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Rutland County Council

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Rutland County Council
Rutland County Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Andrew Brown,
Independent
since 22 May 2023
Gale Waller,
Liberal Democrats
since 22 May 2023
Mark Andrews
since 30 April 2021
Structure
Seats27 councillors
Rutland County Council composition
Political groups
Administration (12)
  Liberal Democrat (11)
  Green (1)
Other parties (15)
  Independent (7)
  Conservative (6)
  Labour (2)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Catmose House, Catmos Street, Oakham, LE15 6HP
Website
www.rutland.gov.uk

Rutland County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, legally being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

The council is responsible for almost all local services in Rutland, although the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and Leicestershire Police (which also serve Rutland) are run by joint boards between Rutland County Council, Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council.

The council has been under no overall control since 2021, being led since 2023 by a minority administration of the Liberal Democrats and Green Party. It is based at Catmose House in Oakham.

History

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First incarnation

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Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The first elections were held in January 1889 and Rutland County Council formally came into being on 1 April 1889.[1]

Great Hall at Oakham Castle: Council's meeting place 1889–1937

On that day it held its first official meeting at Oakham Castle, the 12th century castle which served as the county's courthouse and had been the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council. Charles Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough, a Conservative peer, was appointed as the first chairman of the council.[2]

From 1894 there was also a lower tier of local government in the county, comprising three rural districts: Ketton Rural District, Oakham Rural District and Uppingham Rural District. A fourth district was created in 1911 when the parish of Oakham was removed from the Oakham Rural District to become its own urban district.[3][4]

Rutland District Council

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The first incarnation of the county council was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. Rutland was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district and placed in Leicestershire. County-level functions therefore passed to Leicestershire County Council.[5]

The Rutland District Council created in 1974 was a lower-tier district council. Although its territory was the same as the abolished county council's, in terms of functions it replaced the area's four district councils that were also abolished as part of the 1974 reforms.[6]

Unitary authority

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Local government was reformed again in Rutland in 1997, following the Local Government Commission for England, which had recommended in 1994 that Rutland (and Leicester) should become unitary authorities and leave the two-tier Leicestershire.[7] The way the changes were implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Rutland covering the same area as the district, but with no separate county council. Instead, the existing district council that had been created in 1974 additionally took on the functions that legislation assigns to county councils.[8]

In August 1996, ahead of the changes coming into effect, the district council resolved to style itself 'Rutland County Council' from 1 April 1997 when it assumed its additional powers. As a concession to the fact that it remains legally a district council, it was agreed that the full name would have to be 'Rutland County Council District Council', but on the understanding that the full name would "be used only very sparingly and when absolutely necessary."[9][10]

At the 2021 census Rutland had a population of 41,000. This made it the third least populous local government district in England, with only the two sui generis authorities of the Isles of Scilly (2,100 people) and the City of London (8,600 people) serving fewer people. The next smallest unitary authority area after Rutland is Hartlepool with 92,300 people.[11]

Governance

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As a unitary authority, Rutland County Council performs both district-level and county-level functions. The council's responsibility for some county-level functions, including the fire and rescue service and the police, is exercised through joint boards with Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council.[12] The whole county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.[13]

Political control

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The council has been under no overall control since 2021. Following the 2023 election a minority administration of the Liberal Democrats and the single Green Party councillor formed to run the council, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Gale Waller.[14][15][16]

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[17]

Lower-tier district council

Party in control Years
Independent 1974–1987
No overall control 1987–1995
Independent 1995–1997

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
Independent 1997–1998
No overall control 1998–2003
Conservative 2003–2021
No overall control 2021–present

Leadership

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The leaders of the council since 1995 have been as follows:[18]

Councillor Party From To
Eddie Martin[19][a] Independent 15 May 1995 2 Apr 1997
Kim Lee[20] Liberal Democrats 12 May 1997 May 1999
Edward Baines[21] Independent 24 May 1999 2003
Roger Begy[22] Conservative 2003 1 Feb 2016
Terry King[23] Conservative 22 Feb 2016 Jan 2017
Tony Mathias[24] Conservative 26 Jan 2017 8 Jan 2018
Oliver Hemsley[25] Conservative 5 Feb 2018 9 May 2022
Lucy Stephenson[26] Conservative 9 May 2022 22 May 2023
Gale Waller[27] Liberal Democrats 22 May 2023 Incumbent

Composition

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Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[28]

Party Councillors
Liberal Democrats 11
Independent 7
Conservative 6
Labour 2
Green 1
Total 27

The Liberal Democrats and the Green councillor sit together as a group, which forms the council's administration. The next election is due in May 2027.[29]

Elections

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See also: Rutland County Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019, the council has comprised 27 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[30]

Current ward boundaries
Ward Councillors Description
Braunston & Belton 1 Parishes of Ayston, Belton, Braunston, Brooke, Leighfield, Preston, Ridlington and Wardley
Cottesmore 2 Parishes of Barrow, Cottesmore, Market Overton and Teigh
Exton 1 Parishes of Ashwell, Burley, Egleton, Exton, Hambleton, Horn and Whitwell
Greetham 1 Parishes of Clipsham, Greetham, Pickworth, Stretton and Thistleton
Ketton 2 Parishes of Barrowden, Ketton, Tinwell and Tixover
Langham 1 Parish of Langham
Lyddington 1 Parishes of Bisbrooke, Caldecott, Glaston, Lyddington, Seaton, Stoke Dry and Thorpe by Water
Martinsthorpe 1 Parishes of Gunthorpe, Lyndon, Manton, Martinsthorpe, Morcott, Pilton and Wing
Normanton 2 Parishes of Edith Weston, Empingham, Normanton, North Luffenham, South Luffenham
Oakham North East 2 Oakham northwest of Burley Road/Mill Street/South Street and east of the railway
Oakham North West 2 Oakham north of Braunston Road and west of the railway, and the parish of Barleythorpe
Oakham South East 2 Oakham southeast of Burley Road/Mill Street/South Street and east of the railway
Oakham South West 2 Oakham south of Braunston Road and west of the railway
Ryhall & Casterton 2 Parishes of Essendine, Great Casterton, Little Casterton, Ryhall and Tickencote
Uppingham 3 Parishes of Uppingham and Beaumont Chase
Whissendine 1 Parish of Whissendine

Premises

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Modern extensions to Catmose House, including main public entrance

The council is based at Catmose House on Catmos Street in Oakham. It was built in the late 18th century as a large house.[31] The building was bought in 1937 by the county council, which had previously met at Oakham Castle and had its offices scattered around various premises in the town.[32] Catmose House subsequently served as the headquarters of Rutland District Council after 1974, continuing to be the council's headquarters after it became a unitary authority in 1997, with large extensions being built shortly afterwards.[33]

As at April 2024, the council is considering whether to retain Catmose House as its headquarters or move to alternative premises.[34]

Arms

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Coat of arms of Rutland County Council
Notes
First granted to Rutland County Council on 1 May 1950. Transferred to Rutland District Council in 1974, and continues to be used by the council after it became a unitary authority in 1997.[35]
Crest
On a wreath of the colours in front of a horseshoe an acorn Or leaved and slipped Proper.
Escutcheon
Vert semée of acorns a horseshoe Or.
Motto
Multum In Parvo (Much In Little)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Initially appointed as "co-ordinator", but title changed to "leader" later that year.

References

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  1. ^ "Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1888 c. 41, retrieved 16 July 2024
  2. ^ "The County Councils: Rutland". Stamford Mercury. 5 April 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Rutland Administrative County". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Rutland: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1971". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Rutland's History Headlines". BBC. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  6. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 16 July 2024
  7. ^ LGCE Final Recommendations for the Future Local Government of Leicestershire. December 1994.
  8. ^ "The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996: Article 8", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/507 (art. 8), retrieved 16 July 2024
  9. ^ "It's Rutland County Council, of course!". Rutland Times. Oakham. 16 August 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Constitution" (PDF). Rutland County Council. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  12. ^ "About us". Rutland County Council. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  14. ^ Scholes, Andrea (23 May 2023). "Rutland County Council appoints new Lib Dem and Green leader Gale Waller". Lincs Online. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Lib Dems dominate new Rutland Council Cabinet". Oakham Nub News. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Council leaders elected after election changes". BBC News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Council minutes". Rutland County Council. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Two faces at the top for new-look council". Rutland Times. Oakham. 19 May 1995. p. 3. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  20. ^ "New chief". Rutland Times. Oakham. 2 May 1997. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Councillors appointed". Rutland Times. Oakham. 28 May 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Tributes paid to 'outstanding public servant' Roger Begy". Rutland and Stamford Mercury. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  23. ^ Scholes, Andrea (30 November 2018). "Tributes paid to Terry King who ably served Rutland for 18 years". Rutland and Stamford Mercury. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Council leader Tony Mathias resigns". Rutland County Council. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  25. ^ Parker, Tim; Noble, Samantha (6 May 2022). "Rutland Conservative council leader leaves party". BBC News. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  26. ^ "New leader for council after former Conservative quits". 9 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Lib Dems dominate new Rutland Council Cabinet". Oakham Nub News. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  29. ^ "Rutland". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  30. ^ "The Rutland (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/1314, retrieved 17 July 2024
  31. ^ Historic England. "Catmose (Rutland District Council Offices), Catmos Street (Grade II) (1262074)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  32. ^ Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire and Rutland. 1916. p. 657. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Contact us". Rutland County Council. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  34. ^ Baillie, Maddie (16 April 2024). "Rutland County Council considers future of museum, offices, register office, Oakham Enterprise Park and The King Centre offices and plans to sell transport depot in Ashwell". Lincs Online. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  35. ^ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
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