Portsmouth City Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1997 |
| Preceded by | Hampshire County Council |
| Leadership | |
Natalie Brahma-Pearl since 2023 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 42 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | May 2024 |
| Motto | |
| Heaven's Light Our Guide | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| The Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Portsmouth City Council is the local authority of the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services, including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection, and disposal, and it is a local education authority.
History
Portsmouth had been an ancient borough. In 1836, it underwent reform to become a municipal borough, ruled by a body also known as the town council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Portsmouth was considered large enough to run its own services, so it was made a county borough, independent from Hampshire County Council.[1]
Portsmouth was granted city status on 21 April 1926, after which the corporation was also known as Portsmouth City Council.[2] The powers of the council were substantially reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming a non-metropolitan district with Hampshire County Council providing county-level services to the city. Portsmouth regained its independence from Hampshire County Council on 1 April 1997, when it was made a unitary authority.[3]
Powers and functions
The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Portsmouth is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Portsmouth City Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and a district council combined. In its capacity as a district council, it is a billing authority, collecting council tax and business rates; processing local planning applications; and it is responsible for housing, waste collection, Trading Standards, and environmental health. It functions as a Port Health Authority for its surrounding waters.[4] In its capacity as a unitary council, it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries, and waste disposal.
Political composition
Portsmouth City Council consists of 42 councillors, with one third of the council being elected every four years, electing one out of three councillors for each of the city's 14 wards.
The following parties have held political sway over the council since its first election in 1973:
| Party in control | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-metropolitan district | ||
| Conservative | 1973–1990[5] | |
| No overall control | 1990–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1997 | |
| Unitary authority | ||
| Labour | 1996–2000 | |
| No overall control | 2000–2009[6][7] | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2009–2014[8] | |
| No overall control (Conservative Administration) | 2014–2018[9] | |
| No overall control (Liberal Democrat Administration) | 2018–present[10] | |
Councillors and wards
List of Portsmouth city councillors by ward:[11]
| Ward | Councillor | Term in office |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baffins | Darren Sanders | 2021–24 | Sanders was his party's candidate in the 2001, 2010, 2015, and 2017 general elections in the Portsmouth North constituency, and his party's candidate in the 2005 general election in the Streatham constituency.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness. | |
| Baffins | Abdul Kadir | 2022–26 | ||
| Baffins | Leone Oliver | 2023-27 | ||
| Central Southsea | Charlotte Gerada | 2021–24 | Leader of the Labour Group | |
| Central Southsea | George Fielding | 2022–26 | ||
| Central Southsea | Suzy Horton | 2019–23 | Deputy Group Leader; Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education. | |
| Charles Dickens | Kirsty Mellor | 2021–24 | ||
| Charles Dickens | Yinka Adeniran | 2022–26 | ||
| Charles Dickens | Cal Corkery | 2023–27 | ||
| Copnor | Lewis Gosling | 2021–24 | ||
| Copnor | Ben Swann | 2022–26 | ||
| Copnor | Robert New | 2019–23 | ||
| Cosham | Asghar Shah | 2022–26 | ||
| Cosham | Mary Vallely | 2023–27 | ||
| Cosham | Matthew Atkins | 2021–24 | ||
| Drayton & Farlington | Ryan Brent | 2021–24 | Conservative Deputy Group Leader | |
| Drayton & Farlington | Simon Bosher | 2022–26 | Conservative Group Leader | |
| Drayton & Farlington | Hannah Brent | 2019–23 | ||
| Eastney & Craneswater | John Smith | 2021–24 | ||
| Eastney & Craneswater | Matthew Winnington | 2022–26 | Winnington was his party's candidate for Fareham in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 general election. | |
| Eastney & Craneswater | Peter Candish | 2019–23 | ||
| Fratton | Stuart Brown | 2021–24 | ||
| Fratton | Tom Coles | 2022–26 | Lord Mayor | |
| Fratton | Dave Ashmore | 2019–23 | Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Environment. | |
| Hilsea | Daniel Wemyss | 2021–24 | ||
| Hilsea | Russell Simpson | 2022–26 | ||
| Hilsea | Scott Payter-Harris | 2019–23 | ||
| Milton | Kimberly Barrett | 2021–24 | Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Green Recovery. | |
| Milton | Steve Pitt | 2022–24 | Leader of the council and of the Liberal Democrats group since 2023. Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Economic Development | |
| Milton | Gerald Vernon-Jackson | 2019–23 | Formerly Liberal Democrats group leader and leader of the council since 2018. Vernon-Jackson was his party's candidate for Portsmouth South in the 2015 and 2017 general elections. Former Portsmouth Council Leader from 2004 to 2014. | |
| Nelson | Leo Madden | 2021–24 | Former Leader of the Council from 1994-2000, and again from 2001-2002. | |
| Nelson | Jason Fazackarley | 2022–26 | Deputy Lord Mayor. Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing & Social Care. | |
| Nelson | Lee Hunt | 2019–23 | Cabinet Member for Community Safety | |
| Paulsgrove | George Madgwick | 2021–24 | ||
| Paulsgrove | Brian Madgwick | 2022–26 | ||
| Paulsgrove | Gemma New | 2019–23 | ||
| St Jude | Hugh Mason | 2021–24 | Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development. | |
| St Jude | Judith Smyth | 2022–26 | ||
| St Jude | Graham Heaney | 2019–23 | ||
| St Thomas | Ian Holder | 2021–24 | ||
| St Thomas | Mark Jeffrey | 2022–26 | ||
| St Thomas | Chris Attwell | 2019–23 | Cabinet Member for Communities and Central Services. | |
See also
References
- ↑ Being 6 "Porstmouth Independent Party" and 3 others
- ↑ "Portsmouth Municipal Borough / County Borough". 24 May 2023. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ↑ "No. 33154". The London Gazette. 23 April 1926. p. 2776.
- ↑ "The Hampshire (Cities of Portsmouth and Southampton)(Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1775, retrieved 24 May 2023
- ↑ "Port Health Authority".
- ↑ "Portsmouth City Council Election Results 1973–1995" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. June 2015.
- ↑ "Portsmouth Local Elections 2007". BBC News. 4 May 2007.
- ↑ "Portsmouth Local Elections 2008". BBC News. 2 May 2008.
- ↑ "Lib Dems claim fourth defection". BBC News Online. 27 January 2009.
- ↑ "Conservatives continue running Portsmouth City Council". BBC News. 20 May 2015.
- ↑ "Gerald Vernon-Jackson replaces Donna Jones as Portsmouth City Council leader". The News. Portsmouth. 15 May 2018.
- ↑ "Your Councillors by Ward". Portsmouth City Council. 3 May 2018.
