North Somerset Council
North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, 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, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The council meets at Weston-super-Mare Town Hall.
North Somerset Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1996 |
| Preceded by | Avon County Council Woodspring District Council |
| Leadership | |
Chair of the Council | |
Leader of the Council | |
Deputy Leader of the Council | |
Chief executive | Jo Walker |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 50 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Whole council elected every four years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 2 May 2019 |
Next election | 4 May 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Weston-super-Mare Town Hall | |
| Website | |
| www | |
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, North Somerset is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, North Somerset Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council, it is a billing authority that collects Council Tax and business rates, processes local planning applications and is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council, it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.
Political composition
North Somerset unitary council is elected every four years, electing a total of 50 councillors in 20 single-member wards and 15 two-member wards. Since the first election to the unitary authority in 1995, the council has either been under Conservative party control, or no party has held a majority. The Conservatives gained a majority at the 2007 election and retained control until the 2019 election.
The current political composition of the council is:
| Political group | Councillors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | Current | ||
| Conservative | 24 | 43 | 42 | 36 | 13 | 13 | |
| Independent | 3 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 12 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 23 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 11 | |
| Labour | 10 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |
| Green | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Portishead Independents | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 | |
| Total | 61 | 61 | 61 | 50 | 50 | 50 | |
Current Councillors
| Ward | Party | Councillor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backwell | Green | Bridget Petty | |
| Banwell and Winscombe | Conservative | Ann Harley | |
| Green | Karin Haverson | ||
| Blagdon and Churchill | Liberal Democrat | Patrick Keating | |
| Clevedon East | Independent | David Shopland | |
| Clevedon South | No Description | Mark Crosby | |
| Clevedon Walton | Liberal Democrat | Caroline Cherry | |
| Clevedon West | Liberal Democrat | Geoffrey Richardson | |
| Clevedon Yeo | Labour | Richard Westwood | |
| Congresbury and Puxton | Liberal Democrat | Stuart Treadaway | |
| Gordano Valley | Conservative | Nigel Ashton | |
| Hutton and Locking | Independent | Mike Solomon | |
| Conservative | Terry Porter | ||
| Long Ashton | Liberal Democrats | Ashley Cartman | |
| Green | Stuart McQuillian | ||
| Nailsea Golden Valley | Independent | Andy Cole | |
| Nailsea West End | Independent | James Tonkin | |
| Nailsea Yeo | Independent | Mike Bird | |
| Nailsea Youngwood | Independent | Sandra Hearne | |
| Pill | Independent | Donald Davies | |
| Portishead East | Portishead Independents | Caritas Charles | |
| Portishead Independents | Paul Gardner | ||
| Portishead North | Portishead Independents | Timothy Snaden | |
| Portishead South | Liberal Democrat | Huw James | |
| Portishead West | Portishead Independents | Nicola Holland | |
| Independent | John Cato | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Central | Liberal Democrats | Mike Bell | |
| Liberal Democrat | Robert Payne | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Hillside | Liberal Democrats | Mark Canniford | |
| Liberal Democrats | John Crockford-Hawley | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke | Conservative | Lisa Pilgrim | |
| Conservative | Roz Willis | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Mid Worle | Conservative | Gill Bute | |
| Weston-super-Mare Milton | Labour | Richard Tucker | |
| Labour | Catherine Gibbons | ||
| Weston-super-Mare North Worle | Conservative | Marc Aplin | |
| Conservative | Marcia Pepperall | ||
| Weston-super-Mare South | Labour | James Clayton | |
| Labour | Ian Parker | ||
| Weston-super-Mare South Worle | Conservative | Peter Crew | |
| Conservative | David Hitchins | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Uphill | Conservative | Peter Bryant | |
| Independent | John Ley-Morgan | ||
| Weston-super-Mare Winterstoke | Conservative | Sarah Codling | |
| Labour | Ciaran Cronnelly | ||
| Wick St Lawrence and St Georges | Conservative | Ruth Jacobs | |
| Winford | Independent | Hugh Gregor | |
| Wrington | Independent | Steve Hogg | |
| Yatton | Independent | Steve Bridger | |
| Liberal Democrat | Wendy Griggs | ||
