Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council

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Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
London borough council
of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Leadership
Mayor of Kingston Upon Thames
Cllr Margaret Thompson
since May 2019
Leader of the Council
Cllr Caroline Kerr, Liberal Democrat
since March 2020
Chief executive
Ian Thomas
since 11 December 2018
Structure
Seats48 councillors
United Kingdom Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council 2021.svg
Political groups
Administration (37)
  Liberal Democrats (37)

Opposition (11)

  Conservatives (9)
  Green (1)
  Independent (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
3 May 2018
Meeting place
Guildhall, Kingston.jpg
Kingston upon Thames Guildhall
Website
www.kingston.gov.uk

Kingston London Borough Council is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London.

History[]

A map showing the wards of Kingston upon Thames since 2002

There have previously been a number of local authorities responsible for the Kingston upon Thames area. The current local authority was first elected in 1964, a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames on 1 April 1965. Kingston upon Thames replaced the Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames (which itself was a Royal Borough), the Municipal Borough of Malden and Coombe and the Municipal Borough of Surbiton.[1]

It was envisaged that through the London Government Act 1963 Kingston upon Thames as a London local authority would share power with 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 local authorities responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council it has been an education authority since 1965. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the Greater London Council, such as waste disposal. 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.[2]

Powers and functions[]

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.[3] 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.[4]

Criticism[]

Size of staff departure payments[]

In the financial years 2015–19, under a Conservative and then Liberal Democrat administration the council spent £2.4 million of public money on so-called ‘golden goodbyes’ to departing senior staff, including:

  • Over £250,000 for Bruce McDonald, the former CEO of the council.[5][6]
  • £316,000 to Charlie Adan, former council chief executive, who left her role two months after the May 2018 local elections, reportedly because she clashed with new council leader, Liz Green.[7]
  • £160,000 to Roy Thompson, who served as temporary Chief Executive for less than six months, while Adan's successor was found, with his post as deputy being axed as a cost saving.[8][7]
  • £442,000 split between five ‘senior officers’.[7]

See also[]

  • Kingston upon Thames local elections

References[]

  1. ^ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
  2. ^ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0714648590.
  3. ^ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Former Kingston Council chief executive to get more than £250,000 payout for "resigning"". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. ^ "MyLondon News".
  7. ^ a b c Private Eye, Issue 1502, p.18
  8. ^ "Campaigners raise concerns after Kingston Council deputy chief executive axed". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 14 August 2021.

External links[]

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