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Council of the Isles of Scilly

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Council of the Isles of Scilly
Type
Type
Sui generis
Leadership
Robert Francis,
Independent
since 8 May 2018[1]
Russell Ashman
since 12 January 2024[2]
Structure
Seats16 councillors
Political groups
  Independent (16)
Elections
Multiple non-transferable vote
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
1 May 2025
Meeting place
Old Wesleyan Chapel, Garrison Lane, Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0JD
Website
www.scilly.gov.uk

The Council of the Isles of Scilly is a sui generis local government authority covering the Isles of Scilly off the west coast of Cornwall, England. It is currently made up of 16 seats, with all councillors being independents. The council was created in 1891 as the Isles of Scilly Rural District Council and was renamed in 1974.

History

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Historically, the Isles of Scilly were administered as one of the hundreds of Cornwall, although the Cornwall quarter sessions had limited jurisdiction there. For judicial, shrievalty and lieutenancy purposes, the Local Government Act 1972 provided that the Isles of Scilly are "deemed to form part of the county of Cornwall".[3] The archipelago is part of the Duchy of Cornwall[4] – the duchy owns the freehold of most of the land on the islands and the Duke exercises certain formal rights and privileges across the territory, as he does in Cornwall proper.

The Local Government Act 1888 allowed the Local Government Board to establish in the Isles of Scilly "councils and other local authorities separate from those of the county of Cornwall"... "for the application to the islands of any act touching local government." Accordingly, in 1891, the Isles of Scilly Rural District Council (the RDC) was formed as a sui generis local government authority, outside the administrative county of Cornwall.[5] Cornwall County Council provided some services to the Isles, for which the RDC made financial contributions. The Isles of Scilly Order 1930 granted the council the "powers, duties and liabilities" of a county council.[6] Section 265 of the Local Government Act 1972 allowed for the continued existence of the RDC, but renamed as the Council of the Isles of Scilly.[7][8]

This unusual status also means that much administrative law (for example relating to the functions of local authorities, the health service and other public bodies) that applies in the rest of England applies in modified form in the islands.[9]

The Isles of Scilly do not form part of the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall; the Council of the Isles of Scilly is therefore administratively separate from Cornwall Council. However, for the purposes of lieutenancy the islands are classed as part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall. With a total population of just over 2,000, the council represents fewer inhabitants than many English parish councils, and is by far the smallest English unitary council.

The council has been a member of the Islands Forum since 2022.

Governance

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The council is responsible for all local government functions on the islands. It also performs the administrative functions of the AONB Partnership[10] and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.[11]

Some aspects of local government are shared with Cornwall, including health, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly together with Cornwall Council form a local enterprise partnership. In July 2015 a devolution deal was announced by the government under which Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly are to create a plan to bring health and social care services together under local control. The Local Enterprise Partnership is also to be bolstered.[12]

As of 2015, 130 people are employed full-time by the council[13] to provide local services (including water supply and air traffic control). These numbers are significant, in that almost ten per cent of the adult population of the islands is directly linked to the council, as an employee or a councillor.[14]

Political control

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The main national political parties do not routinely field candidates for elections to the Council of the Isles of Scilly. Since the 2009 elections, all but two of the candidates have been independents. Two Green Party candidates stood in 2013, but neither was elected. The elected council has therefore entirely comprised independent councillors since at least 2009.[15]

Party in control Years
Independent pre-2009–present

Leadership

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Political leadership is provided by the chairman of the council, unlike in other English local authorities where the chairman is now a largely ceremonial role. The chairmen since the formation of the council in 1891 have been:[16][17][18]

Councillor Party From To
Thomas A Dorrien Smith 1891 1918
Arthur A Dorrien Smith 1919 1955
W George Woodcock 1955 1960
Roland F Gibson 1960 1964
W C Tregarthen Mumford 1964 1972
Thomas M Dorrien Smith 1972 1973
Samuel G Ellis 1974 1981
William C McF Mumford 1981 1985
H Roy Duncan 1985 1992
J Patrick Greenlaw 1992 1996
Michael Hicks 1996 1997
Colin R Daly 1997 1999
Dudley Mumford 1999 2005
Christine J Savill Independent 2005 23 Jun 2009
Julia M Day Independent 23 Jun 2009 23 Sep 2010
Michael Hicks Independent 23 Sep 2010 28 Mar 2013
Amanda J Martin Independent 21 May 2013 7 May 2017
Ted W Moulson Independent 25 May 2017 8 May 2018
Robert D Francis Independent 8 May 2018

Premises

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Isles of Scilly Town Hall, The Parade, Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0LW: Council's offices

The council has its offices at the Isles of Scilly Town Hall on The Parade in Hugh Town on St Mary's, the largest island. The town hall was built in 1887–1889.[19] Council meetings are held a short distance away at the council chamber, which is the Old Wesleyan Chapel on Garrison Lane, which was built in 1828.[20][21]

Elections

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See also: Council of the Isles of Scilly elections
The five wards (which are also the civil parishes) of the Isles of Scilly;
  St Agnes
  Bryher
  St Martin's
  St Mary's
  Tresco

The council consists of 16 elected councillors – 12 of which are returned by the ward of St Mary's, and one from each of four "off-island" wards (St Martin's, St Agnes, Bryher, and Tresco). The latest elections took place on 6 May 2021; independents won all seats, with the off-island wards all seeing uncontested elections.[22] The number of councillors elected in each ward was reduced by one for the 2017 local elections, with the islands previously being represented by 21 councillors representing unchanged ward boundaries.[23]

Whilst each of the inhabited isles is formally a civil parish, none of them possess a council or meeting in their own right.

Notes and references

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  1. ^ "Council minutes, 8 May 2018". Council of the Isles of Scilly. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Russell Ashman appointed Chief Executive from 12 January 2024". Council of the Isles of Scilly. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  3. ^ Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c.70) section 216(2)
  4. ^ "Around the Duchy – Isles of Scilly". Duchy of Cornwall. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. ^ Annual Report of the Local Government Board. 1891. pp. xliv–xlvi. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Isles of Scilly Order 1930" (PDF). The National Archives.
  7. ^ "Isles of Scilly Cornwall through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2007.
  8. ^ "Isles of Scilly RD Cornwall through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 May 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2007.
  9. ^ Examples include the Health and Social Care Act 2003, section 198 and the Environment Act 1995, section 117.
  10. ^ "Welcome to the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)". Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  11. ^ "Welcome to the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority". Isles of Scilly IFCA.
  12. ^ "Cornwall devolution: First county with new powers". BBC News Online. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  13. ^ Leijser, Theo (2015) Scilly Now & Then no. 77 p. 35
  14. ^ "Council of the Isles of Scilly Corporate Assessment December 2002" (PDF). Audit Commission. Retrieved 21 January 2007.
  15. ^ "Local Election Results: Isles of Scilly". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Council minutes". Council of the Isles of Scilly. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Lead member role profiles". Council of the Isles of Scilly. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Chairmen of Council" (PDF). Council of the Isles of Scilly. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  19. ^ Historic England. "Town Hall, The Parade (Grade II) (1219066)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  20. ^ Historic England. "Former Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Garrison Lane (Grade II) (1141217)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Council Chamber, Old Wesleyan Chapel". Council of the Isles of Scilly. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  22. ^ [1] Elections
  23. ^ "Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for the Council of the Isles of Scilly" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
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