Sheffield City Council

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Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Jan Wilson.

1 History
2 Political control
3 Leaders
4 See also
5 Council as service provider and employer
6 Sources
7 External links

[edit] History

The council was founded as the Corporation of Sheffield in 1843, when Sheffield was incorporated (see History of Sheffield). In 1889 it attained county borough status. In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972, reconstituted the City Council as the council metropolitan district, in the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire, governed also by South Yorkshire County Council. It established a system of 90 councillors, three to each of 30 districts. This was reduced in 1980 with the merger of the Attercliffe and Darnall wards to 87 councillors in 29 wards.

The abolition of metropolitan county councils in 1986 saw Sheffield City Council effectively regain its county borough status.

In 2004, the wards were completely reorganised, producing 28 new wards and 84 councillors.

[edit] Political control

Elections to Sheffield City Council are by thirds, in three years of every four. 2004 saw new boundaries and therefore all seats were contested.

See Sheffield local elections for more detail.

Party	06	04	03	02	00	99	98	96	95	94	92	91	90	88	87	86	84	83	82	80	79	78	76	75	74
Labour	44	44	49	43	37	39	50	55	58	56	69	70	69	66	65	65	61	60	60	60	66	66	67	68	69
Liberal Democrats	35	37	36	42	49	47	36	31	25	22	8	6	7	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	6	6	5	4	3
Conservative	2	2	1	2	1	1	1	1	4	8	10	11	10	12	13	13	17	18	18	18	18	18	18	18	18
Green	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Independent	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

The council had been under the control of the Labour Party since 1926, with the exception of two short periods of Conservative Party control, the more recent in 1968-9. It remained Labour through its reorganisation under the Local Government Act 1972, from 1973 to 1999, when the Liberal Democrats took control of the council. It shifted to No Overall Control in 2002, with Labour taking leadership of the council. They took an absolute majority at the 2003 election.

[edit] Leaders

David Blunkett (Labour, 1980-1987)
Clive Betts (Labour, 1987-1992)

Mike Bower (Labour, -1997)
Jan Wilson (Labour, 1997-1999)
Peter Moore (Lib Dem, 1999-2002)
Jan Wilson (Labour, 2002-)

[edit] See also

Lord Mayor of Sheffield

[edit] Council as service provider and employer

Sheffield City Council provides approximately 550 services to its citizens. It is also a major employer in the city, with more than 18,000 employees, including all state school staff in its role as Local Education Authority (LEA).

Services and employees are organised into 4 directorates:

Chief Executive's Directorate - responsible for corporate resources, legal and governance, organisational development, communications, policy and performance
- The Chief Executive is Sir Robert (Bob) Kerslake
Children and Young People's Directorate - equivalent to an LEA and responsible for early years, primary, secondary and special schools, looked-after children and youth offending
Development, Environment and Leisure - responsible for planning, environmental regulation, parks and countryside, street maintanence and cleanliness, and cultural activities such as libraries and museums
Neighbourhoods and Community Care - responsible for housing and neighbourhood renewal, local action and partnership, and adult social services, including physical disability, learning disability and older people

Other functions are performed by partners and contractors of the council: