the Conservative Party, began a process of privatisation of council services. [15] From 2017 the Labour administration had begun a process taking municipal control of services that were privatised, so that all profits are reinvested into council services. [16] These services were set up and the Southampton "Local Authority Trading Company" (LATCo) was created. [17] Potential areas for the LATCo to cover include: street parking; public transport; adult and children’s transport; fleet services; housing management and operations; street cleansing; waste management; parks and open spaces; and facilities management. [18]

In 2018 the council began the process of incorporating services which Capita had provided for the council for 11 years, including "customer services, HR pay, revenues and benefits, procurement, health and safety, print, post room and IT services". This also includes the incorporation of 300 jobs under the council's LATCo. [19] [20]

Joint Committees

Southampton had sent a representative to the South East England Regional Assembly during its existence between 1998 and 2010. Created by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 and based in Guildford, the voluntary assembly met six times a year and was responsible for the South East England Development Agency, a project which oversaw investment projects in the south east region. [21] The council remains a member of the South East England Councils.

Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is chaired by several businesses, universities and councils including Southampton City Council and primarily focuses on economic growth in the Hampshire region. [22] The Solent LEP's Growth Hub is based in Southampton. [23] There was an ambition to create a combined authority for the South Hampshire area, including Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight which would include the potential for a combined authority mayor. [24] This program was controversial, [25] and was finally blocked by Hampshire County Council in 2017. [26] There continues to be interest in partnership between Southampton City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and neighbouring components of other Hampshire districts (New Forest District Council and Test Valley Borough Council). [27] [28]

Southampton City Council is also a founding member of the 'Key Cities' group. It is a lobbying group of 24 other cities across Great Britain, formed in 2013, that lobbies the government for greater devolution and funding [29] [30] [31]

Political control

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows: [32] [33]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1984
Labour 1984–1987
No overall control 1987–1988
Labour 1988–1997

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
Labour 1997–2000
No overall control 2000–2008
Conservative 2008–2012
Labour 2012–2021
Conservative 2021–2022
Labour 2022–present

Leadership

The role of Lord Mayor is largely ceremonial in Southampton, with a different councillor usually being appointed to the role each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. Since 2024, the council leader has been Lorna Fielker. [34] The leaders since 1996 have been: [35]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
John Arnold Labour 19961999
June Bridle Labour 199921 May 2003
Adrian Vinson Liberal Democrats 21 May 200316 May 2007
Alec Samuels [36] [37] Conservative 16 May 200720 Feb 2008
June Bridle Labour 20 Feb 20084 May 2008
Alec Samuels [38] Conservative 14 May 200814 Jul 2010
Royston Smith Conservative 14 Jul 201016 May 2012
Richard Williams Labour 16 May 201225 Apr 2013
Jacqui Rayment Labour 25 Apr 201315 May 2013
Simon Letts Labour 15 May 20136 May 2018
Christopher Hammond Labour 16 May 201819 May 2021
Daniel Fitzhenry Conservative 19 May 202118 May 2022
Satvir Kaur Labour 18 May 202220 December 2023
Lorna Fielker Labour January 2024Incumbent

Elections

Following the last boundary changes in 2023, the council comprises 51 councillors representing 17 wards, with three councillors being elected for each ward. For each election, a third of the council or one representative for each ward is elected for a term of four years. Over four years there are three elections and a fourth gap year. The wards are: [39]

National referendums in Southampton

2011 Alternative Vote referendum

On Thursday 5 May 2011 Southampton voted in the 2011 Alternative Vote referendum under the provisions of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 where voters were asked to decide on the question "At present, the UK uses the 'first past the post' system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the 'alternative vote' system be used instead?" by voting for either "Yes" or "No".

Referendum results
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No39,25762.99
Yes23,06237.01
Valid votes62,31999.41
Invalid or blank votes3800.61
Total votes62,699100.00
Registered voters/turnout164,72638.06
Source: Electoral Commission
National referendum results (without spoiled ballots):
Yes:
23,062 (37.01%)		No:
39,257(62.99)
▲

2016 EU membership referendum

On Thursday 23 June 2016 Southampton voted in the 2016 EU Referendum under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015 where voters were asked to decide on the question "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" by voting for either "Remain a member of the European Union" or "Leave the European Union". The result produced a "Leave" majority on a turnout of 68% across the city, lower than the national average of 72%. [40] The Labour MP for Southampton Test Alan Whitehead supported "remain", whilst Royston Smith the MP for Southampton Itchen supported "leave".

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
Southampton
ChoiceVotes %
Leave the European Union57,92753.80%
Remain a member of the European Union49,73846.19%
Valid votes107,66599.91%
Invalid or blank votes1100.1%
Total votes107,772100.00%
Registered voters and turnout158,17168.2%
Southampton referendum result (without spoiled ballots):
Leave:
57,927(53.80%)		Remain:
49,738 (46.19%)
▲

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References

  1. ↑ "Council meeting, 17 May 2023". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  2. ↑ https://www.southampton.gov.uk/moderngov/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=3946
  3. 1 2 "The Mayor of Southampton, Alderman R. Pugh, reading the letter containing the news of city status for Southampton". Illustrated London News. 22 February 1964. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Local authority records". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Southampton Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Mark Housby. "Highways - a history". Hampshire County Council . Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "Borough". Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "The Hampshire (Cities of Portsmouth and Southampton)(Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1995/1775, retrieved 24 May 2023
  9. ↑ Kieran Hyland (17 November 2016). "Your Guide to Southampton City Council". Wessex Scene . Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ↑ "Southampton City Council: Steve Leggett leaves cabinet". BBC News. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Southampton City Council launches own gas and electricity company today". Southern Daily Echo . 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  12. ↑ Orde, Tom (23 December 2019). "Energy firm helps keep Southampton residents warm and cosy this winter". Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  13. ↑ Wray, Sarah (14 January 2020). "London Mayor launches green energy company, profits to go into community projects". Smart Cities World. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Josh Wright (5 November 2018). "Bournemouth could join Southampton's CitizEn Energy scheme". Bournemouth Echo . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  15. ↑ Anna Bawden (25 June 2013). "Local government: a new era of co-operation". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  16. ↑ Herpreet Kaur Grewal (30 August 2017). "Southampton CC Poised to Create New Trading Arm". FM World . Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "Southampton moves ahead with waste trading arm". Lets Recycle. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Southampton sets up trading company". Transport Xtra. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Southampton staff affected as council ends Capita deal". BBC. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  20. ↑ William Rimell (25 July 2018). "Southampton City Council opts to take raft of services in-house as it announces split from service provider Capita". Southern Daily Echo . Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  21. ↑ "South East England Regional Assembly website". Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  22. ↑ Emma Streatfield (7 October 2015). "Solent Local Enterprise Partnership has put in a bid to create a new enterprise zone near Southampton Airport that could create 6,000 jobs". Southern Daily Echo . Newsquest . Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  23. ↑ Ryan Platt (21 August 2017). "#19 Starting a business in Southampton". Startups. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "New Solent authority 'secures £900m' from government". BBC News . 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  25. ↑ Duncan Geddes (16 November 2014). "Winchester could be split over plans to form a devolved super authority for south Hampshire". Hampshire Chronicle . Newsquest . Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  26. ↑ "Solent Combined Authority bid 'almost certainly dead'". BBC News . 26 January 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  27. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (19 November 2019). "Do the cities of South Hampshire deserve their own metro mayors? | CityMetric". City Metric . Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  28. ↑ "Transforming Cities Fund Call for Proposals: Southampton City Region" (PDF). Department For Transport . Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  29. ↑ Peter Box (27 June 2018). "Britain is full of powerful mid-sized cities. Let's unlock their potential". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  30. ↑ "Key Cities announces four new members in growth drive to become authentic voice of urban Britain". Key Cities. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  31. ↑ Imran Khan (29 November 2018). "UK's productivity puzzle: What can we learn from the UK's mid-sized cities?". Open Access Government . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  32. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  33. ↑ "Southamoton". BBC News Online . 19 April 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  34. ↑ George, Maya (12 January 2024). "Who is Lorna Fielker? The new council leader for Southampton". Daily Echo.
  35. ↑ "Council minutes". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  36. ↑ "'Shock move' gives Tories power". BBC News Online . 17 May 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  37. ↑ "Tories lose city council control". BBC News. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  38. ↑ "Tories seize power in Southampton". BBC News. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  39. ↑ "The Southampton (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2023/204, retrieved 26 May 2023
  40. ↑ "EU referendum results". Electoral Commission . Retrieved 7 September 2018.
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