Milton Keynes Council
Milton Keynes Council is the local council of the Borough of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The borough is divided into 19 wards, electing 57 councillors.
Milton Keynes Council | |
|---|---|
| Third of council elected three years out of four | |
 | |
 Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Mayor of Milton Keynes | |
Leader of the Council | |
Chief executive | Michael Bracey since 26 October 2018 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 57 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Meeting place | |
| Civic Offices, Milton Keynes | |
| Website | |
| milton-keynes | |
| Footnotes | |
| Labour Party minority administration with Liberal Democrat confidence and supply (but not coalition) | |
History
The council was formed by the Local Government Act 1972 as the Milton Keynes District Council, under Buckinghamshire County Council. The council was first elected in 1973, a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the District of Milton Keynes on 1 April 1974. The council gained borough status, entitling it to be known as Milton Keynes Borough Council and to annually appoint a (ceremonial) Mayor of Milton Keynes.[2][3]
It was envisaged through the Local Government Act 1972 that Milton Keynes as a non-metropolitan district council would share power with the Buckinghamshire County Council. This arrangement lasted until 1997 when the district council gained responsibility for services that had been provided within Milton Keynes by the county council. On becoming a Unitary Authority, the council renamed itself Milton Keynes Council.
Powers and functions
The local council derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Milton Keynes is within a non-metropolitan area of England. 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 and is responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal. The council also appoints members to Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority and the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel, both of which serve the borough.
Political control
One third of the council is elected each year for three years, followed by one year without election. Since 1996 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:[4]
| Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| Labour | 1996–2000 |
| No overall control | 2000–2002 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2002–2006 |
| No overall control | 2006–present |
Since May 2014, the Labour Party has held office as a minority administration. The Labour Party continues in office with confidence and supply support from the Liberal Democrats.
Technology facilitation
In recent years, the Council has promoted the Milton Keynes urban area as a test-bed for experimental urban technologies. One of these projects is the LUTZ Pathfinder pod, an autonomous (self-driving) vehicle built by the Transport Systems Catapult. Trials took place in Milton Keynes in 2016.[5][6]
References
- "CMIS > Councillors". milton-keynes.cmis.uk.com.
- "District Councils and Boroughs". Hansard 1803–2005. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- "Table III(a)". Local Government in England and wales. a Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. pp. 15–109. ISBN 0117508470.
- "Milton Keynes". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- Burn-Callander, Rebecca (11 February 2015). "This is the Lutz pod, the UK's first driverless car". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- Davies, Rob (11 October 2016). "Self-driving car tested for first time in UK in Milton Keynes". the Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
