Salisbury City Council

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Salisbury City Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Mayor
Cllr Caroline Corbin
Structure
Seats24
11 / 24
6 / 24
6 / 24
Independent
1 / 24
Elections
Plurality-at-large voting
Last election
6 May 2021
Meeting place
The Guildhall .jpg
The Guildhall, Salisbury
Website
www.salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Salisbury City Council is a parish-level council for Salisbury, England. It was established in April 2009 and is based in the city's historic Guildhall. Following the May 2021 election, no party has an overall majority.

Population[]

The civil parish of Salisbury – which excludes some of the city's suburbs and satellite villages such as Old Sarum, Laverstock, Hampton Park, Britford, Netherhampton and Odstock – had a population of 40,302 at the 2011 census.[1]

Establishment[]

As New Sarum, Salisbury has been ranked as a city since "time immemorial". The Local Government Act 1972, which took effect in 1974, eliminated the administration of the City of New Sarum under its charters, with the Salisbury District taking over its administrative functions. However, the status of a city was preserved after 1974 by the Charter Trustees of the City of New Sarum.

That name was formally changed from "New Sarum" to "Salisbury" by the reforms of 2009 which created Salisbury civil parish, where the first tier of local government would be the new Salisbury City Council.[2][3] The parish was again granted city status by letters patent dated 1 April 2009.[4]

The council met in temporary offices until 2011, while the 18th-century Guildhall was adapted.[2]

Coat of arms[]

On 23 March 2010, the city council was granted a royal licence, transferring to it the armorial bearings of the previous City of New Sarum. The arms and supporters were originally recorded at the heraldic visitations of Wiltshire in 1565 and 1623.[5] The blazon of the arms is:

Barry of eight Azure and Or. Supporters: On either side an eagle displayed with two heads Or, ducally gorged Azure.[6][7]

There do not appear to be any meanings attached to the design.[8] The traditional explanation that the blue stripes represent the rivers that meet in the city is now discounted.[8][9] It has also been suggested that the eagles derive from the arms of the Bouverie family, Earls of Radnor, benefactors of the city. However, this also can be discounted, as the arms of the city were recorded before the family was connected with it.[8][9]

Membership[]

The council has 24 members, elected by eight wards which each elect three councillors.[10] Boundary changes confirmed in 2020 and applied at the 2021 election redrew wards in the central, Harnham, Milford and Bishopdown areas and increased the number of councillors from 23.[11][12]

Elections to the city council took place on Thursday 6 May 2021, with the following results;[13] those marked * are also Wiltshire Councillors.

Ward Councillor Party Term of office
Salisbury (Bemerton Heath) Caroline Corbin* Labour 2021-
Tom Corbin Labour 2021-
Ed Rimmer Conservative 2021-
Salisbury (Fisherton & Bemerton Village) Ricky Rogers* Labour 2021-
Jenny Bolwell Labour 2021-
Jeremy Nettle Conservative 2021-
Salisbury (Harnham West) Brian Dalton* Liberal Democrat 2021-
Paul Cunningham Conservative 2021-
Annie Riddle Independent 2021-
Salisbury (Milford) Charles McGrath* Conservative 2021-
Jo King Conservative 2021-
Al Bayliss Liberal Democrat 2021-
Salisbury (St Francis & Stratford) Cliona Hibbert Conservative 2021-
Mark Mewse Conservative 2021-
John Wells Labour 2021-
Salisbury (St Edmunds) Paul Sample* Liberal Democrat 2021-
Chris Stanway Liberal Democrat 2021-
Atiqul Hoque Conservative 2021-
Salisbury (Harnham East) Sven Hocking* Conservative 2021-
Jo Broom Conservative 2021-
Ian Tomes Labour 2021-
Salisbury (St Paul's) Mary Webb* Conservative 2021-
Sam Charleston Liberal Democrat 2021-
Victoria Charleston Liberal Democrat 2021-

History of control[]

At the first elections to the city council in 2009, the Liberal Democrats gained twelve seats, giving them a majority of one over all other parties.

At the next elections, on Thursday, 2 May 2013, no party had overall control. Days after the election, Jo Broom, who had been elected in Fisherton & Bemerton Village as a Liberal Democrat, joined the Conservatives. Then, following the resignation of a Conservative, there was a by-election in the St Martin's & Cathedral ward on 9 January 2014, won by Patricia Fagan for Labour.

In 2017, the Conservatives won an overall majority for the first time.

In 2021, the Conservatives lost their majority to no overall control.

Functions[]

The council is responsible for the following properties and services:[2]

  • Parks and associated public conveniences
  • Car parks
  • Cemeteries and Salisbury Crematorium
  • Play areas
  • Sports pitches
  • Open spaces
  • Allotments
  • Charter market etc.
  • Charter fair
  • The Guildhall
  • Bemerton Heath neighbourhood centre
  • General fund shops and garages owned by the city prior to 1974
  • Events: Christmas Lights, St George's Day, Salisbury Food Festival, Music in the Parks, Britain in Bloom
  • City Centre management
  • General Community Fund

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Office for National Statistics
  2. ^ a b c "Case study on the experience of newly established local (parish and town) councils: Salisbury" (PDF). National Association of Local Councils. January 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Civic History Its Charters and Silver". The Guildhall Salisbury. Salisbury City Council. 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  4. ^ "No. 59250". The London Gazette. 24 November 2009. p. 20329. The QUEEN has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal bearing date 1 April 2009 to confer on the Parish of Salisbury the status of a City.
  5. ^ "No. 59398". The London Gazette. 21 April 2010. p. 7045.
  6. ^ Briggs, Geoffrey (1971). Civic and Corporate Heraldry: A Dictionary of Impersonal Arms of England, Wales and N. Ireland. London: Heraldry Today. p. 346. ISBN 0-900455-21-7.
  7. ^ Fox-Davies, A C (1915). The Book of Public Arms, 2nd edition. London: T C & E C Jack. p. 690.
  8. ^ a b c "What is the symbolism behind Salisbury's coat of arms?". Wiltshire History Questions. Wiltshire Council. 19 November 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  9. ^ a b Scott-Giles, C Wilfrid (1953). Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 2nd edition. London: J M Dent & Sons. p. 384.
  10. ^ "Elections - May 2021". Salisbury City Council. Retrieved 12 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "About Your Council". Salisbury City Council. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Wiltshire Unitary Authority (UA)". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Gibson, Gemma (10 May 2021). "Local election 2021: Salisbury City Council results revealed". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 12 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata
  • "Views sought on new city council". BBC News Online. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2015. Under the new system of local government, the city council would have the same powers and functions as a town or parish council. These include looking after allotments, burial ground, cemeteries and crematoria, bus shelters, community centres, the arts, public footpaths and public toilets.
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