A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county . This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
75-469: Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon . Based in the city of Exeter , the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon. Members of the council (councillors) are elected every four years to represent the electorate of each county division , almost all being nominated by the major national political parties. The population of the area administered by
150-608: A leave of absence . The (elected) county mayor should not be confused with the (appointed) county governor . The county council has its roots in Amtsformandskabet created in 1837. Starting in 1964, members of the county councils were appointed by the municipal councils. In 1975, the first general elections were held for the county councils. The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Ireland, although they are now governed under legislation passed by
225-422: A town hall . Typical activities undertaken by a parish council include maintaining allotments, footpaths, playing fields and the local community or village hall. On some matters, the county council share responsibilities with the district and parish councils. These include economic development and regeneration, emergency planning, tourism promotion and coastal protection. There was no established coat of arms for
300-602: A twinning charter with the Conseil General of Calvados to develop links with the French department of Calvados . The council was significantly reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth were brought within the area controlled by the county council, and the lower-tier districts in the county were completely reorganised. Torbay and Plymouth subsequently regained their independence from
375-539: A vote of no confidence in the leader. In addition, the compliance of councillors with their code of conduct may be overseen by a standards committee, although since the coming into effect of the Localism Act 2011 this can be dispensed with and its functions can be delegated to a monitoring officer. The elected mayor and cabinet model was introduced by the Local Government Act 2000. Councils currently operating
450-517: A 'unitary Devon' (excluding Plymouth and Torbay ), with a second option of a 'unitary Exeter & Exmouth ' (combined) and a unitary 'rest of Devon'. This would have abolished lower-tier district councils which work together with Devon County Council. These proposals were put out to consultation until September 2008 and the Committee was expected to make final recommendations to the Secretary of State by
525-472: A result, the status of some of these (mainly) more rural counties changed. Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire became unitary authorities providing all services. Some of these councils have dropped the word "county" from their titles. Bedfordshire and Cheshire county councils were abolished with more than one unitary council established within the boundaries of the abolished council. Other county councils remained unchanged, particularly in
600-434: A slightly different division of powers between county and district councils, however. The county and district councils were abolished twenty-two years later, when the present system of principal areas was introduced. A county council is a type of local government that is responsible for providing services to a specific county or region. It is typically composed of elected officials who are responsible for making decisions about
675-464: A system of large regional councils was introduced. Regions were themselves abolished in 1996 and replaced by the current unitary council areas . In Scotland, control of county administration was in the hands of Commissioners of Supply . This was a body of the principal landowners liable to pay land tax, and was unelected. The first elections to Scottish county councils took place in February 1890. Only
750-404: A third option for an elected mayor and council manager, which was only adopted by one authority and was later withdrawn. Additionally, lower tier authorities with a population under 85,000 were allowed to continue to use a committee system. The leader and cabinet model was introduced under the Local Government Act 2000 . It consists of the leader and the cabinet itself, which is usually formed by
825-499: A unitary authority. County councils were abolished under the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 in 1973. The only local authorities since that date have been district councils . In Scotland county councils existed from 1890 to 1975. They were created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and reconstituted forty years later by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 . County councils were abolished in 1975 when
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#1732848975930900-483: A whole. These decisions are scrutinised by one or more "overview and scrutiny" committees, which may be dedicated to one or more service areas. The leader and cabinet are responsible for policies, plans, and strategies, which must be within the budget adopted by the full council. These will be reported to the overall "full" council, which is convened to bring together all elected members of the authority at regular meetings. One or more overview and scrutiny committees holds
975-408: Is also administered by eight smaller authorities that have their own district , borough or city councils. The responsibilities of these councils include local planning, council housing, refuse collection, sports and leisure facilities, and street cleaning. The district areas are further divided into civil parishes , which have " parish councils " or " town councils "; the latter of which often use
1050-495: Is as follows: The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2009. Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1974 have been: Devon County Council's responsibilities include schools, social care for the elderly and vulnerable, road maintenance, libraries and trading standards. It is the largest employer in Devon , employing over 20,000 people, and has
1125-459: Is based at Devon County Hall on Topsham Road in Exeter, which was completed in 1964 to the designs of Donald McMorran . Prior to 1964 the council was based at Rougemont Castle (also known as Exeter Castle) in Exeter, where the quarter sessions for the county had been held for many years prior to the creation of the county council. An office building for the county council was built in 1895 adjoining
1200-455: Is exercised, alongside full council, by a number of committees, made up of councillors in proportion to their parties' representation on the council. Such councils may choose to nominate a councillor as Leader of the Council for the purposes of representing the political leadership of the council, particularly in relations with external bodies. If no leader is nominated, as was the case prior to 2000,
1275-503: Is sometimes used in English for regional municipal bodies in other countries. Both Swedish and Norwegian county councils are directly elected by their inhabitants as it is also the case in Romania during local elections. There are some differences between them in responsibilities. Cabinet-style council Executive mayor elected by the people, elected legislative City council Council - Manager Executive leader elected by
1350-560: The Earl of Morley ). On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from the College of Arms . The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall . The chief or upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on waves, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto adopted was Auxilio Divino ("by divine aid"), that of Sir Francis Drake . The 1926 grant
1425-633: The Greater London Council . Greater London was declared to be an "area" and not to lie in any county. In addition two pairs of administrative counties were merged to become Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough under recommendations made by the Local Government Commission for England . The Local Government Act 1972 completely reorganised local authorities in England and Wales. County boroughs were abolished and
1500-604: The Irish War of Independence . The Irish Free State inherited the local authorities created by the United Kingdom legislation. The first elections after independence were held on 23 June 1925, following amendments by the Local Government Act 1925 . The act abolished rural district councils (except in County Dublin ) and passed their powers to the county councils. At the following election all county councils were to be increased:
1575-450: The Local Government Act 1958 recommended a reduction in the number of county councils in Wales and Monmouthshire from thirteen to seven, but reform did not take place until 1974. From 1 April 1974 the number of counties and county councils was reduced to eight in number. Like the county councils introduced in England at the same time, the whole council was elected every four years. There was
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#17328489759301650-510: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 , the number of county councils was again reduced: a merger of North Tipperary and South Tipperary County Councils created a single Tipperary County Council ; and the city and county councils of Limerick and Waterford were merged to create Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council . In Taiwan, a county council is the legislative body of each county . Members of
1725-466: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . Following invitations from central government in 2007, a number of county councils and their associated districts examined ways in which local government provision could be rationalised, mainly in the form of abolishing the existing county and district councils and establishing one-tier authorities for all or parts of these existing counties. As
1800-466: The Oireachtas , with the principal act being the Local Government Act 2001 . The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 introduced county councils to Ireland, with a lower tier of governance of urban and rural districts . The administrative and financial business carried by county grand juries and county at large presentment sessions were transferred to the new councils. Principal among these duties were
1875-451: The metropolitan boroughs and joint boards. The Local Government Act 1992 established a new Local Government Commission whose remit was to conduct a review of the structure of local administration, and the introduction of unitary authorities where appropriate. Accordingly, the number of county councils was reduced: Avon , Berkshire, Cleveland , Hereford and Worcester and Humberside were abolished, while Worcestershire County Council
1950-465: The 1990s they also ran colleges of further education and the careers services. That decade also saw the privatisation of some traditional services, such as highway maintenance, cleaning and school meals. County councils were created by the Local Government Act 1888 ( 51 & 52 Vict. c. 41), largely taking over the administrative functions of the unelected county courts of quarter sessions . County councils consisted of councillors, directly elected by
2025-495: The ICO said "It would be far too easy to consider these breaches as simple human error . The reality is that they are caused by councils treating sensitive personal data in the same routine way they would deal with more general correspondence. Far too often in these cases, the councils do not appear to have acknowledged that the data they are handling is about real people, and often the more vulnerable members of society." The county council
2100-565: The Scottish county councils were completely reconstituted. Their powers were increased in small burghs . On the other hand, large burghs became independent of the county for most purposes. The district committees created in 1890 were abolished and replaced by district councils, partly consisting of county councillors and partly of directly elected district councillors. Two joint county councils were created, for Perthshire and Kinross-shire and Moray and Nairnshire . The county councils also gained
2175-439: The aldermen took place every three years thereafter. The areas over which the councils had authority were designated as administrative counties . The writ of the county councils did not extend everywhere: large towns and some historic counties corporate were constituted county boroughs by the same act. County borough councils were independent of the council for the county in which they were geographically situated, and exercised
2250-556: The application did not meet all their strict criteria. Had the bid succeeded, Devon County Council, headquartered in Exeter , would have had no local governmental control of the City of Exeter. The Boundary Committee was asked to look at the feasibility of a unitary Exeter in the context of examining options for unitary arrangements in the wider Devon county area, and reported back in July 2008 recommending
2325-431: The cabinet to account for its decisions and is responsible that the democratic checks and balances are maintained. The principal executive decisions taken by the council as a whole are to appoint the leader, to approve the leader's budget, to adopt development plan documents, and to agree on the council's constitution. Beyond that, it may raise issues, urge the leader, cabinet, or cabinet members to take actions, or pass
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2400-463: The chair of the council's main policy committee may be informally deemed to be the council's de facto leader. Some councils operate governance arrangements which have the characteristics of more than one formal governance option. For example, an authority operating under conventional executive arrangements but whose overview and scrutiny committees operate in a manner similar to those under the committee system (developing policy, taking an active part in
2475-401: The committee system is used, executive power is exercised through various committees rather than being focussed on one person. Many councils which use the committee system still nominate one of the councillors to hold the title 'Leader of the Council', albeit without the same powers as a leader under the leader and cabinet model. From the establishment of elected local authorities in England in
2550-457: The control of the Parliament of Northern Ireland , who quickly introduced the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1922 , abolishing proportional representation. Electoral districts were redrawn, and a property qualification for voters ( Plural voting ) introduced, ensuring Unionist controlled councils in counties with Nationalist majorities. In 1968 Fermanagh County Council was reconstituted as
2625-519: The council "to any body or persons or person he shall think fit". The power was widely used by ministers of all parties. For example, Kerry County Council was dissolved from 1930 to 1932, and from 1945 to 1948, with commissioners appointed to perform the council's function. The number of county councils was increased from 27 to 29 in 1994 when County Dublin was split under the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 into three new counties: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin . In 2014, under
2700-481: The council from among themselves Elected mayor and cabinet Executive mayor elected by the people Committee system Executive leader and executive committees elected by the council from among themselves In England, local authorities are required to adopt one of three types of executive arrangements , having an "elected mayor and cabinet ", a "leader and cabinet", or a "committee system". The type of arrangement used determines how decisions will be made within
2775-491: The council was estimated at 795,286 in 2018, making it the largest local authority in South West England . Devon is an area with "two-tier" local government, meaning that the county is divided into non-metropolitan districts carrying out less strategic functions, such as taking most planning decisions . In Devon there are eight such districts, each with its own district, borough, or city council. Devon County Council
2850-504: The council. In councils which use the elected mayor system, the mayor is directly elected by the electorate to provide political leadership for the council and has power to make executive decisions. In councils which use the leader and cabinet model (the most commonly used model), the elected councillors choose one of their number to be the Leader of the Council , and that person provides political leadership and can make executive decisions. Where
2925-449: The councillors for the "landward" part of the county were elected however. The remainder of the council were co-opted by the town councils of the burghs in the county. Scottish county councils also differed from those in England and Wales as they were required to divide their county into districts. A district committee of the county councillors elected for the area were an independent local council for some administrative purposes. In 1930
3000-536: The councils are elected through local elections held every 4 years. The Outline for Implementing Local Autonomy for Cities and Counties was promulgated in April 1950. County councils were established in 1951. In 1999 the Local Government Act was enacted. As stipulated in the Act, duties of the county councils include approving the county budget, levying local taxes and enacting local ordinances. County councils were formed in
3075-489: The county council in 1998 when both were made unitary authorities. In 2012 the Council was fined £90,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after it sent confidential and sensitive information about twenty-two people, including criminal allegations and information about their mental health , to the wrong recipient. Commenting on Devon and other authorities who had made similar data protection breaches,
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3150-481: The county until 1926: the arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for instance in the badge of the Devonshire Regiment . During the formation of a county council by the Local Government Act 1888 , adoption of a common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and vice-chairman of the council ( Lord Clinton and
3225-447: The county's budget, infrastructure, and services. County councils are responsible for providing services such as education, health care, public safety, transportation, and social services. They also have the power to levy taxes and fees to fund these services. County councils are typically responsible for maintaining roads, bridges, and other infrastructure within their county. They also have the power to pass laws and regulations that affect
3300-582: The county. County councils are typically responsible for providing services to their constituents, such as libraries, parks, and other recreational facilities. County councils are also responsible for providing services to the elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable populations. County councils are typically responsible for providing services to the environment, such as water and air quality, and for protecting natural resources. County councils are also responsible for providing services to businesses, such as economic development and job training. The term county council
3375-538: The duties of the abolished education authorities. Since 1996 Wales has been divided into unitary principal areas . Principal councils were designated by the legislation that created them as either "county councils" or "county borough councils". County and county borough councils have identical powers. Prior to 1996 local government in Wales was similar to that in England. Thus the county councils introduced in 1889 were identical to their English counterparts. The Local Government Commission for Wales appointed under
3450-516: The electorate; and county aldermen , chosen by the council itself. There was one county alderman for every three councillors (one for every six in the London County Council ). The first elections to the councils were held at various dates in January 1889, and they served as "provisional" or shadow councils until 1 April, when they came into their powers. Elections of all councillors and half of
3525-479: The end of the year. As a result of a number of legal challenges to the process and also dissatisfaction on the part of the Secretary of State with the manner in which the Boundary Committee assessed proposals, a recommendation was unlikely until March or April 2009. The Boundary Committee was delayed again following legal challenge by a group of councils in the county of Suffolk . The Court of Appeal rejected
3600-507: The existence of a leader of the council, others did not. The role of Leader of the Council in that regard was similar to that of the British prime minister ; the post had not been explicitly created, but gradually emerged. The Local Government Act 2000 sought to strengthen public engagement with local democracy, and streamline the system of committees, introducing the models of directly elected mayors and cabinets, leaders and cabinets, as well as
3675-427: The existing courthouse which had been built in 1773 within the castle. In Devon, most county councillors who are elected have been nominated by one of England's major political parties, although there are also a small number of independents . At present the majority of councillors in the chamber are Conservatives , who hold 38 of the 60 seats. The council currently operates the local government Cabinet system which
3750-511: The first business of their inaugural meetings being the appointment of additional members. The triennial elections were postponed in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I . The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote to county councils, elected from multi-member electoral areas. Only one election was under the new system before independence, held in January 1920 (in urban areas) and on 2 June 1920 (in rural areas), during
3825-475: The first female councillor was elected in 1931. From the beginning in 1889, the boroughs of Exeter, Devonport and Plymouth were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were made county boroughs , outside the jurisdiction of the county council. Devonport was subsequently absorbed into Plymouth in 1914. Torbay received county borough status and left the area of Devon County Council in 1968. In 1971, Devon County Council signed
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#17328489759303900-558: The functions of both county and district councils. The new system was a major modernisation, which reflected the increasing range of functions carried out by local government in late Victorian Britain . A major accretion of powers took place when education was added to county council responsibilities in 1902. County councils were responsible for more strategic services in a region, with (from 1894) smaller urban district councils and rural district councils responsible for other activities. The Local Government Act 1929 considerably increased
3975-491: The heavily populated parts of England such as the south-east. Further minor local government reforms took place in 2019–20, which led to Dorset and Buckinghamshire also becoming unitary authorities providing all services. County councils existed in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1973. Following partition, six administrative counties remained within the United Kingdom as part of Northern Ireland . Local government came under
4050-454: The largest minor road length (7,373 miles (11,866 km) — 2014) of any UK local authority; major roads are managed by National Highways . Devon County Council appoints eleven members to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority . The Office for National Statistics estimated that the mid-2014 population of the non-metropolitan area of Devon was 765,302, which is the largest in the South West England region. The county council's area
4125-511: The late 19th century. In the various constituent countries of the United Kingdom councils had different powers and different memberships. Following local government reforms in the 1970s, county councils no longer exist in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In England they generally form the top level in a two-tier system of administration; in Wales they are unitary authorities. In England county councils were introduced in 1889, and reformed in 1974. Since
4200-399: The leader of the controlling party as being the 'Leader of the Council'. It was also generally recognised that the most powerful political position on a council was the person who chaired the main policy-making committee, which in most councils was called the policy and resources committee. Usually, the leader of the largest party would chair that committee. Some councils explicitly acknowledged
4275-461: The legal challenge in December 2009 and the Boundary Committee was expected to return to making recommendations on the proposals, to be published at an unknown date. On 10 February 2010, local government ministers gave the go-ahead for Exeter's unitary authority status and ruled out the chance of Devon's unitary authority status, leaving it as a rural county. However, following the 2010 general election
4350-488: The maintenance of highways and bridges, the upkeep and inspection of lunatic asylums and the appointment of coroners . The new bodies also took over some duties from poor law boards of guardians in relation to diseases of cattle and from the justices of the peace to regulate explosives. The Irish county councils differed in constitution from those in Great Britain. Most of the council was directly elected: each county
4425-403: The majority party in the local authority , where there is one, or by a coalition which comes together to elect a leader. The council elects the leader, and the leader appoints the other members of the cabinet. Each cabinet member holds a separate portfolio, such as housing, finance, economic development, or education. Decisions may be delegated to the individual members, or taken by the cabinet as
4500-505: The mayoral model include: The elected mayor and council manager option was also introduced by the Local Government Act 2000, but withdrawn by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . The only local authority to adopt the model was Stoke-on-Trent City Council , reverting to leader and cabinet in 2008. Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2000 allowed district councils in two tier areas, with populations under 85,000, to propose alternative executive arrangements. This
4575-427: The mid-1990s a series of local government reorganisations has reduced the number of county councils as unitary authorities have been established in a number of areas. County councils are very large employers with a great variety of functions including education (schools and youth services), social services, highways, fire and rescue services, libraries, waste disposal, consumer services and town and country planning. Until
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#17328489759304650-450: The new government announced in May 2010 that the reorganisation would be stopped. 50°42′53″N 3°31′3″W / 50.71472°N 3.51750°W / 50.71472; -3.51750 ( County Hall ) County council In Norway, a county council ( Norwegian : Fylkesting ) is the highest governing body of a county municipality ( fylkeskommune ). The county council sets
4725-435: The nineteenth century until the Local Government Act 2000 , councils used a system of committees for decision making. There was no legislative requirement for any councillor to be declared the leader, with the principle being that all the elected councillors were equal in status. In practice, political groups had their own leaders, and when a council was under the control of a particular party, local media would commonly refer to
4800-461: The number of extra councillors was to be twice the number of abolished rural districts. The act set out the powers and duties of county councils and also gave the Minister for Local Government the power to dissolve councils if he was satisfied that "the duties of a local council are not being duly and effectually discharged". He could order new elections to be held, or transfer the power and properties of
4875-539: The powers of county councils. Primarily, the Boards of Guardians were abolished: workhouses were taken over by the county councils as public assistance institutions, and county councils also assumed responsibility for former poor law infirmaries, and fever hospitals. County councils also took charge of highways in rural districts. In 1965 there was a reduction in the number of county councils. The London Government Act 1963 abolished those of London and Middlesex and created
4950-590: The scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by the Chairman of the County Council, more commonly called a County Mayor ( fylkesordfører ). Members of the council are elected for a four-year term through the general local elections , which can extended for a second four-year term. It is common for members of a county council to also hold seats in municipal councils, but very rare that they also hold legislative ( Storting ) or other government office, without
5025-503: The ship emblem on the coat of arms, but following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will continue to be used for "various civic purposes". In 2002, the BBC Devon website held a poll in response to a discussion for a flag of Devon . Ryan Sealey's winning design of green, white, and black
5100-447: The whole of England (apart from Greater London ) was placed in a two-tier arrangement with county councils and district councils. In the six largest conurbations metropolitan county councils, with increased powers, were created. The post of county alderman was abolished, and the entire council was thereafter directly elected every four years. In 1986 the six metropolitan county councils were abolished, with their functions transferred to
5175-446: Was created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 , which created elected county councils to take over the administrative functions previously performed by the quarter sessions , run by unelected magistrates . The first county council elections were held on 16 January 1889 and the new council formally came into being on 1 April 1889. The council's budget in its first year was £ 50,000. In 1907, women became eligible for election and
5250-481: Was divided by the Local Government Board for Ireland into district electoral divisions , each returning a single councillor for a three-year term. In addition urban districts were to form electoral divisions: depending on population they could return multiple county councillors. The county councils were also to consist of "additional members": The first county council elections were held on 6 April 1899, and
5325-554: Was introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 , with the Leader of the Cabinet (and effective head of the authority) elected by the full council. In practice, the Leader is chosen from among the majority Conservative group. After being elected, the Leader chooses the other cabinet members, currently nine, all from the Conservative group. As of November 2024 the political makeup of the council
5400-480: Was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962 a further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the Royal Navy . The supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion . The County Council adopted a 'ship silhouette' logo after the 1974 reorganisation, adapted from
5475-539: Was raised outside County Hall in 2006 to celebrate Local Democracy Week and is endorsed by Devon County Council. From 2007 to 2010 there was a strong possibility that Devon's two-tier council structure might be reorganised. In December 2007, a bid by Exeter City Council to become a unitary council was referred by the Department for Communities and Local Government to the Boundary Committee for England , as they felt
5550-467: Was re-established. The reforms somewhat blurred the distinction between county and district council. The Isle of Wight county council became a unitary authority, renamed the "Isle of Wight Council". Conversely, two unitary district councils added the word "county" to their titles to become " Rutland County Council District Council" and "County of Herefordshire District Council". A further wave of local government reform took place in April 2009 under
5625-420: Was superseded by the changes made by the Localism Act 2011 and the renewed availability of the committee system to all local authorities. Under the Localism Act 2011, principal authorities (such as unitary authorities, county councils, and district councils) were allowed to return to decision-making by committees, the method of local government administration for all councils prior to 2000. Under this model power
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