Stratford-on-Avon District

Last updated

Stratford-on-Avon District
Non-metropolitan district
The River Avon at Stratford-upon Avon, Warwickshire - geograph.org.uk - 3256781.jpg
River Avon at Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-on-Avon UK locator map.svg
Shown within Warwickshire
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region West Midlands
Administrative county Warwickshire
Admin. HQStratford-upon-Avon
Government
 • Type Non-metropolitan district
 •  MPs: Manuela Perteghella (LD)
Jeremy Wright (C)
Area
 • Total378 sq mi (978 km2)
 • Rank 27th
Population
 (2022)
 • Total138,583
 • Rank Ranked 169th
 • Density370/sq mi (140/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 •  Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 •  Religion
List
Time zone UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code 44UE (ONS)
E07000221 (GSS)

Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. The district is named after its largest town of Stratford-upon-Avon, but with a change of preposition; the town uses "upon" and the district uses "on". The council is based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the district, which is predominantly rural, also includes the towns of Alcester, Henley-in-Arden, Shipston-on-Stour and Southam, and the large villages of Bidford-on-Avon, Studley and Wellesbourne, plus numerous other smaller villages and hamlets and surrounding rural areas. The district covers the more sparsely populated southern part of Warwickshire, and contains nearly half the county's area. The district includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Contents

The neighbouring districts are Rugby and Warwick in Warwickshire, Solihull in the West Midlands, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wychavon in Worcestershire, Cotswold in Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell in Oxfordshire, and West Northamptonshire.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: [2]

The new district was named Stratford-on-Avon after its main town, but using the "Stratford-on-Avon" variant of the name, which had also been used for the rural district which had covered the parishes surrounding the town. [3] [4]

Proposals to merge the district with neighbouring Warwick District were put forward and provisionally agreed, before eventually being abandoned in April 2022. [5] [6]

Governance

Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Stratford-on-Avon District Council logo.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Jenny Fradgley,
Liberal Democrat
since 15 May 2024 [7]
Susan Juned,
Liberal Democrat
since 24 May 2023
David Buckland
since June 2019 [8]
Structure
Seats41 councillors
UK Stratford-on-Avon District Council 2023.svg
Political groups
Administration (25)
  Liberal Democrats (25)
Other parties (16)
  Conservative (11)
  Green (3)
  Independent (2)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
 4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Elizabeth House in Stratford-upon-Avon, geograph 4055649 by Jaggery.jpg
Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX
Website
www.stratford.gov.uk

Stratford-on-Avon District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Warwickshire County Council. [9] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. [10]

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election. [11]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows: [12] [13] [14]

Party in controlYears
Independent 1974–1976
No overall control 1976–1979
Conservative 1979–1991
No overall control 1991–1992
Conservative 1992–1994
No overall control 1994–2000
Conservative 2000–2002
No overall control 2002–2003
Conservative 2003–2023
Liberal Democrats 2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2000 have been: [15]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Bob Stevens [16] Conservative 20002003
Chris Saint Conservative 20032005
Les Topham [17] Conservative 20059 May 2010
Stephen Gray Conservative 19 May 201018 May 2011
Chris Saint Conservative 18 May 201116 May 2018
Tony Jefferson Conservative 16 May 20187 May 2023
Susan Juned Liberal Democrats 24 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in May 2024, the composition of the council was: [18]

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 25
Conservative 11
Green 3
Independent 2
Total41

The next election is due in 2027. [19]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 41 councillors representing 39 wards, with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years. [20]

Premises

The council is based at Elizabeth House on Church Street in Stratford. [21] The oldest part of the building was a house at 15 Church Street, built in 1911 as "Maugersbury House". The house was bought in 1920 by NFU Mutual and converted to be their offices. It was later extended in a similar style along Church Street in 1927 and 1957. The NFU left the building in 1982, after which it was bought by the council and converted to become their offices and meeting place, replacing the five sets of offices inherited from the council's predecessor authorities. [22] The building was formally re-opened as the council's headquarters on 19 April 1985 by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, when it was named "Elizabeth House" in recognition of her visit. [23]

Towns and parishes

Southam, the district's second largest town. Market Hill -Southam -Warwickshire.jpg
Southam, the district's second largest town.
Shipston-on-Stour, another of the district's towns. Shipston-on-Stour.jpg
Shipston-on-Stour, another of the district's towns.
Stratford-on-Avon population pyramid Stratford-on-Avon population pyramid.svg
Stratford-on-Avon population pyramid

The whole district is covered by civil parishes, of which there are 113. The parish councils for Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour, Southam and Stratford-upon-Avon have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council or share a grouped parish council with neighbouring parishes. Henley-in-Arden and Studley are both post towns, but have parish councils rather than town councils. [24]

The parishes are: [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shipston-on-Stour</span> Human settlement in England

Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in southern Warwickshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Stour, 9 miles (15 km) south-southeast of Stratford-upon-Avon, 10 miles north-northwest of Chipping Norton, 14 miles (22 km) south of Warwick and 14.5 miles west of Banbury. In the 2021 census, Shipston-on-Stour had a population of 5,849.

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

Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick District</span> Local government district in Warwickshire, England

Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kineton</span> Human settlement in England

Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-east Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278, increasing to 2,337 at the 2011 Census.

Southam Rural District was a rural district in the county of Warwickshire, England. It was created in 1894 and consisted of 26 parishes, a further six parishes were added in 1932, when the Farnborough Rural District was disbanded. It was named after and administered from Southam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidford-on-Avon</span> Village in Warwickshire, England

Bidford-on-Avon is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire, very close to the border with Worcestershire. In the 2001 census it had a population of 4,830, increasing to 5,350 at the 2011 census, increasing again to 6,818 in the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

Stratford-on-Avon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Manuela Perteghella of the Liberal Democrats. The constituency is in Warwickshire; as its name suggests, it is centred on the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare, but also takes in the surrounding areas, including the towns of Alcester and Henley-in-Arden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henley-in-Arden</span> Town in Warwickshire, England

Henley-in-Arden is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. The town takes its last name from the former Forest of Arden. Henley is known for its variety of historic buildings, some of which date back to medieval times, and its wide variety of preserved architectural styles. The one-mile-long (1.6 km) High Street is a conservation area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alderminster</span> Human settlement in England

Alderminster is a village and civil parish on the River Stour about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The village is on the A3400 road between Stratford-upon-Avon and Shipston-on-Stour. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 491.

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

Kenilworth and Southam is a constituency in Warwickshire, England represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Jeremy Wright, a Conservative who served as Culture Secretary until 24 July 2019, having previously served as Attorney General for England and Wales from 2014 to 2018.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council elections are held every four years. Stratford-on-Avon District Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan district of Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2023, 41 councillors have been elected from 39 wards. Prior to 2015 elections were held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time.

The Cotswold Hills League is a cricket league made up of clubs from Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The spine of the geographic area covered by the League is a picturesque part of England known as The Cotswolds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pillerton Hersey</span> Village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England

Pillerton Hersey is a village and civil parish about 5.5 miles (9 km) north of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, England. The village is on a stream that flows northwest to join the River Dene. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 170.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhall, Stratford-on-Avon</span> Human settlement in England

Exhall is a village and civil parish about 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) south-south-east of Alcester in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Its parish includes the hamlet of Little Britain and part of Ardens Grafton, the greater part of which is in the neighbouring civil parish of Temple Grafton. The 2011 Census recorded Exhall parish's population as 203. Exhall is on Hay Brook, a tributary of the River Arrow. The civil parish neighbours those of Alcester and Wixford, with which it shares both an ecclesiastical parish and a cricket club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Warwickshire County Council election</span> 2013 UK local government election

An election to Warwickshire County Council took place on 2 May 2013 as part of the 2013 United Kingdom local elections. 62 councillors were elected from 56 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous election in 2009. The election saw the Conservative Party lose overall control of the council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compton Wynyates (parish)</span> Parish in Warwickshire, England

Compton Wynyates or Compton Wyniates is an ancient parish and civil parish in Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwickshire, England. It includes the house and grounds of Compton Wynyates, and extends to the north-east and south-west of the house, with a size of roughly 3.5 by 0.5 miles. The parish has an area of 1,038 acres (420 ha). Compton Wynyates was also a village; the earthworks of the village partly survive. It does not have a parish council but has a parish meeting. Population figures for the 2011 census are not available for this parish. Population figures from 1801 to 1961 ranged between 15 and 48, with a figure of 23 in 1961. The civil parish was within Brailes Rural District from 1894 to 1931 and within Shipston-on-Stour Rural District from 1931 to 1974.

References

  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Stratford-on-Avon Local Authority (E07000221)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ↑ "Warwickshire: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1972". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Plans to merge Warwick and Stratford District Councils into single 'mega authority' have been scrapped". Warwickshireworld. Leamington Courier. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon councils merger plans scrapped". BBC News. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  7. ↑ Mingins, Philippa (20 May 2024). "New chair appointed at Stratford District Council". Stratford Observer. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "New chief exec ready to take on challenges faced by Stratford District Council". Stratford Observer. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  10. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Lib Dems win Stratford-on-Avon council from Conservatives". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Stratford-On-Avon". BBC News Online . 19 April 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  14. ↑ "Tories slump after leadership row". guardian.co.uk . London. 8 November 2002. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  15. ↑ "Council minutes". Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  16. ↑ Lugg, Ben (6 August 2020). "Tributes paid to former district council leader Bob Stevens". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  17. ↑ Lugg, Ben (4 February 2021). "Tributes paid to former Stratford District Council leader Les Topham". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  19. ↑ "Stratford-on-Avon". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "The Stratford-on-Avon (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2022/1137, retrieved 22 January 2024
  21. ↑ "Contact the council". Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  22. ↑ "Elizabeth House: Stratford-on-Avon District Council's new offices". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. 26 April 1985. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  23. ↑ "Sunshine, smiles and cheers for Queen Mother". Stratford-upon-Avon Herald. 26 April 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "Parish Council contact details". Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Stratford-on-Avon District - parishes". City Population. Retrieved 22 January 2024.

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