Warwickshire County Council

Last updated

Warwickshire County Council
Arms of Warwickshire County Council.svg
Warwickshire County Council.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Chris Mills,
Conservative
since 14 May 2024 [1]
Izzi Seccombe,
Conservative
since 22 May 2013
Monica Fogarty
since October 2018 [2]
Structure
Seats57 councillors
Warwickshire County Council Composition 2021.svg
Political groups
Administration
  Conservative (42)
Other parties
  Labour (6)
  Liberal Democrats (5)
  Green (3)
  Whitnash RA (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
 6 May 2021
Next election
 1 May 2025
Meeting place
Shire Hall, Warwick.jpg
Shire Hall, Market Place, Warwick, CV34 4RL
Website
www.warwickshire.gov.uk

Warwickshire County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Warwickshire in England. Its headquarters are at Shire Hall in the centre of Warwick, the county town. The council's principal functions are county roads and rights of way, social services, education and libraries, but it also provides numerous other local government services in its area.

Contents

History

Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over many administrative functions which had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The cities of Birmingham and Coventry were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so were made county boroughs, independent from Warwickshire County Council. [a] The county council was elected by and provided services to the rest of the county, which area was termed the administrative county. The 1888 Act also said that any urban sanitary districts which straddled county boundaries were to be placed entirely in the county which had the majority of that district's population, which saw Warwickshire cede its part of Tamworth to Staffordshire and its part of Hinckley to Leicestershire. [3]

The first elections to the county council were held in January 1889 and it formally came into being on 1 April 1889. On that day it held its first official meeting at the Shire Hall in Warwick, the courthouse which had served as the meeting place for the quarter sessions which preceded the county council. John Dugdale, the Conservative MP for Nuneaton, was appointed the first chairman of the council. [4]

The administrative county ceded Aston Manor and Erdington to Birmingham in 1911. [5] Solihull was made a county borough in 1964. [6]

The administrative county was reformed in 1974 to become a non-metropolitan county, at which point it also ceded Sutton Coldfield, Hockley Heath and much of the Meriden Rural District to the new West Midlands metropolitan county, which also covered the already independent county boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, alongside other territory from Staffordshire and Worcestershire. [7] [8] At the same time, Warwickshire was divided into five non-metropolitan districts which form a lower tier of local government. [9]

In 2024 the Council became the centre of a national controversy following comments made by three Conservative Councillors during a Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussing spending on Special Educational NeedS (SEND). [10]

The comments by Cllr Brian Hammersley, Cllr Clare Golby and Cllr Jeff Morgan were considered to be 'derogatory' [11] and attracted national and local media and video footage of the meeting was shared on social media. Following the media attention the Council published a statement and apologies from the three Councillors. [12]

The Conservative Group received criticism for their decision not to discipline the Councillors by removing the whip and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was asked to intervene by the Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western during Prime Minister Question Time. [13] A letter about the incident was published by Disability Rights UK and co signed by 12 other disability charities. [14] Following a large number of official complaints the Council hired solicitor firm to conduct an investigation into the complaints. [15] There report is expected to be published in June 2024. [16]

A petition with over 30,000 signatures calling for the three Councillors to resign was submitted to the Council with Leader Izzi Seccombe accepting the petition but declining to debate the petition. [17] As a result of the comments a joint Labour and Liberal Democrat motion was submitted for all elected members to receive training on SEND. This received cross party support and was unanimously voted for. [18]


Governance

Warwickshire County Council provides county-level services. District-level services are provided by the five district councils:

Much of the county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. [19]

Political control

The county council has been under Conservative majority control since 2017.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: [20] [21]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1974–1977
Conservative 1977–1981
No overall control 1981–1989
Conservative 1989–1993
No overall control 1993–2009
Conservative 2009–2013
No overall control 2013–2017
Conservative 2017–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1993 have been: [22]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
John Vereker [23] Conservative 20 May 1993
Ian Bottrill [24] [25] Labour 20 May 19938 May 2005
Alan Farnell Conservative 17 May 20055 May 2013
Izzi Seccombe [26] Conservative 21 May 2013

Composition

Following the 2021 election the composition of the council was: [27]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative 42
Labour 6
Liberal Democrats 5
Green 3
Whitnash Residents Association 1
Total57

The next election is due in 2025.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the council has been divided into 57 electoral divisions, each electing one councillor. Elections are held every four years. [28]

Premises

Shire Hall, Warwick: The older part of the building facing Northgate Street. Shire Hall, Northgate Street, Warwick.jpg
Shire Hall, Warwick: The older part of the building facing Northgate Street.

The county council is based at the Shire Hall in Market Place, Warwick, a complex of buildings built over many years. The oldest part was a courthouse built in 1758 facing Northgate Street. [29] As the county council's functions grew it built new offices in 1929–32 on the adjoining site of the former county jail, retaining the jail's 1783 façade to Northgate Street. A large extension completed in 1958 included a new council chamber, and a further extension in 1966 created a new frontage and main entrance for the building facing Market Place. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuneaton</span> Market town in Warwickshire, England

Nuneaton is a market town in Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire to the north-east. Nuneaton's population at the 2021 census was 88,813, making it the largest town in Warwickshire. Nuneaton's urban area, which also includes the large villages of Bulkington and Hartshill, had a population of 99,372 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick</span> Town and the county town of Warwickshire, England

Warwick is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuneaton and Bedworth</span> Borough & Non-metropolitan district in England

Nuneaton and Bedworth is a local government district with borough status in Warwickshire, England. It includes the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth, as well as a modest rural hinterland including the village of Bulkington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (region)</span> Region of England

The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area known traditionally as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. The region has seven cities: Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

<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">North Warwickshire</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

North Warwickshire is a local government district with borough status in Warwickshire, England. The borough includes the two towns of Atherstone and Coleshill, and the large villages of Hartshill, Kingsbury, Mancetter, Polesworth and Water Orton along with smaller villages and surrounding rural areas.

<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">Metropolitan Borough of Solihull</span> Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough in West Midlands county, England. It is named after its largest town, Solihull, from which Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is based. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of seven boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region. Much of the large residential population in the north of the borough centres on the communities of Castle Bromwich, Kingshurst, Marston Green and Smith's Wood as well as the towns of Chelmsley Wood and Fordbridge. In the south are the towns of Shirley and Solihull, as well as the large villages of Knowle, Dorridge, Meriden and Balsall Common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleshill, Warwickshire</span> Market town in Warwickshire, England

Coleshill is a market town and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole, on which it stands. It had a population of 6,900 in the 2021 Census, and is situated 11 miles (18 km) east of Birmingham, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) southeast of Sutton Coldfield, 11 miles (18 km) south of Tamworth, 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Coventry by road and 13 miles (21km) west of Nuneaton. It borders the parish village of Kingshurst in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull to the west. It is also home to the 502 year The Coleshill School seated next to the dual carriageway.

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

This is about the history of the County of Warwick situated in the English Midlands. Historically, bounded to the north-west by Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the east, Worcestershire to the west, Oxfordshire to the south, Gloucestershire to the south-west, an exclave of Derbyshire to the far north, and less than 400 yards from the border with Shropshire in the far west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meriden (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1955-2024

Meriden was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was named after the village of Meriden, halfway between Solihull and Coventry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwickshire Police</span> English territorial police force

Warwickshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Warwickshire in England. It is the second smallest territorial police force in England and Wales after the City of London Police, with 1,126 regular officers as of July 2024. The resident population of the force area is 554,002.

Warwick District Council elections are held every four years. Warwick District Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan district of Warwick in Warwickshire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, 44 councillors have been elected from 17 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885-1983 and 2010 onwards

Rugby is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by John Slinger, of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council</span>

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, also known as Solihull Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and 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">Dordon</span> Human settlement in England

Dordon is a village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England and close to the border with Staffordshire. The village is located on the A5 national route and is contiguous with the larger village of Polesworth. Other nearby places include Tamworth, Atherstone, Grendon, Wood End Village, Baddesley Ensor and Nuneaton. In 2001 the population for the parish of Dordon was 3,225, reducing slightly to 3,215 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting in West Midlands</span>

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<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">Shire Hall, Warwick</span> County building in Warwick, Warwickshire, England

Shire Hall is a building complex located in Northgate Street in Warwick, England. It is the main office and the meeting place of Warwickshire County Council. It comprises both the original Shire Hall of 1758 and the more recent adjoining county council offices, both of which are Grade I listed buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council election</span> 2021 UK local government election

The 2021 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council election was held on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 United Kingdom local elections and alongside elections for Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Half of the borough council seats were up for election and the results provided the Conservative Party with a majority on the council, with the party winning all but two seats up for election.

References

  1. ↑ Coventry had previously been a similar county corporate, having its own quarter sessions from 1451 until 1842, when it had been brought back under the jurisdiction of the Warwickshire quarter sessions.
  1. ↑ "Warwickshire County Council elects new Chair and Vice Chair". Warwickshire County Council. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "New Fire and Rescue chief for Warwickshire". Leamington Courier. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  3. ↑ "Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1888 c. 41, retrieved 27 August 2023
  4. ↑ "Warwickshire County Council". Kenilworth Advertiser. 6 April 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Local Government Board's Provisional Order (1910) Confirmation (No. 13) Act 1911". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Solihull Urban District / Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Local Government Act 1972
  8. ↑ "The places you'd never believe were once in Warwickshire". Coventry Telegraph. 1 July 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 October 2023
  10. ↑ Fox, Aine (7 February 2024). "Conservative Warwickshire County councillors caught on camera insulting disabled children during meeting". The Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Warwickshire councillors apologise for 'derogatory' SEND comments". 7 February 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  12. ↑ Pacaud, Charlotte. "Statement from Warwickshire County Council's Leader and Chief Executive". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  13. ↑ Williams, Oliver (21 February 2024). "Leamington MP asks Rishi Sunak if he will step in over Warwickshire SEND comments outrage". Warwickshire World.
  14. ↑ "DR UK responds to ableist Warwickshire Councillor comments | Disability Rights UK". www.disabilityrightsuk.org. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Warwickshire County Council hires lawyer over councillors' special needs remarks". 26 February 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  16. ↑ balachandran, ranjani. "Complaints about councillors". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "Warwickshire special needs row petition signed by 30,000". BBC News. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Agenda item - Notices of Motion". democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Warwickshire". BBC News Online. BBC. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  22. ↑ "Council minutes". Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "Tories help Labour take helm". Birmingham Post. 21 May 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "Tories tumble". Heartland Evening News. Nuneaton. 7 May 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "Ian to leave top county council role". Coventry Live. 27 November 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  26. ↑ "Warwickshire County Council's ruling Tories select first female leader". Coventry Telegraph. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  27. ↑ "Warwickshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe.
  28. ↑ "The Warwickshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2015/1874, retrieved 20 January 2024
  29. ↑ Historic England. "The Old Shire Hall and Law Courts, Northgate Street (Grade I) (1184979)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  30. ↑ Historic England. "Warwickshire County Council Offices and former gaol (Grade I) (1364827)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 20 January 2024.
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