South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire Council
Type
Type	Unitary authority council
Leadership
Chair	Erica Williams
Vice Chair	Ian Blair
Structure
Seats	70 councillors
Conservative	40 / 70
Liberal Democrat	16 / 70
Labour	14 / 70
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	7 May 2015
Website
www.southglos.gov.uk

South Gloucestershire Council is the local authority of South Gloucestershire, a unitary authority in the South West of England region. As a unitary authority it has the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. As such, it is administratively separate from the rest of Gloucestershire.

The council area elects 70 Councillors from 35 wards. Following the May 2015 local elections, South Gloucestershire Council comprises 40 Conservative Councillors, 16 Liberal Democrat Councillors, and 14 Labour Councillors. The current Chair of Tewkesbury Borough Council is Erica Williams (Conservative) and the current Vice Chair is Ian Blair (Liberal Democrat).

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, South Gloucestershire is a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, South Gloucestershire Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.