View source for User:Squitipedia

{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = Wiltshire Council
| logo_pic           = Wiltshire Council logo.svg
| logo_res           = 250
| logo_alt           = Wiltshire Council logo
| house_type         = [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary authority]]
| foundation         = 1 April 2009{{efn|County council gained unitary authority functions.}}
| preceded_by        = [[Wiltshire County Council]]<br />{{Collapsible list |title = District councils |Kennet District Council |North Wiltshire District Council |[[Salisbury District Council]] |West Wiltshire District Council}}
| leader1_type       = Chairman of the Council
| leader1            = Cllr Richard Gamble
| party1             = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| election1          = 16 June 2020
| leader2_type       = Leader of the Council
| leader2            = Cllr Philip Whitehead
| party2             = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| election2          = 9 July 2019
| leader3_type       = Chief executive
| leader3            = Terence Herbert<ref>{{cite web |title=Cash strapped county unitary names new chief |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/workforce/cash-strapped-county-unitary-names-new-chief-29-06-2020/ |website=Local Government Chronicle |access-date=1 July 2020 |date=29 June 2020 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
| party3             = 
| election3          = 26 June 2020
| structure1         = Wiltshire Council composition.svg
| structure1_res     = 260
| structure1_alt     = Wiltshire Council composition
| political_groups1  =
; Administration (62)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (62)
; Other parties (35)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (21)}}
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (11)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (3)
;Vacant (1)
: {{Color box|white|border={{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}}} Elected as Conservative (1)
| seats              = 98 councillors
| term_length        = 4 years
| voting_system1     = [[First-past-the-post voting|First past the post]]
| last_election1     = [[2017 Wiltshire Council election|4 May 2017]]
| next_election1     = [[2021 Wiltshire Council election|6 May 2021]]
| session_room       = WiltshireCouncilTrowbridge.jpg
| session_res        = 250
| session_alt        = County Hall at Trowbridge
| meeting_place      = [[County Hall, Trowbridge|County Hall]], [[Trowbridge]]
| website            = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Wiltshire Council''' is a council for the [[unitary authority]] of Wiltshire (excluding the separate UA of [[Borough of Swindon|Swindon]]) in [[South West England]], created in 2009. It is the successor authority to [[Wiltshire County Council]] (1889–2009) and the four [[Non-metropolitan district|district councils]] of [[Kennet (district)|Kennet]], [[North Wiltshire]], [[Salisbury]], and [[West Wiltshire]], all of which were [[Local Government Act 1972|created in 1974]] and [[2009 structural changes to local government in England|abolished in 2009]].

== Establishment of the unitary authority ==
The ceremonial county of [[Wiltshire]] consists of two unitary authority areas, Wiltshire and [[Borough of Swindon|Swindon]], administered respectively by Wiltshire Council and [[Swindon Borough Council]]. Before 2009, Wiltshire was administered as a [[non-metropolitan county]] by [[Wiltshire County Council]], with four districts, [[Kennet (district)|Kennet]], [[North Wiltshire]], [[Salisbury]], and [[West Wiltshire]]. Swindon, in the north of the county, had been a separate unitary authority since 1997, and on 5 December 2007 the Government announced that the rest of Wiltshire would move to unitary status. This was later put into effect by a [[statutory instrument]] as part of the [[2009 structural changes to local government in England]].

With the abolition of the District of Salisbury, a new [[Salisbury City Council]] was created at the same time to carry out several citywide functions and to hold the City's [[charter]].

== Functions ==
The unitary authority provides local government services to 435,000 Wiltshire residents and is also the biggest employer in Wiltshire, being responsible for schools, social services, rubbish collection and disposal, county roads, planning, and leisure services.

Most executive decisions are taken by the authority's [[Cabinet-style council|cabinet]], each member of which has a particular area of responsibility. [[Development control in the United Kingdom|Development control]] is undertaken by five [[planning committee]]s, the powers of which cannot be exercised by the cabinet. Members of the authority are appointed to a wide range of outside bodies, providing them with some element of democratic accountability, such as the [[Kennet and Avon Canal|Kennet and Avon Canal Trust]], the [[Wiltshire Victoria County History]], and the [[Wiltshire Historic Buildings Trust]].

== Political balance ==
{{Main|Wiltshire Council elections}}

As a result of the first elections to the new authority, plus two by-elections held in September 2009 and December 2010, an Independent joining UKIP while remaining in the Independent group,<ref name=forum>[http://www.westburytownforums.co.uk/index.php?topic=2337.0 Explanation by Cllr Cuthbert Murray] at westburytownforums.co.uk that he is both a UKIP member and an Independent</ref> a defection in May 2012 by a Liberal Democrat councillor to the Conservatives,<ref name="defection">{{cite web | url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2012/05/wiltshire-councillor-joins-conservatives.html | title=Wiltshire councillor joins Conservatives | publisher=ConservativeHome | date=22 May 2012 | access-date=23 May 2012}}</ref> and in November 2012 by another Lib Dem and a Conservative to the Independents,<ref>Gerald Isaaman, [http://www.marlboroughnewsonline.co.uk/news/all-the-news/1237-councillor-peggy-dow-quits-the-lib-dems-as-they-suffer-election-humiliation-at-the-polls Councillor Peggy Dow quits the Lib-Dems as they suffer election humiliation at the polls] (marlboroughnewsonline.co.uk)</ref> by the beginning of 2013 Wiltshire Council consisted of 61 Conservatives, 22 Liberal Democrats, ten Independents including one UKIP member, three [[Devizes Guardians]], and two Labour members.

The elections of [[2013 Wiltshire Council election|2013]] produced an unexpected swing to the Liberal Democrats, who made a net gain of five seats, while all three Devizes Guardians lost their seats to the Conservatives and the Labour group increased from two to four. The overall result was 58 Conservatives, 27 Liberals, eight Independents, four Labour, and one UKIP member.<ref>[http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/elections/electionresults/electionresults09.htm Election results] at Wiltshire Council website</ref> However, during the following year four Liberal Democrats defected from their political group: one to the Conservatives and three to the Independents. In a by-election in May 2015 at Chippenham Hardenhuish the Conservatives gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats, and in November they gained another at Salisbury St Edmund, then at a by-election in May 2016 the Liberal Democrats gained Amesbury East from the Conservatives.

The [[2017 Wiltshire Council election|2017]] election resulted in the Conservatives increasing their share of seats at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, Independents, Labour and UKIP.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political group
! colspan=4 | Councillors
|-
! [[2009 Wiltshire Council election|2009]]
! [[2013 Wiltshire Council election|2013]]
! [[2017 Wiltshire Council election|2017]]
! Current<ref name="CouncillorsByParty">{{cite web |title=Your Councillors |url=https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Wiltshire Council |access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref>
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| style="text-align:left" | [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| 62
| 58
| 68
| style="background:#eee;" | 62
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| style="text-align:left" | [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]]
| 24
| 27
| 20
| style="background:#eee;" | 21
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Independent (politician)}} |
| style="text-align:left" | [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
| 7
| 8
| 7
| style="background:#eee;" | 11
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| style="text-align:left" | [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| 2
| 4
| 3
| style="background:#eee;" | 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Devizes Guardians}}" |
| style="text-align:left" | [[Devizes Guardians]]
| 3
| 0
| 0
| style="background:#eee;" | 0
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|UK Independence Party}}" |
| style="text-align:left" | [[UK Independence Party]]
| 0
| 1
| 0
| style="background:#eee;" | 0
|-
! colspan=2 | Total
! 98
! 98
! 98
! 97
|}

==Wards==
{{Main|List of electoral divisions and wards in Wiltshire#Wiltshire}}
There are 98 wards in Wiltshire.

== County Hall ==
Wiltshire Council operates from the same [[Trowbridge]] base as the old [[Wiltshire County Council]]. In 2012 the County Hall building was renovated and developed at a cost of about £24 million. The remodelled New County Hall includes benefits services and housing advice, the Trowbridge library, the town's Register Office, and a cafe.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wiltshire Council's £22 million HQ is officially opened|url=http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/10021354.Wiltshire_Council_s___22_million_HQ_is_officially_opened/|newspaper=Wiltshire Times|date=1 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/9609549.Peek_at___24m_Wiltshire_County_Hall_revamp/ |title=Peek at £24m Wiltshire County Hall revamp (From Wiltshire Times) |publisher=Wiltshiretimes.co.uk |date=23 March 2012 |access-date=30 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.integral-engineering.co.uk/projects/re-use/trowbridge/ |title=Trowbridge County Hall Redevelopment – Integral |publisher=Integral-engineering.co.uk |access-date=30 September 2013}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of civil parishes in Wiltshire]]
* [[List of places in Wiltshire]]
* [[Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre]]
* [[Wiltshire Library and Information Service]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/pyramids/pages/46.asp Wiltshire census statistics] at statistics.gov.uk
* [http://www.wiltshirejsa.org.uk Wiltshire Joint Strategic Assessments]
* [http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/ Wiltshire Council official tourism website]

{{Local authorities in Wiltshire}}
{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009}}
{{Wiltshire}}

{{coord|51.317|N|2.210|W|type:adm3rd_region:GB|display=title}}

[[:Category:Politics of Wiltshire]]
[[:Category:Unitary authority councils of England]]
[[:Category:Local government districts of South West England]]
[[:Category:Leader and cabinet executives]]
[[:Category:Local education authorities in England]]
[[:Category:Local authorities in Wiltshire]]
[[:Category:Billing authorities in England]]