Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is the local authority of the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority.

Portsmouth City Council
Type
Type
History
Founded7 June 1973 (1973-06-07) (Non-metropolitan district)
1 April 1997 (1997-04-01) (Unitary authority)
Leadership
Cllr Rob Wood
since May 2020
Leader of the Council
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson CBE, Liberal Democrat
since 15th May 2018
Chief Executive
David Williams
Structure
Seats42 councillors
Political groups
Administration (17)
  Liberal Democrats (17)
Opposition (25)
  Conservative (15)
  Labour (6)
  Progressive Portsmouth People Group (2)
  Independent (2)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
2 May 2019
Next election
May 2021
Meeting place
Civic Offices, Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth
Website
www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Powers and functions

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Portsmouth is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Portsmouth City 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 unitary council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries, and waste disposal.

Political composition

Portsmouth City Council consists of 42 councillors with one third of the council being elected every four years, electing one out of three councillors for each of the city's 14 wards.

Since the first election to the council in 1973 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:

Party in control
Non-metropolitan district
Conservative1973-1990[1]
No overall control1990-1995
Labour1995-1997
Unitary authority
Labour1996-2000
No overall control2000-2009[2][3]
Liberal Democrats2009-2014[4]
No overall control (Conservative Administration)2014–2018[5]
No overall control (Liberal Democrat Administration)2018–present[6]

Councillors and wards

List of Portsmouth city councillors by ward:[7]

Ward Councillor Term in
office
Notes
Baffins Darren Sanders 2016-20 Sanders was his party's candidate in the 2001, 2010, 2015, and 2017 general elections in the Portsmouth North constituency, and his party's candidate in the 2005 general election in the Streatham constituency. Cabinet Member for Housing.
Baffins Jeanette Smith 2018-22 Member of the Progressive Portsmouth People Group since 2019[8]
Baffins Lynne Stagg 2019-23 Cabinet Member for Traffic & Transportation.
Central Southsea Steve Pitt 2016-20 Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport & Deputy Leader.
Central Southsea George Fielding 2018-22
Central Southsea Suzy Horton 2019-23 Cabinet Member for Education.
Charles Dickens Stephen Morgan 2016-20 Labour Party group leader, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South
Charles Dickens Claire Udy 2018-22 Group Leader of the Progressive Portsmouth People Group since 2019[9]
Charles Dickens Cal Corkery 2019-23
Copnor Neill Young 2016-20
Copnor Ben Swann 2018-22
Copnor Robert New 2019-23
Cosham Hannah Hockaday 2018-22
Cosham Lee Mason 2019-20 Lee Mason was suspended from the Conservative Party in April 2020 after allegedly baking a hot cross bun that appeared to have a swastika ‘emblazoned’ on it over Easter.[10]
2020-23
Cosham Matthew Atkins 2019-23
Drayton & Farlington Steve Wemyss 2016-20
Drayton & Farlington Simon Bosher 2018-22
Drayton & Farlington Terry Norton 2019-23
Eastney & Craneswater Matthew Winnington 2016-20 Winnington was his party's candidate for the Fareham constituency in the 2015 and 2017 general elections. Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care.
Eastney & Craneswater Luke Stubbs 2018-22 Deputy Conservative Group Leader.
Eastney & Craneswater Linda Symes 2019-23
Fratton David Fuller 2016-20 Lord Mayor of Portsmouth
Fratton Tom Coles 2018-22
Fratton Dave Ashmore 2019-23 Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change
Hilsea Donna Jones 2016-20 Conservative group and former Leader of the Council from 2014 to 2018.[11]
Hilsea Frank Jonas BEM 2018-22
Hilsea Scott Payter-Harris 2019-23
Milton Will Purvis 2016-20
Milton Ben Dowling 2018-22
Milton Gerald Vernon-Jackson
CBE
2019-23 Liberal Democrats group leader and leader of the council since 2018. Vernon-Jackson was his party's candidate for Portsmouth South in the 2015 and 2017 general elections. Former Portsmouth Council Leader from 2004 to 2014.
Nelson Leo Madden 2016-20 Former Leader of the Council from 1994-2000, and again from 2001-2002.
Nelson Jason Fazackarley 2018-22
Nelson Lee Hunt 2019-23 Cabinet Member for Community Safety
Paulsgrove John Ferrett 2016-20 Former leader of the Labour group; although a member of Renew Britain,[12] Ferrett sits as a Non Aligned Independent.[13]
Paulsgrove Jo Hooper 2018-22
Paulsgrove Gemma New 2019-23
St Jude Hugh Mason 2016-20
St Jude Judith Smyth 2018-22
St Jude Graham Heaney 2019-23
St Thomas Tom Wood 2016-20 Cabinet Member for Resources
St Thomas Rob Wood 2018-22 Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Former Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Former Deputy Lord Mayor
St Thomas Chris Attwell 2019-23

See also

References

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