Somerset Council | |
|---|---|
 The coat of arms of the council | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Duncan Sharkey since 3 October 2022[3] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 110 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years (from 2027) |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Hall, The Crescent, Taunton, TA1 4DY | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Somerset Council, known until 1 April 2023 as Somerset County Council, is the unitary authority which governs the district of Somerset, which occupies the southern part of the ceremonial county of the same name in the South West of England. The council has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since the 2022 local elections, and its headquarters is County Hall in Taunton.
The council is the successor to the county council of the administrative county of Somerset, which was created on 1 April 1889. The council was abolished and reconstituted in 1974, when local government in England was reformed and a non-metropolitan county of Somerset was created, governed by a county council and five, later four, district councils. The districts were abolished in 2023 and the county council took on their responsibilities, becoming a unitary authority.[4]
The Conservative Party has been the largest or second-largest party on the council since 1973, and since 1981 has competed with the Liberal Democrats for control; each party has formed several majority administrations in the period since.[5]
- ^ "Councillor details". Somerset Council. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ "Somerset election results 2022: Lib Dems win control". BBC News. 6 May 2022.
- ^ Hill, Phil (3 October 2022). "Duncan Sharkey's first day as CEO at Somerset County Council". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ "Frequently asked questions". Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Somerset County Council Election Results 1973-2009" (PDF). Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 22 June 2023.