North Somerset Council is the local authority of
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authorities of England, unitary district in Somerset, South West England. Whilst its area covers part of the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Somerset, it is administered independently of the non ...
, England. It is a
unitary authority
A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The council meets at
Weston-super-Mare Town Hall
Weston-super-Mare Town Hall is a municipal building in Walliscote Grove Road in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. The building, which is the headquarters of North Somerset Council, is a Grade II listed building.
History
After town commissio ...
.
Powers and functions
The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, North Somerset is within a
non-metropolitan area of England. As a
unitary authority
A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
, North Somerset Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council, it is a
billing authority that collects Council Tax and business rates, processes local planning applications and is responsible for
housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...
, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council, it is a
local education authority
Local education authorities (LEAs) were local councils in England that are responsible for education within their jurisdiction. The term was used to identify which council (district or county) is locally responsible for education in a system wit ...
, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.
Political composition
North Somerset unitary council is elected every four years, electing a total of 50 councillors in 20 single-member wards and 15 two-member wards. Since the first election to the unitary authority in 1995, the council has either been under
Conservative party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
control, or no party has held a majority. The Conservatives gained a majority at the
2007 election and retained control until the 2019 election.
The current political composition of the council is:
See also
*
North Somerset Council elections
North Somerset Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of North Somerset, England. Until 1 April 1996 it was a non-metropolitan district called Woodspring, in the county of Avon.
Political control
Since the first election to the ...
References
External links
*
{{Unitary authorities of England
Unitary authority councils of England
Local education authorities in England
Local authorities in Somerset
Leader and cabinet executives
Billing authorities in England
North Somerset