| Poole Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Unitary authority of Poole |
| Leadership | |
| Leader | Cllr Elaine Atkinson[1] |
| Members | 42 |
| Elections | |
| Voting system | First past the post |
| Last election | 5 May 2011 |
| Meeting place | |
| Civic Centre, Poole | |
| Website | |
| http://www.poole.gov.uk/ | |
Poole Borough Council is the local authority for the borough of Poole in Dorset, England. Poole was first given borough status in 1342, and in 1568, it was granted legal independence from Dorchester and Dorset jurisdiction when made a county corporate by Elizabeth I. Following the Local Government Act 1972 the borough became a non-metropolitan district on 1 April 1974 and once again fell under the jurisdiction of Dorset, although a charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II allowed the council to retain its historic titles and privileges. On 1 April 1997, the council was made a unitary authority following a review by the Local Government Commission for England (1992) and became once again administratively independent from Dorset.[2]
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The local authority for the borough of Poole is Poole Borough Council. For local elections, 42 councillors are elected across 16 wards[3] and elections take place every four years. The last election took place in May 2011, resulting in no overall control [4] The Council is made up of 21 Conservative, 18 Liberal Democrat and 3 Poole People councillors. Following these elections, a Conservative minority administration was formed [5][6] with a cabinet of seven councillors who are responsible for deciding how the Council's strategies and policies are implemented and how the budget is spent.[7] The Council Leader is Elaine Atkinson (Conservative).[1] The Mayor is Graham Wilson, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Newtown ward since 1996.[8] The Sheriff, a position created by the town's charter of 1568 and just one of 15 Sheriffs in the country, is Conservative councillor Carol Evans.
| Party | Seats | Poole Borough Council 2011–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lib Dems | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poole People | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Council has 16 wards across Poole: