Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Founded | 1 April 2009[a] |
Preceded by | District councils
|
Leadership | |
Civic Head | Cllr Jeffrey George Watson, Conservative since 24 May 2017 |
Chairman of the Council | Cllr Richard Robert Dodd, Conservative since 24 May 2017 |
Leader of the Council | Cllr. Peter Alan Jackson, Conservative since 24 May 2017 |
Structure | |
Seats | 67 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Elections | |
First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2017 |
Next election | 6 May 2021 |
Meeting place | |
County Hall Morpeth Northumberland | |
Website | |
northumberland.gov.uk |
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. The population of the non-metropolitan unitary authority at the 2011 census was 316,028.[1]
History
It was formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed, downsized in 1974 to cover the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland, which for the first time excluded the City of Newcastle upon Tyne conurbation. As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England it became a unitary authority with the same boundaries, this disregarded the referendum held in 2005 in which the population voted against the forming of a unitary authority.[2]
Its elections have been in May 2008, 2013, and 2017 to be at four-yearly intervals, the expected length of office of each councillor. The next local election is expected in May 2021.
Naming of the new unitary authority
Throughout 2008, the people of Northumberland were consulted about the new name of the unitary authority. The choice was between having the name of the incumbent county council as the name for the new unitary authority – Northumberland County Council or whether a brand new name should be given – Northumberland Council. Online polls were held and the votes of staff within the former district councils were collated and overall, the name of the incumbent county council was preferred on a ratio of nearly 2:1.[3]
On 17 December 2008 it was decided that the new name would be Northumberland County Council. The chairman of the council stated that:
Having considered the findings of this consultation, it has been decided to call the new authority Northumberland County Council. It is important to reiterate that whilst the single unitary will adopt the name of an existing council, this is emphatically not a County Council takeover. As of 1 April 2009, all existing Northumberland councils will be abolished to make way for a brand new organisation, with new vision, values, and behaviours.
Legally, however, the council remains the same body as at present, simply assuming the functions of the districts.[4]
Council leadership
Civic leadership and offices of honour
Offices(s) | Name | |
---|---|---|
Civic Head of Northumberland County Council
First Citizen of Northumberland |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Jeffrey George Watson |
Deputy Civic Head of Northumberland County Council
Second Citizen of Northumberland |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. James Ian Hutchinson |
Father of the Council | style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Ian Carr Fry Swithenbank CBE |
Baby of the Council | style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Gregah Alan Roughead FRSA |
Presiding Officers
Offices(s) | Name | |
---|---|---|
Chairman of the Council | style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun.Richard Robert Dodd |
Deputy Chairman of the Council | style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Barry Malcolm Flux |
Leader of the council and cabinet
Following the election of May 2017, Northumberland County Council has no overall control, however the Conservative Party are the largest group on the Council being one seat short of an overall majority so form the council's current administration.
Offices(s) | Name | |
---|---|---|
Leader of the Council
Leader of the Conservative Group |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Peter Alan Jackson |
Deputy Leader of the Council
Cabinet Member for Children's Services Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Wayne Daley |
Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Nicholas Oliver |
Cabinet Member for Adult Well-being and Health
Secretary of the Conservative Group |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Veronica Jones |
Cabinet Member for Economic Development
Chairman of Arch Group |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Richard Watson Wearmouth |
Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Non-Executive Board Member of Active Northumberland |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Catherine Homer |
Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Resilience
Chairman of Northumberland Fire Authority |
style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. John Robert Riddle |
Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services | style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Hugh Glen Howard Sanderson JP |
Leader of the official opposition and shadow cabinet
Offices(s) | Name | |
---|---|---|
Leader of the Official Opposition
Leader of the Labour Group |
style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Susan Elizabeth Dungworth |
Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition
Deputy Leader of the Labour Group |
style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. Scott James Dickinson |
Chairman of Northumberland Labour Group | style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Coun. |
Composition
Following the election of 2017, Northumberland County Council has no overall control, with the Conservative Party being the largest group on the Council.[5]
#0087DC #E4003B #DCDCDC #FAA61AAffiliation | Members | |
Conservative Group | 33 | |
Labour Group | 24 | |
Independent Group |
7 | |
Liberal Democrat Group | 3 | |
Total |
67 |
Other uses
Eurostat statistical area
For Eurostat purposes the area under the jurisdiction of Northumberland County Council is a NUTS 3 region (code UKC21) and is one of five (?) boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region.
Notes
- ^ Creation of unitary authority.
References
- ^ "Non-metropolitan unitary population 2011". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ^ "The Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008". www.opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Local Election Results 2017". Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 5 May 2017.