Hillingdon Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1965 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 53 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Civic Centre, High Street,Uxbridge, UB8 1UW | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Hillingdon London Borough Council, which styles itselfHillingdon Council, is the local authority for theLondon Borough of Hillingdon inGreater London, England. The council has been underConservative majority control since 2006. The council is based atHillingdon Civic Centre inUxbridge.
The London Borough of Hillingdon and its council were created under theLondon Government Act 1963, with the first election heldin 1964. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's four outgoing authorities, being theborough council ofUxbridge and theurban district councils ofHayes and Harlington,Ruislip-Northwood andYiewsley and West Drayton. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.[5][6] The council's full legal name is the "Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Hillingdon", although it styles itself Hillingdon Council.[7][8]
From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by theGreater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Hillingdon) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As anouter London borough council Hillingdon has been alocal education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[9]
Since 2000 theGreater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within theEnglish local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[10]
The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as abilling authority also collects precepts forGreater London Authority functions and business rates.[11] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is alocal education authority and is also responsible forcouncil housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[12]
The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2006.
The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[13]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1964–1968 | |
| Conservative | 1968–1971 | |
| Labour | 1971–1978 | |
| Conservative | 1978–1986 | |
| No overall control | 1986–1990 | |
| Conservative[14] | 1990–1993 | |
| Labour | 1993–1998 | |
| No overall control | 1998–2006 | |
| Conservative | 2006–present | |
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Hillingdon. Political leadership is instead provided by theleader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[15]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Beck | Labour | 1965 | 1968 | |
| Darrell Charles | Conservative | 1968 | 1971 | |
| Alfred Beck | Labour | 1971 | 1973 | |
| John Bartlett | Labour | 1973 | 1978 | |
| John Watts | Conservative | 1978 | 1984 | |
| Norman Hawkins | Conservative | 1984 | 1986 | |
| No leader | 1986 | 1990 | ||
| Andrew Boff | Conservative | 1990 | 1992 | |
| Richard Barnes[16][17] | Conservative | 1992 | Aug 1993 | |
| Steve Panayi[18][19] | Labour | Aug 1993 | May 1994 | |
| Chris Rogers[19] | Labour | 8 May 1994 | 15 May 1997 | |
| Paul Harmsworth | Labour | 15 May 1997 | 1998 | |
| Richard Barnes | Conservative | 1998 | 2000 | |
| Ray Puddifoot[20] | Conservative | 2000 | 14 Jan 2021 | |
| Ian Edwards[21] | Conservative | 14 Jan 2021 | ||
Following the2022 election and a change of allegiance in February 2024, the composition of the council was as follows:[22]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 31 | |
| Labour | 17 | |
| Hayes Independent Party | 5 | |
| Total | 53 | |
The next election is due in May 2026.[23]
Thewards of Hillingdon and the number of seats:[24]
Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 53councillors representing 21wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[25]
The council is based at Hillingdon Civic Centre on the High Street in Uxbridge. The building was purpose-built for the council in phases between 1973 and 1978, and also incorporates an earlier building of 1939 which had been shared byMiddlesex County Council and Uxbridge Urban District Council.[26][27]
He lost a leadership vote to Chris Rogers by 24 votes to 19 at the party's annual general meeting
| International | |
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| National | |
