Belfast City Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Belfast City | |
| Comhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water |
Ranked 23rd 115 km² ? % |
| Admin HQ | Belfast |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-BFS |
| ONS code | 95Z |
| Demographics | |
| Population - Total (2006) - Density |
Ranked 1st 267,400 2,328 / km² |
| Community | Protestant: 48.6% Catholic: 47.2% |
| Politics | |
| Belfast City Council http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/ |
|
| MPs | Gerry Adams Nigel Dodds Peter Robinson Alasdair McDonnell |
Belfast City Council is the city council for Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the largest local council, serving the largest city in Northern Ireland and had an estimated population of 267,400 in 2006. It is the central council for the Belfast Metropolitan Area which has a population of c.650,000. The Council is based in Belfast City Hall. Belfast was also the first seat of government for Northern Ireland. The council was created on its current boundaries following the local council elections of May 1973. Originally it was intended that there would be 52 wards. However, local enquiries meant that the proposed Tullycarnet ward became instead the Castlereagh Borough Council wards of Tullycarnet and Gilnahirk.
Contents |
[edit] Electoral areas
The current Belfast City Council area consists of 9 electoral areas: Oldpark, Castle, Victoria, Pottinger, Laganbank, Balmoral, Upper Falls, Lower Falls and Court. In the 2005 local government elections, the voters of Belfast elected a total of 51 councillors from the following political parties: 15 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 14 Sinn Féin, 8 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 7 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 2 Progressive Unionist Party and 1 Independent Unionist.
In 2006, the local government boundary commission published proposals to extend Belfast into the neighbouring districts of Castlereagh and Lisburn, as well as adding a small part of North Down. The proposed extension mostly comprises the communities of Poleglass, Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Lagmore, Belvoir, Cregagh, Braniel, Gilnahirk and Tullycarnet. However some have suggested extending the council further into Castlereagh and Newtownabbey councils and these proposals have recently been discussed at a local enquiry.[1]
[edit] 1997 Election results
In 1997, Unionists lost overall control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gaining the balance of power between Nationalists and Unionists. This position was confirmed in the council elections of 2001 and 2005. Since then it has had three Nationalist mayors, two from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and one from Sinn Féin.
[edit] 2005 Election results
In the 2005 local government elections, the voters of Belfast elected fifty-one councillors to Belfast City Council from the following political parties: 15 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 14 Sinn Féin, 8 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 7 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 2 Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), and 1 Independent.[2] The Independent is Frank McCoubrey who is a leading member of the Ulster Political Research Group, the successor to the Ulster Democratic Party.
| Party | seats | change +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | Democratic Unionist Party | 15 | +5 |
| • | Sinn Féin | 14 | = |
| • | Social Democratic and Labour Party | 8 | -1 |
| • | Ulster Unionist Party | 7 | -4 |
| • | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 4 | +1 |
| • | Progressive Unionist Party | 2 | -1 |
| • | Independent | 1 | = |
[edit] Lord Mayor, High Sheriff
The city of Belfast has a mayoral form of municipal government. The City's elected officials are the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and High Sheriff who are drawn from fifty one elected councillors. The first Lord Mayor of Belfast was Daniel Dixon, who was elected in 1892.[3] As of June 2007, the Lord Mayor of Belfast is Ulster Unionist Party politician, Jim Rodgers, who previously served in the same office in 2001. His duties, as mayor of Belfast, include presiding over meetings of the council, receiving distinguished visitors to the city, and representing and promoting the city on the national and international stage.[3]
His deputy is Councillor Bernie Kelly (SDLP). The city council also (uniquely amongst Northern Ireland's councils) elects a High Sheriff, who acts as the Queen's representative in the city; the current holder of that office is Councillor Jim Kirkpatrick (DUP).
[edit] Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies
Belfast has four UK parliamentary and Assembly constituencies - North Belfast, West Belfast, South Belfast and East Belfast. All four extend somewhat beyond the city boundaries into parts of Castlereagh, Lisburn and Newtownabbey districts. In 2007, the people of Belfast elected 8 Sinn Féin, 7 DUP, 3 Ulster Unionist, 4 SDLP, 1 PUP and 2 Alliance members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In the 2005 general election, they elected 2 DUP MPs, 1 SDLP MP and 1 Sinn Féin MP.
[edit] Assets
The council owns a number of buildings and parks in Belfast, including Belfast Castle and Belfast Botanic Gardens.
[edit] Councillors
| Year | APNI | DUP | PUP | SF | SDLP | UDP | UPNI | UUP | Workers | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 25 | 2 | 7 |
| 1977 | 13 | 7 | - | - | 8 | - | 2 | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| 1981 | 7 | 15 | 1 | - | 6 | - | 1 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| 1985 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 6 | - | - | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| 1989 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 8 | - | - | 14 | 1 | 5 |
| 1993 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 9 | - | - | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 1 | - | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 9 | - | - | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 14 | 8 | - | - | 7 | 0 | 1 |
[edit] Parks and Open Spaces
Belfast City Council is also responsible for the City's Parks. They maintain the city's green spaces and organising park events and activities. They also work to promote some of Belfast’s biggest tourist attractions, like Belfast Zoo and Malone House.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Written Representations. Local Government Boundaries Commissioner for Northern Ireland (2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ Belfast City Council Elections 1993-2005. Northern Ireland Elections. Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive (ARK) (2005). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ a b Councillors: Lord Mayor. Belfast City Council. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
[edit] External links
- Go To Belfast - Tourism
- Belfast City Council Minutes — unofficial wiki with annotated and cross-referenced minutes of meetings of Belfast City Council
- Belfast City Council, 1993 - 2005
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