Wakefield Council

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Third of council elected three years out of four
Coat of arms
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Council logo
Type
Type	Metropolitan district council of the City of Wakefield
Houses	Unicameral
History
New session started	16 May 2013 (Municipal year 2013/2014)
Leadership
Leader	Peter Box, Labour
Mayor	Janet Holmes since 13 November 2013
Seats	63
Elections
Voting system	Multiple member first-past-the-post voting
Last election	2010 (one third of councillors) 2011 (one third of councillors) 2012 (one third of councillors)
Next election	2014 (one third of councillors) 2015 (one third of councillors) 2016 (one third of councillors)
Motto
Persevere and prosper
Meeting place
County Hall, Wakefield
Website
www.wakefield.gov.uk
Constitution
Constitution, 16 May 2013

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council is the local authority of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council and 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. Wakefield is divided into 21 wards, electing 63 councillors. A third of the council is elected for three of every four years. The council was created by the Local Government Act 1972 and replaced the Wakefield City Council of the County Borough of Wakefield and several other authorities. Since 1974 Wakefield has held borough and city status and from this time would use the full title of the authority on all publications, signage, council vehicle fleet and documents, however from around 2005, like many other local authorities doing so at the time, the authority dropped the full title for the shorter Wakefield Council (although for an interim period when the new logo was unveiled, it would have the full authority title below however this has now been replaced with the strapline - 'working for you').

As of February 2013 the council is controlled by the Labour Party. The council leader is Peter Box and Joanne Roney is the chief executive. From April 2014 it is planned to be a constituent council of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

History

The council was formed by the Local Government Act 1972 as the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. It replaced the existing Wakefield City Council that was the local authority of the County Borough of Wakefield. It also replaced Castleford Borough Council, Ossett Borough Council, Pontefract Borough Council, Featherstone Urban District Council, Hemsworth Urban District Council, Horbury Urban District Council, Knottingley Urban District Council, Normanton Urban District Council, Stanley Urban District Council, Wakefield Rural District Council, Hemsworth Rural District Council and Osgoldcross Rural District Council.

The current local authority was first elected in 1973, a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the Metropolitan District of Wakefield on 1 April 1974. The council gained borough and city status and to annually appoint a Mayor of Wakefield.

It was envisaged through the Local Government Act 1972 that Wakefield as a metropolitan local authority would share power with the West Yorkshire County Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the West Yorkshire County Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance and waste disposal with the district authorities responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, education and refuse collection. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when Wakefield Metropolitan District Council gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the West Yorkshire County Council. The Local Government Act 1985 directed the councils of West Yorkshire to form joint arrangements in order to deliver these functions.

Powers and functions

Inside the council chamber

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Wakefield is within a metropolitan area of England. As a metropolitan district council, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council provides most local government functions directly. 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, it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

Certain services are provided with the other local authorities in West Yorkshire. The council is represented on West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee (for trading standards, archives, archaeology and grants), West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority, West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel. It is planned that from April 2014 it will be a constituent council of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Policies

In 2004 the district's extensive council housing was transferred to Wakefield and District Housing (WDH), a new independent housing association. Council houses account for around 30% of the districts housing.

Finances

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council is the billing authority for Council Tax, and collects a precepts on behalf of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority.

Elections

Electoral arrangements

One third of the council is elected in three of every four years, followed by one year without elections. For the purpose of electing councillors, Wakefield is divided into 21 wards.

1 Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton 2 Airedale and Ferry Fryston 3 Altofts and Whitwood 4 Castleford Central and Glasshoughton 5 Crofton, Ryhill and Walton 6 Featherstone 7 Hemsworth 8 Horbury and South Ossett

9 Knottingley 10 Normanton 11 Ossett 12 Pontefract North 13 Pontefract South 14 South Elmsall and South Kirkby 15 Stanley and Outwood East 16 Wakefield East

17 Wakefield North 18 Wakefield Rural 19 Wakefield South 20 Wakefield West 21 Wrenthorpe and Outwood West

Political makeup

See also: Wakefield local elections

The current council composition is Labour 53, Conservatives 6, UKIP 2, Independent 2 following the 2015 elections. The current composition of the council following the 2015 elections is:

Party political make-up of Wakefield Council

	Party	Seats			Current Council (2014)
		2012	2014	2015
	Labour	52	54	53
style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	11	6	6	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color"|
	UKIP	0	2	2
	Independent	0	1	2

↓

53	6	2	2
Labour	Con	UKIP	Ind

Former logos of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

• 
  A rubbish bin in Wakefield city centre showing the former logo of the council.
• 
  A sign in South Wakefield depicting the former council logo with the full official title.
• 
  This sign found attached on Wakefield Town Hall shows the former logo and full title

External links

• Wakefield Council
• Labour Party in Wakefield
• Conservative Party in Wakefield
• UK Independence Party in Wakefield