Wandsworth London Borough Council, also known as Wandsworth Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Wandsworth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. It is based at Wandsworth Town Hall in the centre of Wandsworth.
Wandsworth London Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms | |
 Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Mike Jackson since 2022[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 58 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London, SW18 2PU | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editThere has been a Wandsworth local authority since 1856 when the Wandsworth District was created, governed by an elected board. It was one of the lower tier authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.[3] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, each with a borough council, two of which were called Wandsworth (corresponding to the former Wandsworth District) and Battersea.[4]
The London Borough of Wandsworth and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964.[5] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities, being the councils of the two metropolitan boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth.[6] The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished.[7] The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Wandsworth", but it styles itself Wandsworth Council.[8]
From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Wandsworth) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[9] Wandsworth became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved.[10]
Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[11]
From 1992 to 2011, under the leadership of Conservative councillor Edward Lister, Wandsworth was an early adopter of Thatcherite policies of privatisation of street cleaning and refuse collection, and sale of council housing.[12][13][14][15] Between 2007 and 2010 11% of the "affordable" homes built in Wandsworth were for social rent – the lowest in the whole of London.[16] Many ex-council homes became owned by private landlords.[17][18][19]
Since 2016 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Richmond upon Thames Council.[2]
Powers and functions
editThe local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.[20] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[21]
Political control
editThe council has been under Labour majority control since 2022.[22]
The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[23]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1965–1968 | |
| Conservative | 1968–1971 | |
| Labour | 1971–1978 | |
| Conservative | 1978–2022 | |
| Labour | 2022–present | |
Leadership
editThe role of Mayor of Wandsworth is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[24][25]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Wellbelove | Labour | 1964 | 1966 | |
| Sidney Sporle | Labour | 1966 | 1968 | |
| Ronald Ash | Conservative | 1968 | 1971 | |
| Ian McGarry | Labour | 1971 | May 1972 | |
| Frank Sims | Labour | May 1972 | Dec 1972 | |
| Ian McGarry | Labour | Dec 1972 | 1976 | |
| John Tilley | Labour | 1976 | 1978 | |
| Dennis Mallam | Conservative | 1978 | 1979 | |
| Christopher Chope | Conservative | 1979 | 1983 | |
| Paul Beresford | Conservative | 1983 | 1992 | |
| Edward Lister | Conservative | 1992 | 18 May 2011 | |
| Ravi Govindia | Conservative | 18 May 2011 | May 2022 | |
| Simon Hogg | Labour | 25 May 2022 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2022 election and by-elections up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 34 | |
| Conservative | 23 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 58 | |
The next election is due in 2026.
Elections
editSince the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 58 councillors representing 22 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[26]
Premises
editThe council is based at Wandsworth Town Hall on Wandsworth High Street.[27] The first town hall on the site was completed in 1882 for the old Wandsworth District Board of Works. A red-brick extension to the east was added in 1927, now known as the civic suite. It was followed by a much larger stone-fronted building further again to the east, on the corner with Fairfield Street, which was completed in 1937. The 1882 building was badly damaged during the Blitz and was eventually demolished to make way for a large modern office extension to the Town Hall complex, which was completed in 1975.[28]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Wandsworth appoints new mayor and first ever Youth Mayor". Wandsworth Council. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Wandsworth and Richmond Councils choose new Chief Executive". Wandsworth Council. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
- ^ London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)
- ^ "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
- ^ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
- ^ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
- ^ "London Borough of Wandsworth: Local Government Act 1972". South West Farmer. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
- ^ Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40)
- ^ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0714648590.
- ^ "Boris Johnson's key advisers". The Times. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Putney's Local Web site". Putneysw15.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ Hill, Dave (8 June 2011). "Edward Lister: Boris's Thatcherite?". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Lister joins Boris as Deputy Mayor". Wandsworth Council. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ Dave Hill (19 May 2011). "Edward Lister: why Wandsworth is wonderful | Politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "GMB - Monument to Mrs Thatcher's legacy". Archive.gmb.org.uk. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "WANDSWORTH: Council tax going up | Wandsworth Times". Wandsworthguardian.co.uk. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Conservative London borough council with one of lowest tax rates in country 'exploiting' low-paid workers, union claims". The Independent. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ "Wandsworth election result". BBC News. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Council minutes". Wandsworth Council. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "London Boroughs Political Almanac". London Councils. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "The London Borough of Wandsworth (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/418, retrieved 29 April 2024
- ^ "Visiting the Customer Centre". Wandsworth Council. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ London's Town Halls. London: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1998. pp. 201–204. Retrieved 29 April 2024.