Waverley Borough Council
Waverley Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Pedro Wrobel since 8 April 2024 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 50 councillors |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Council Offices, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HR | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Waverley Borough Council is the district council for the Borough of Waverley, Surrey, England. It provides district-level services, while county-level services are provided by Surrey County Council. The whole borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[2]
The council has shared a chief executive with neighbouring Guildford Borough Council since 2017.[3][4]
Political control
[edit]The council has been under no overall control since 2019, being run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Farnham Residents, Labour and Greens. The same coalition continues to run the council following the 2023 election.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[5]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1991 | |
| No overall control | 1991–1995 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–2003 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 2003–2004 | |
| No overall control | 2004–2007 | |
| Conservative | 2007–2019 | |
| No overall control | 2019–present | |
Leadership
[edit]The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Waverley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:[6]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Slyfield | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | 2005 | |
| Gillian Ferguson | Liberal Democrats | 2005 | May 2007 | |
| Richard Gates | Conservative | May 2007 | 11 May 2010 | |
| Robert Knowles | Conservative | 11 May 2010 | 10 May 2016 | |
| Julia Potts | Conservative | 10 May 2016 | 21 May 2019 | |
| John Ward | Farnham Residents | 21 May 2019 | 27 Apr 2021 | |
| Paul Follows | Liberal Democrats | 27 Apr 2021 | ||
Composition
[edit]Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[7]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 22 | |
| Farnham Residents | 13 | |
| Conservative | 10 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | |
The Labour and Green councillors sit together as a group.[8] The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
[edit]Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 50 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "John Ward elected as Mayor". Waverley Borough Council. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ Coady Stemp, Emily (1 November 2021). "New £150,000 joint chief executive set to be appointed to lead Waverley and Guildford councils". Farnham Herald. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ Coady-Stemp, Emily; Caulfield, Chris (22 December 2023). "Guildford Borough Council appoints new chief executive". BBC News. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Waverley Borough Council. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "Your councillors by political grouping". Waverley Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "The Waverley (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1136, retrieved 5 July 2023