Hillingdon London Borough Council

Hillingdon Council
Type
Type	London borough
History
Founded	1 April 1965
Leadership
Mayor	Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana, Conservative since 11 May 2023[1][2]
Leader	Ian Edwards, Conservative since 14 January 2021[3]
Chief Executive	Tony Zaman since 1 January 2022[4][5]
Structure
Seats	53 councillors
Political groups	Administration (30)   Conservative (30) Other parties (23)   Labour (22)   Independent (1)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	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.gov.uk

Hillingdon London Borough Council, which styles itself Hillingdon Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Hillingdon in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2006. The council is based at Hillingdon Civic Centre in Uxbridge.

History

The borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former Municipal Borough of Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington Urban District, Ruislip-Northwood Urban District and Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District. The area was transferred from Middlesex to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs.^[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 the Greater 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 (incluing Hillingdon) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Hillingdon has been a local 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 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.^[10]

Governance

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 a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater 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 a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.^[12]

Political control

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]

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Hillingdon. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:^[14][15]

Composition

Following the 2022 election and a change of allegiance in February 2024, the composition of the council was as follows:^[16]

The next election is due in May 2026.

Premises

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 by Middlesex County Council and Uxbridge Urban District Council.^[17][18]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 53 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[19]

References

External links

• London Borough of Hillingdon website