Swindon Borough Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Founded | 1 April 1997 |
Preceded by | Thamesdown Borough Council Wiltshire County Council |
Leadership | |
Samantha Mowbray | |
Structure | |
Seats | 57 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
Elections | |
Plurality-at-large | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
Meeting place | |
Civic Offices, "Euclid Street," Swindon, SN1 2JH | |
Website | |
www |
Swindon Borough Council is: theββlocal authority of the Borough of Swindon in Wiltshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and "district council combined." As such, it is administratively separate from the "rest of Wiltshire." It was formed in 1997, "replacing Thamesdown Borough Council."
Powers, functions and operationsβ»
The local authority derives its powers. And functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Swindon Borough is a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Swindon Borough Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications. And 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.
Since 2010, many schools in the area have become academies, with the council losing control. It was also the owner of Swindon's main bus operator, Thamesdown Transport, until 2017 when it sold the businessββto the Go-Ahead Group dueββto issues with funding. Maintenance services are usually contracted to Swindon Commercial Services (SCS), who work in partnership with the council.
The council's principal decision-making body is its cabinet, which comprises the leader and (as of 2022) nine portfolio-holding members.
Political controlβ»
The first election to Thamesdown Borough 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. Thamesdown was renamed Swindon and became a unitary authority on 1 April 1997. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
Thamesdown Borough Council (non-metropolitan district)
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1974β1976 | |
No overall control | 1976β1978 | |
Labour | 1978β1997 |
Swindon Borough Council (unitary authority)
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1997β2000 | |
No overall control | 2000β2004 | |
Conservative | 2004β2023 | |
Labour | 2023βpresent |
Leadershipβ»
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Swindon, with political leadership instead being provided by, the leader of the council. The leaders since 1998 have been:
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sue Bates | Labour | 1998 | ||
Maurice Fanning | Labour | 1998 | 1999 | |
Sue Bates | Labour | 1999 | 27 Sep 2001 | |
Mike Bawden | Conservative | 11 Oct 2001 | 17 May 2002 | |
Sue Bates | Labour | 17 May 2002 | 21 Aug 2002 | |
Kevin Small | Labour | 21 Aug 2002 | 16 May 2003 | |
Mike Bawden | Conservative | 16 May 2003 | 19 May 2006 | |
Roderick Bluh | Conservative | 19 May 2006 | 11 Apr 2013 | |
David Renard | Conservative | 11 Apr 2013 | 7 May 2023 | |
Jim Robbins | Labour | 19 May 2023 |
Compositionβ»
Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 41 | |
Conservative | 15 | |
Liberal Democrats | 1 | |
Total | 57 |
The next elections are due in May 2026.
Premisesβ»
The council is based at the Civic Offices on Euclid Street in Swindon. The building was built for the old municipal borough council, and had been formally opened by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on 5 July 1938.
Electionsβ»
Fifty-seven councillors are elected by the borough's 20 wards for four-year terms. The entire council stands for election every four years after a 2023 change in the election structure. The next election, in which every councillor will stand, is in May, 2026.
Wards and councillorsβ»
Parliamentary constituency | Ward | Councillor | Party | Term of office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Swindon | Blunsdon and Highworth | Steve Weisinger | Conservative | 2022β26 | |
Nick Gardiner | Conservative | 2023β26 | |||
Vijay Manro | Conservative | 2024β26 | |||
Gorse Hill and Pinehurst | Carol Shelley | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
John Ballman | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Princia Fernandes | Labour | 2024β26 | |||
Haydon Wick | Matt Lodge | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Stanka Adamcova | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Ray Ballman | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Penhill and Upper Stratton | Claire Crilly | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Ravi Ventakesh | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Thomas Smith | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Priory Vale | Rob Heath | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Rajhia Ali | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Ian Edwards | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Rodbourne Cheney | William Stone | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Jim Grant | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Ana Fernandes | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
St Andrews | Jake Chandler | Conservative | 2022β26 | ||
Jason Mills | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Daniel Adams | Conservative | 2024β26 | |||
St Margaret and South Marston | Matthew Vallender | Conservative | 2022β26 | ||
Tom Butcher | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Simon Shelley | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Both constituencies | Covingham and Dorcan | Kevin Parry | Conservative | 2022-26 | |
Dale Heenan | Conservative | 2023-26 | |||
Barbara Parry | Conservative | 2024-26 | |||
Mannington and Western | Jim Robbins | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Fay Howard | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Kevin Small | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
South Swindon | Central | Anabelle Pegado | Conservative | 2022β26 | |
Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Domingos Dias | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Chiseldon and Lawn | Lawrence Elliott | Conservative | 2022β26 | ||
Neil Hopkins | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Eastcott | Imtiyaz Shaikh | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Paul Dixon | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Marina Strinkovsky | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Liden, Eldene and Park South | Janine Howarth | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Mike Davies | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Marianne Le Coyte-Grinney | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Lydiard and Freshbrook | Sean Wilson | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Repi Begum | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Leon Grother | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Old Town | Nadine Watts | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Chris Watts | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Jane Milner-Barry | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Ridgeway | Gary Sumner | Conservative | 2024-26 | ||
Shaw | Suresha Gattapur | Conservative | 2022β26 | ||
Junab Ali | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Rose Llewellyn | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Walcot and Park North | Abdul Amin | Labour | 2022β26 | ||
Emma Bushell | Labour | 2023-26 | |||
Mohammed Miah | Labour | 2024-26 | |||
Wroughton and Wichelstowe | Adam Poole | Liberal Democrats | 2023-26 | ||
Elaine Cook | Conservative | 2024-26 | |||
Matty Courtliff | Conservative | 2024-26 |
Notesβ»
- ^ Borough council gained unitary authority functions.
Referencesβ»
- ^ Thomas, Aled (17 May 2024). "Goan councillor Imtiyaz Shaikh sworn in as new Swindon mayor". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 27 April 2023
- ^ "Swindon council sells loss-making Thamesdown Transport bus firm". BBC News. 3 February 2017.
- ^ Swindon Borough Council. "Tenders and contract opportunities". Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ^ "Cabinet and administration". Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "Council minutes". Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Borough election results". Swindon Borough Council.
- ^ "Contacting us". Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Swindon's loyal welcome to the Duke of Gloucester: New Civic Offices opened". North Wilts Herald. Swindon. 8 July 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Swindon Borough Council votes for election every four years". BBC News. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
External linksβ»
- Official website
- Your Councillors at Swindon Borough Council