West Sussex County Council
Encyclopedia
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West Sussex County Council (WSCC) is the authority that governs the non-metropolitan county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. The county also contains 7 district and borough councils, and 159 town, parish and neighbourhood councils. The county council has 71 elected councillors. The Chief Executive and his team of Executive Directors are responsible for the day-to-day running of the council.
The county elects 8 MPs, and is part of the South East England
South East England (European Parliament constituency)
South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 10 Members of the European Parliament using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
constituency which returns ten members to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
.
West Sussex County Council is currently controlled by the Conservative Party
Conservative 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...
.
Responsibilities
The council is responsible for public services such as education, transport, strategic planning, emergency services, social services, public safety and waste disposal.District councils
- Adur District Council
- Arun District Council
- Chichester District Council
- Crawley Borough Council
- Horsham District Council
- Mid Sussex District Council
- Worthing Borough Council
The Council
The whole County Council is the ultimate decision-making body and the principal forum for major political debate. Its 71 members meet six times a year. The County Council reserves to itself decisions on key policy plans, questions members of the Cabinet, debates major pieces of work by Select Committees and notices of motion.It appoints the Leader who decides the composition and areas of competence of the Cabinet, to which responsibility is delegated for carrying out many of the County Council's existing policies. It also appoints the Select Committees which examine and review decisions and actions of the Cabinet and Cabinet Members, as well as some non-Executive committees and a Standards Committee.
Cabinet
The West Sussex Cabinet has ten members selected from the Conservative majority. The Cabinet proposes the key policy decisions of the Council, which are subject to agreement by the full County Council of 71 members. Each member has a portfolio of work for which they take personal responsibility.Directorates
West Sussex County Council is divided into five directorates:Adults & Children:
Provides social care services to West Sussex children, young people, their families and communities; and services for older people and adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, sensory disabilities or mental health needs.
Finance & Performance:
Provides the following services: Business Change & Information Management, Capital & Asset Management, Finance, Internal Audit, Performance, Procurement & Market Development, Delivery Team.
Communities:
Provides the following services: Community Services (Community Safety, Sustainable Development, Library Service, Record Office, Registration Service, Trading Standards), Fire & Rescue Service, Infrastructure (Environment & Heritage, Highways, Planning), Resources & Performance (Business Management, Communications, Major Projects) and Wastes Management.
Customer Services:
Provides the following services: Customer Services, Operations Support Services, People Management, Resources & Performance.
Policy & Partnerships:
Provides the following services: Communications, Democratic Services, Emergency Management, Legal Services, Policy & Partnerships (Arts Service, County Strategy, Europe Office, Local Area Agreements, Sustainability, Youth Cabinet).
Elections
County council elections took place on 4 June 2009. The next elections are due in 2013. For detailed results for each electoral division see West Sussex Council election, 2009West Sussex Council election, 2009
The West Sussex Council election, 2009 were elections to West Sussex County Council which took place on 4 June, 2009, having been delayed from 7 May, in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament....
.
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History
The Local Government Act 1888Local 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...
created the administrative county
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....
of West Sussex, with its own county council, from the ancient county of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. The eastern half came under the control of East Sussex County Council. Until 1898 it existed alongside the Urban and Rural Sanitary Districts, when these were abolished in favour of a new network or urban and rural districts.
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....
abolished the previous structure of local government in England and Wales. At this time West Sussex became a non-metropolitan county, divided into districts. This act created the two-tier system of government that exists in West Sussex to this day.