Oxfordshire County Council
Encyclopedia
Oxfordshire County Council, established in 1889, is the county council
, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire
, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government
services in the county.
with full powers from 22 September 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888
, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected Quarter Sessions
. The areas they covered were termed administrative counties
and were not in all cases identical to the traditional shire counties
, but in Oxfordshire the whole 'ceremonial county' came under the authority of the new council. The new system of local democracy was a significant development and reflected the increasing range of functions carried out by local government in late Victorian Britain.
The first elections to the new county council were held in January 1889. At the first meeting, several aldermen
were elected.
Schools (both primary and secondary) were added to the County Council's responsibilities in 1902, and until the 1990s it was also responsible for operating Colleges of Further Education.
Oxfordshire County Council has seen a changing pattern of lower-tier authorities existing alongside it within its area, responsible for more local services, such as housing and waste collection. Until 1974, the county had a large number of urban district
and rural district
councils. In 1974, local government was reorganized in England and Wales generally, and Oxfordshire was enlarged to take in areas previously in Berkshire
. Within its new area dozens of former urban and rural districts were amalgamated into one city council, Oxford
, and four district councils: Cherwell
, South Oxfordshire
, the Vale of White Horse
, and West Oxfordshire
.
s, libraries
and youth services), social services, highway maintenance, waste disposal, emergency planning, consumer protection and town and country planning for matters to do with minerals, waste, highways and education. This makes it one of the largest employers in Oxfordshire, with an annual budget of over £400 million.
, whose term of office was for six years, and who once appointed were also voting members of the council. This form of membership was ended by the Local Government Act 1972
, so that after 1974 only honorary (that is, non-voting) aldermen could be appointed.
, which has fifty-two members, with ten Liberal Democrats
, and nine Labour
, two Greens
, and one Independent
.
|}
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
, or upper-tier local authority, for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, in the South East of England, an elected body responsible for the most strategic local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
services in the county.
History
County Councils were first introduced in England and WalesEngland and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
with full powers from 22 September 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
. The areas they covered were termed administrative counties
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
and were not in all cases identical to the traditional shire counties
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
, but in Oxfordshire the whole 'ceremonial county' came under the authority of the new council. The new system of local democracy was a significant development and reflected the increasing range of functions carried out by local government in late Victorian Britain.
The first elections to the new county council were held in January 1889. At the first meeting, several aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
were elected.
Schools (both primary and secondary) were added to the County Council's responsibilities in 1902, and until the 1990s it was also responsible for operating Colleges of Further Education.
Oxfordshire County Council has seen a changing pattern of lower-tier authorities existing alongside it within its area, responsible for more local services, such as housing and waste collection. Until 1974, the county had a large number of urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
and rural district
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
councils. In 1974, local government was reorganized in England and Wales generally, and Oxfordshire was enlarged to take in areas previously in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Within its new area dozens of former urban and rural districts were amalgamated into one city council, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and four district councils: Cherwell
Cherwell (district)
Cherwell is a local government district in northern Oxfordshire, England. The district takes its name from the River Cherwell, which drains south through the region to flow into the River Thames at Oxford....
, South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
, the Vale of White Horse
Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. The main town is Abingdon, other places include Faringdon and Wantage. There are 68 parishes within the district...
, and West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire
West Oxfordshire is a local government district in north west Oxfordshire, England including towns such as Woodstock, Burford, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, and Witney ....
.
Functions
Oxfordshire County Council provides a wide range of services, including education (schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and youth services), social services, highway maintenance, waste disposal, emergency planning, consumer protection and town and country planning for matters to do with minerals, waste, highways and education. This makes it one of the largest employers in Oxfordshire, with an annual budget of over £400 million.
Elections
Since 1889, members have been elected for a term of office, with elections held all together (initially every three years, later every four years) on the "first past the post" system. Until the 1970s, the elected members chose aldermenAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, whose term of office was for six years, and who once appointed were also voting members of the council. This form of membership was ended by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, so that after 1974 only honorary (that is, non-voting) aldermen could be appointed.
Composition
The council currently consists of seventy-four county councillors and is controlled by the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, which has fifty-two members, with ten Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, and nine Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, two Greens
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
, and one Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
|}
History of political control
| Year | Control |
|---|
| 1973 United Kingdom local elections, 1973 The first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales and the new Northern Ireland district councils created by the Local Government Act 1972 took place in 1973... |
| 1977 United Kingdom local elections, 1977 Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1977. The results were a major mid-term setback for the Labour government, and the Conservatives comprehensively regained control of the Greater London Council with 64 seats against Labour's 28.... |
| 1981 United Kingdom local elections, 1981 Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in May 1981. The results were a mid-term setback for the Conservative government, which lost 1,193 seats, leaving them with 10,545 councillors. The projected share of the vote was more respectable for the government, however: Labour 41%,... |
| 1985 United Kingdom local elections, 1985 Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1985. The projected share of the vote was Labour 39%, Conservative 32%, Liberal-SDP Alliance 26%. In terms of seats, both Conservatives and Labour lost some ground to the benefit of the Liberal-SDP Alliance.... |
| 1989 United Kingdom local elections, 1989 Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1989. The Labour Party performed better in terms of vote share, but the Conservative incumbents gained most in terms of seats.The national projected share of the vote was Labour 42%, Conservative 36%, Democrats 19%... |
| 1993 United Kingdom local elections, 1993 Local elections were held in the United Kingdom in 1993. The results showed a decline for the governing Conservative Party with the third placed party, the Liberal Democrats, as the main beneficiaries in terms of seats.... |
| 1997 United Kingdom local elections, 1997 The United Kingdom local elections took place on the 1 May, 1997. Elections took place for all of the English shire counties, some English unitary authorities and all of the Northern Ireland districts... |
| 2001 United Kingdom local elections, 2001 Local elections took place in some parts of the UK on the 7 June 2001. Elections took place for all of the English shire counties, some English unitary authorities and all of the Northern Ireland districts... |
| 2005 United Kingdom local elections, 2005 Elections for local government were held in the England and Northern Ireland on 5 May 2005 along with the 2005 general election across the entire United Kingdom... |
| 2009 |
List of notable members
- George Parker, 7th Earl of MacclesfieldGeorge Parker, 7th Earl of MacclesfieldGeorge Loveden William Henry Parker, 7th Earl of Macclesfield , of Shirburn Castle, Oxfordshire, was a British peer and landowner...
, chairman 1937 to 1970 - William Bradshaw, Baron BradshawWilliam Bradshaw, Baron BradshawWilliam Peter Bradshaw, Baron Bradshaw , commonly known as Bill Bradshaw, is a British academic and politician...
, member 1993–2008 - Peter ButlerPeter Butler (politician)Peter Butler is a British Conservative Party politician. At the 1992 general election, he became the first Member of Parliament for the new constituency of North East Milton Keynes, winning the seat with a majority of over 14,000. A former solicitor he served as a PPS to Kenneth Clarke.Butler...
, member 1985–1989, later Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Milton Keynes North East - Angela BillinghamAngela Billingham, Baroness BillinghamAngela Theodora Billingham, Baroness Billingham JP is a British Labour politician.-Early life:Born Angela Theodora Case in Liverpool, she was educated at Aylesbury Grammar School, the Institute of Education and the Department of Education, Oxford University...
, member 1993–1994, later Baroness Billingham - Sherman Stonor, 6th Baron CamoysSherman Stonor, 6th Baron CamoysSherman Stonor, 6th Baron Camoys was an English aristocrat and Justice of the Peace.-Biography:He was born in 1913, the only son of Ralph Stonor, 5th Baron Camoys and Mildred Sherman, daughter of William Watts Sherman....
, member - Julia DrownJulia DrownJulia Kate Drown was the Labour member of Parliament for Swindon South, in south-west England, from 1997 until 2005.Drown was a National Health Service accountant before her election. A mother of young children, she was at the forefront of campaigns to make Parliament more child-friendly,...
, member 1989–1996, later Member of Parliament for Swindon South - John HowellJohn Howell (politician)John Michael Howell OBE is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Henley, having won the seat with an increased share of the vote in the Henley by-election, 2008....
, member 2004–2009, later Member of Parliament