Tamworth Borough Council
Tamworth Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Andrew Barratt since 2018[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 30 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 2 May 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Market Street, Tamworth, B79 7LZ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Tamworth Borough Council is the local authority for the borough of Tamworth in the county of Staffordshire, England. The council consists of 30 councillors, three for each of the 10 wards in the town.[3] It is currently under no overall control, led by Conservative councillor Thomas Jay. The borough council is based at Marmion House.[4]
History[edit]
Tamworth was an ancient borough. It was reformed in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 to become a municipal borough.[5] Until 1889 the borough straddled Warwickshire and Staffordshire. When elected county councils were established under the Local Government Act 1888 one provision of the act was that boroughs could no longer straddle county boundaries, as Tamworth did. The town was therefore placed entirely in Staffordshire, as that county had the larger share of the borough's population, with the new Staffordshire County Council providing higher-tier services.[6] On 1 April 1974 the borough became a non-metropolitan district, altering its powers and responsibilities but keeping the same area.[7]
Governance[edit]
Tamworth Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council.[8] There are no civil parishes in the borough, which is an unparished area.[9]
Political control[edit]
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election. A coalition of the Conservatives and some of the independent councillors subsequently formed in December 2023 to take over from the Conservative minority administration which had existed since the election.[10]
Political control of the council since 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[11][12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1976 | |
| No overall control | 1976–1978 | |
| Conservative | 1978–1980 | |
| Labour | 1980–1983 | |
| Conservative | 1983–1986 | |
| Labour | 1986–1987 | |
| Conservative | 1987–1988 | |
| No overall control | 1988–1990 | |
| Labour | 1990–2004 | |
| Conservative | 2004–2023 | |
| No overall control | 2023–present | |
Leadership[edit]
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Tamworth. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2006 have been:[13]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Oates | Conservative | May 2006 | May 2009 | |
| Danny Cook | Conservative | May 2009 | 23 Feb 2021 | |
| Jeremy Oates[14] | Conservative | 23 Feb 2021 | 23 May 2023 | |
| Paul Turner | Conservative | 23 May 2023 | 20 Nov 2023 | |
| Thomas Jay | Conservative | 12 Dec 2023 | ||
Composition[edit]
Following the 2023 election and a subsequent by-election and changes of allegiance up to December 2023, the composition of the council was:[15]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 14 | |
| Labour | 9 | |
| Independent | 7 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Of the seven independent councillors, five (all of whom had been elected as Conservatives) sit together as the "Tamworth Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with the Conservatives. The other two independents are not aligned to any group.[16] The next election is due in 2024.
Elections[edit]
Since the last boundary changes in 2002 the council has comprised 30 councillors representing 10 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for a four-year term of office. Staffordshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[17]
Premises[edit]
The council meets at Tamworth Town Hall on Market Street in the centre of the town, which had been built in 1701.[18] The council's main offices are at Marmion House, a tower block on Lichfield Street which had been built in 1960 and was bought by the council in 1980, opening as its headquarters the following year.[19] Prior to 1981 the council had met at the Town Hall and had its main offices at the White House at 21 Church Street, which had been purchased in 1888 after the council outgrew the limited office space at the Town Hall.[20][21]
A council chamber was created at Marmion House and was the council's usual meeting place until 2022, when the council transferred most council and committee meetings back to Town Hall as part of plans to dispose of Marmion House.[22][23]
References[edit]
- ^ "Council minutes, 23 May 2023". Tamworth Borough Council. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Hayley (21 November 2023). "New Tamworth Borough Council chief executive appointed". Daily Focus. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Your Councillors by Ward". Tamworth Borough Council. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Tamworth Borough Council could sell Marmion House HQ to ease cash crisis". Birmingham Mail. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Relationships and changes Tamworth MB through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Tamworth - Staffordshire - Place (including Fazeley chapelry)". Genuki. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ Sutton, Jonathan (14 December 2023). "Borough council appoints new leader". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Tamworth". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ "Council minutes". Tamworth Borough Council. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ Newbould, Daniel (24 February 2021). "New leader of Tamworth Borough Council announced". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "Your councillors by political grouping". Tamworth Borough Council. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "The Borough of Tamworth (Electoral Changes) Order 2001", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2001/1450, retrieved 1 January 2024
- ^ Historic England. "Town Hall (1293012)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Council are moving into the high life". Coleshill Chronicle. 16 April 1981. p. 2. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Special meeting of Tamworth Town Council: The Municipal Buildings scheme". Tamworth Herald. 14 July 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Historic England. "The White House and attached wall and railings, Church Street (Grade II) (1207941)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Calendar". Tamworth Borough Council. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Newbould, Daniel (2 September 2021). "Decommissioning of Tamworth Borough Council's HQ Marmion House approved at meeting". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 1 January 2024.