Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Worcester City Council

Local authority for the city of Worcester, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Worcester City Council
Remove ads

Worcester City Council is the local authority for Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. Worcester has had a council since medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 the council has been a non-metropolitan district council. The council consists of 35 councillors, elected from 15 wards. It is based at Worcester Guildhall. The council has been under no overall control since 2022, and has been run by a Labour minority administration since the 2024 election.

Quick facts Type, Leadership ...
Remove ads

History

Summarize
Perspective

Worcester was an ancient borough which had held city status from time immemorial. The city was given the right to appoint its own sheriff in 1621, making it a county corporate, independent from the jurisdiction of the Sheriff of Worcestershire.[3]

The city was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. It was then governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Worcester", but generally known as the corporation or city council.[4] When elected county councils were established in 1889, Worcester was considered large enough for its existing city council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a county borough, independent from Worcestershire County Council.[5]

In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the city had its territory enlarged, gaining the parishes of Warndon and St Peter the Great County and it became a non-metropolitan district, with Hereford and Worcester County Council providing county-level services.[6] Worcester retained its borough status, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, whilst its city status was re-conferred on the enlarged district, allowing the council to take the name Worcester City Council.[7][8] Hereford and Worcester was abolished in 1998, since when a re-established Worcestershire County Council has been the upper-tier authority for Worcester.[9]

Remove ads

Political control

Summarize
Perspective

The council has been under no overall control since 2022. Following the 2024 election, Labour had most seats and formed a minority administration.[10]

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[11][12][13]

More information Party in control, Years ...

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Worcester is largely ceremonial, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2002 have been:

More information Councillor, Party ...
  1. Nominally "joint leader" after 17 May 2022, with provision made for Labour as second largest party to appoint another joint leader, but they chose not to do so.[28]

Composition

Following the 2024 election,[33] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was as follows:[34]

More information Party, Councillors ...

The next election is due in 2028.[35]

Remove ads

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 35 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[36]

Premises

The city council is based at Worcester Guildhall on the High Street in the city centre.[37] The current guildhall was built in 1723 on a site which had been occupied by a guildhall since about 1227.[38]

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads