West Wiltshire

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West Wiltshire District
Shown within Wiltshire
Geography
Status:	District
Region:	South West England
Admin. County:	Wiltshire
Area: - Total	Ranked 96th 516.92 km²
Admin. HQ:	Trowbridge
ONS code:	46UF
Demographics
Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density	Ranked 156th 124,100 240 / km²
Ethnicity:	98.1% White
Politics
West Wiltshire District Council http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Liberal Democrats / Independent
MPs:	Michael Ancram, Andrew Murrison

West Wiltshire is a local government district in Wiltshire, England and was formed on 1 April 1974, further to the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the former urban districts of Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury, along with Bradford and Melksham Rural District and the Warminster and Westbury Rural District. The present district council is based at Trowbridge.

There are five towns in West Wiltshire, Bradford on Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury, each surrounded by rural parishes. About two-thirds of the district's population is in its five towns.

1 Political Balance of the District Council
2 Office Holders
3 Parliamentary Representation
4 External link

[edit] Political Balance of the District Council

West Wiltshire District Council currently has forty-four members, who are all elected together for a four-year term of office.

Following the district elections in May 2003, 19 Conservatives, 18 Liberal Democrats, three Labour members and four Independents were members of West Wiltshire District Council. Conservatives and Independents held most of the more rural areas, while the Liberal Democrats held all or most of the seats in the towns of Trowbridge, Melksham and Bradford on Avon. An administration of Conservatives and Independents led by Councillor A.G. Phillips O.B.E. (Independent) held office from May 2003 to May 2005.

At a subsequent by-election, the Liberal Democrats gained one seat from the Conservatives, who had already lost one member to the Independents. However, at another by-election on 2 November 2006 the Conservatives gained a seat back, following the resignation of an Independent member. Then in December 2006 a member left the Lib Dem group to become an Independent. The Council's current political balance is as follows -

A coalition administration led by the Liberal Democrats, including Independents, was formed in 2005 and continues to hold office.

[edit] Office Holders

The current office holders of West Wiltshire District Council are:

Chairman of the Council - Paul Batchelor (Liberal Democrat)
Leader of the Council - Sarah Content (Liberal Democrat)
Deputy Leader of the Council - Christopher Newbury (Independent)
Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee - A.G. Phillips O.B.E. (Independent)
Chairman of the Planning Committee - Christopher Newbury (Independent)
Chairman of the Licencing Committee - Robert Brice (Liberal Democrat)
Chairman of the Audit Committee - Duncan Hames (Liberal Democrat)

[edit] Parliamentary Representation

At the parliamentary level, West Wiltshire is represented by two Conservative Members of Parliament, the front bench Conservatives Michael Ancram and Andrew Murrison.

[edit] External link

West Wiltshire District Council - official site

Districts of South West England
Bath and North East Somerset \| Bournemouth \| Bristol \| Caradon \| Carrick \| Cheltenham \| Christchurch \| Cotswold \| East Devon \| East Dorset \| Exeter \| Forest of Dean \| Gloucester \| Isles of Scilly \| Kennet \| Kerrier \| Mendip \| Mid Devon \| North Cornwall \| North Devon \| North Dorset \| North Somerset \| North Wiltshire \| Penwith \| Plymouth \| Poole \| Purbeck \| Restormel \| Salisbury \| Sedgemoor \| South Gloucestershire \| South Hams \| South Somerset \| Stroud \| Swindon \| Taunton Deane \| Teignbridge \| Tewkesbury \| Torbay \| Torridge \| West Devon \| West Dorset \| West Somerset \| West Wiltshire \| Weymouth and Portland
Counties with multiple districts: Cornwall - Devon - Dorset - Gloucestershire - Somerset - Wiltshire