Rutland County Council
Encyclopedia
Rutland County Council is a unitary authority
responsible for local government
in the historic county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
. The current Council was created in April 1997.
Formally it is a unitary district with the full legal title of Rutland County Council District Council. As a unitary authority, the council is responsible for running local services in Rutland, with the exception of the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
and Leicestershire Constabulary
which are run by joint boards with Leicestershire County Council
and Leicester City Council
.
The unitary is seen as a re-creation of the Rutland County Council that was established in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888
and ended in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
when Rutland was reconstituted as a district of Leicestershire. The Local Government Commission for England in 1994 recommended that Rutland District (and Leicester City) should become unitaries and leave the two-tier Leicestershire. Rutland unitary authority came into existence on 1 April 1997.
The Council consists of 26 councillors, representing 16 wards in the county. The Council has all-out elections on a four year cycle and follows a district pattern with elections in May 2007 and again in 2011.
The ceremonial or civic head of the Council is the Chairman
and the executive follows the leader and cabinet model.
The current council as of 2008 is led by the Conservative party with the Liberal Democrats and several independents in opposition.
The political composition is as follows.
, returning one, two or three councillors. The current wards were first adopted for the 2003 local elections.
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
responsible for local government
Local government in the United Kingdom
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved...
in the historic county of Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The current Council was created in April 1997.
Formally it is a unitary district with the full legal title of Rutland County Council District Council. As a unitary authority, the council is responsible for running local services in Rutland, with the exception of the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Leicestershire and Rutland Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service which covers Leicestershire and Rutland including the unitary authority of Leicester.-History:...
and Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire.The current Chief Constable is Simon Cole.-History:...
which are run by joint boards with Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county is divided into 52 electoral divisions, which return a total of 55 councillors. The council is controlled by...
and Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and has been led by Mayor Sir...
.
The unitary is seen as a re-creation of the Rutland County Council that was established in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
and ended in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
when Rutland was reconstituted as a district of Leicestershire. The Local Government Commission for England in 1994 recommended that Rutland District (and Leicester City) should become unitaries and leave the two-tier Leicestershire. Rutland unitary authority came into existence on 1 April 1997.
The Council consists of 26 councillors, representing 16 wards in the county. The Council has all-out elections on a four year cycle and follows a district pattern with elections in May 2007 and again in 2011.
The ceremonial or civic head of the Council is the Chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
and the executive follows the leader and cabinet model.
The current council as of 2008 is led by the Conservative party with the Liberal Democrats and several independents in opposition.
The political composition is as follows.
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 2 | ||
Wards
The county is divided into electoral wardsWards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, returning one, two or three councillors. The current wards were first adopted for the 2003 local elections.
| Ward | Councillors | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Braunston & Belton | 1 | Parishes of Ayston, Belton, Braunston, Brooke, Leighfield, Preston, Ridlington, & Wardley |
| Cottesmore | 2 | Parishes of Barrow, Cottesmore, Market Overton & Teigh |
| Exton | 1 | Parishes of Ashwell, Burley, Egleton, Exton, Hambleton, Horn & Whitwell |
| Greetham | 1 | Parishes of Clipsham, Greetham, Pickworth, Stretton & Thistleton |
| Ketton | 2 | Parishes of Barrowden, Ketton, Tinwell & Tixover |
| Langham | 1 | Parish of Langham |
| Lyddington | 1 | Parishes of Bisbrooke, Caldecott, Glaston, Lyddington, Seaton, Stoke Dry & Thorpe By Water |
| Martinsthorpe | 1 | Parishes of Gunthorpe, Lyndon, Manton, Martinsthorpe, Morcott, Pilton & Wing |
| Normanton | 2 | Parishes of Edith Weston, Empingham, Normanton, North Luffenham, South Luffenham |
| Oakham North East | 2 | Oakham Northwest of Burley Road/Mill Street/South Street and East of the railway |
| Oakham North West | 2 | Oakham North of Braunston Road and West of the railway Barleythorpe Parish |
| Oakham South East | 2 | Oakham Southeast of Burley Road/Mill Street/South Street and East of the railway |
| Oakham South West | 2 | Oakham South of Braunston Road and West of the railway |
| Ryhall & Casterton | 2 | Parishes of Essendine, Great Casterton, Little Casterton, Ryhall & Tickencote |
| Uppingham | 3 | Parishes of Uppingham & Beaumont Chase |
| Whissendine | 1 | Parish of Whissendine |