Council of the Isles of Scilly | |
|---|---|
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Leadership | |
Russell Ashman since 12 January 2024[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 16 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
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| Elections | |
| Multiple non-transferable vote | |
Last election | 1 May 2025 |
Next election | 1 May 2029 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Old Wesleyan Chapel, Garrison Lane,Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0JD | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Silver St, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0PZ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheCouncil of the Isles of Scilly is asui generis local government authority covering theIsles of Scilly off the west coast ofCornwall, England. It is currently made up of 16 seats, with all councillors beingindependents. The council was created in 1891 as theIsles of Scilly Rural District Council and was renamed in 1974.
Historically, theIsles of Scilly were administered as one of thehundreds of Cornwall, although the Cornwallquarter sessions had limited jurisdiction there. For judicial,shrievalty andlieutenancy purposes, theLocal Government Act 1972 provided that the Isles of Scilly are "deemed to form part of the county ofCornwall".[3] The archipelago is part of theDuchy of Cornwall[4] – the duchy owns thefreehold of most of the land on the islands andthe Duke exercises certain formal rights and privileges across the territory, as he does in Cornwall proper.
TheLocal Government Act 1888 allowed theLocal Government Board to establish in the Isles of Scilly "councils and other local authorities separate from those of the county of Cornwall"... "for the application to the islands of any act touching local government." Accordingly, in 1891, the Council of the Isles of Scilly was formed as asui generis local government authority, outside theadministrative county of Cornwall.[5][6]Cornwall County Council provided some services to the Isles, for which the RDC made financial contributions. The Isles of Scilly Order 1930 granted the council the "powers, duties and liabilities" of acounty council.[7] Section 265 of theLocal Government Act 1972 allowed for the continued existence of the RDC, but renamed as the Council of the Isles of Scilly.[8][9]
This unusual status also means that much administrative law (for example relating to the functions of local authorities, the health service and other public bodies) that applies in the rest of England applies in modified form in the islands.[10]
The Isles of Scilly do not form part of thenon-metropolitan county of Cornwall; the Council of the Isles of Scilly is therefore administratively separate fromCornwall Council. However, for the purposes oflieutenancy the islands are classed as part of theceremonial county of Cornwall. With a total population of just over 2,000, the council represents fewer inhabitants than many Englishparish councils, and is by far the smallestEnglish unitary council.
The council has been a member of theIslands Forum since 2022.
The council is responsible for all local government functions on the islands. It also performs the administrative functions of theAONB Partnership[11] and theInshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.[12]
Some aspects of local government are shared with Cornwall, includinghealth, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly together withCornwall Council form alocal enterprise partnership. In July 2015 adevolution deal was announced by thegovernment under which Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly are to create a plan to bring health and social care services together under local control. The Local Enterprise Partnership is also to be bolstered.[13]
As of 2015[update], 130 people are employedfull-time by the council[14] to provide local services (including water supply andair traffic control). These numbers are significant, in that almost ten per cent of the adult population of the islands is directly linked to the council, as an employee or a councillor.[15]
The main national political parties do not routinely field candidates for elections to the Council of the Isles of Scilly. Since the 2009 elections, all but two of the candidates have beenindependents. TwoGreen Party candidates stood in 2013, but neither was elected. The elected council has therefore entirely comprised independent councillors since at least 2009.[16]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | pre-2009–present | |
Political leadership is provided by the chairman of the council, unlike in other English local authorities where the chairman is now a largely ceremonial role. The chairmen since the formation of the council in 1891 have been:[17][18]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Dorrien-Smith | 1891 | 1918 | ||
| Arthur Dorrien-Smith | 1919 | 1955 | ||
| George Woodcock | 1955 | 1960 | ||
| Roland Gibson | 1960 | 1964 | ||
| Tregarthen Mumford | 1964 | 1972 | ||
| Tom Dorrien-Smith | 1972 | 1973 | ||
| Samuel Ellis | 1974 | 1981 | ||
| William Mumford | 1981 | 1985 | ||
| Roy Duncan | 1985 | 1992 | ||
| Patrick Greenlaw | 1992 | 1996 | ||
| Mike Hicks | 1996 | 1997 | ||
| Colin Daly | 1997 | 1999 | ||
| Dudley Mumford | 1999 | 2005 | ||
| Christine Savill | Independent | 2005 | Jun 2009 | |
| Julia Day[19] | Independent | 23 Jun 2009 | Sep 2010 | |
| Mike Hicks[20][21] | Independent | 23 Sep 2010 | 28 Mar 2013 | |
| Amanda Martin[22] | Independent | 21 May 2013 | May 2017 | |
| Ted Moulson[23][24] | Independent | 25 May 2017 | May 2018 | |
| Robert Francis[25] | Independent | 8 May 2018 | ||
The council has its offices at theIsles of Scilly Town Hall on The Parade inHugh Town on St Mary's, the largest island. The town hall was built in 1887–1889.[26] Council meetings are held a short distance away at the council chamber, which is theOld Wesleyan Chapel on Garrison Lane, which was built in 1828.[27][28]
The council consists of 16 elected councillors – 12 of which are returned by theward of St Mary's, and one from each of four "off-island" wards (St Martin's, St Agnes, Bryher, and Tresco). The number of councillors elected in each ward was reduced by one for the2017 local elections, with the islands previously being represented by 21 councillors representing unchanged ward boundaries.[29]
Whilst each of the inhabited isles is formally acivil parish, none of them possess acouncil ormeeting in their own right.
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