Hampshire County Council

Hampshire County Council
Coat of arms or logo
Depiction of Coat of arms
Logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1889
Leadership
Keith Mans,
Conservative
since 23 May 2024[1]
Nick Adams-King,
Conservative
since 23 May 2024
Carolyn Williamson
since 19 July 2021 [2]
Structure
Seats78 councillors [3]
Hampshire County Council composition
Political groups
Administration (51)
  Conservative (51)
Other parties (26)
  Liberal Democrats (17)
  Independent (3)
  Labour (3)
  Green (2)
  Whitehill & Bordon Community Party (1):
  Vacant (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
1 May 2025
Meeting place
The Castle, Upper High Street, Winchester, SO23 8UJ[4]
Website
www.hants.gov.uk
Constitution
Hampshire County Council - The Constitution

Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire in England. The council was created in 1889. The county council provides county-level services to eleven of the thirteen districts geographically located within the ceremonial county of Hampshire. The county council acts as the upper tier of local government to approximately 1.4 million people.[5] It is one of 21 county councils in England.

Whilst they form part of the ceremonial county of Hampshire, the two cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are unitary authorities, independent from Hampshire County Council. The county council comprises 78 elected councillors, who meet in the city of Winchester, which is the county town.[6]

Since 1997, the council has been controlled by the Conservatives.[7]

In November 2022, the county council warned it may face bankruptcy within 12 months due to austerity cuts, alongside similar warnings from Kent County Council.[8]

  1. ^ Oliver, Toby (23 May 2024). "Hampshire County Council elects new leader and chairman". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Chief Executive Officer of Hampshire County Council". Hampshire County Council. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Your Councillors". Hampshire County Council. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Map" (PDF). Hampshire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Hampshire Population". Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Your Councillors". democracy.hants.gov.uk. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2015). Hampshire County Council Election Results 1973-2009 (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Hampshire and Kent councils warn they could go bankrupt in less than a year". ITV News. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.