Bristol City Council

{{main|History of local government in Bristol}}

Bristol was an ancient borough. Its date of becoming a borough is not known; its earliest known charter was issued by Henry II around 1164.{{cite book |title=Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 2 |date=1835 |pages=1151–1152 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3FTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1151 |access-date=22 May 2024}} The borough had a mayor from at least 1216.{{cite web |title=Mayors of Bristol since 1216 |url=http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/council_and_democracy/lord_mayor_of_bristol/list_of_mayors_since_1216/Mayors%20of%20Bristol%20since%201216.pdf |website=Bristol City Council |access-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405165049/http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/council_and_democracy/lord_mayor_of_bristol/list_of_mayors_since_1216/Mayors%20of%20Bristol%20since%201216.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2013}}

The early borough was entirely in Gloucestershire, being on the north side of the original course of the River Avon, which formed the county boundary with Somerset. From the 13th century the borough boundaries were extended to include the Redcliffe area on the south side of river. In recognition of the town's growing importance, and also to avoid the administrative problems caused by the borough straddling two counties, in 1373 the borough was made a county corporate with its own sheriff.{{cite book |last1=Ralph |first1=Elizabeth |title=Government of Bristol, 1373–1973 |date=1973 |publisher=Corporation of Bristol |location=Bristol |pages=5–6 |url=https://archive.org/details/ralph-government/page/n5/mode/2up |access-date=23 May 2024}} Bristol became a city on the creation of the Diocese of Bristol in 1542.{{cite book |last1=Cannon |first1=John |title=Oxford Dictionary of British History |date=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |page=154 |isbn=978-0-19-158022-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_iJBc0IZh24C&pg=PT154 |access-date=23 May 2024}}

Bristol was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country.{{cite book |title=Municipal Corporations Act |date=1835 |page=455 |url=https://archive.org/details/statutesunitedk35britgoog/page/454/mode/2up |access-date=22 May 2024}} It was then governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the city of Bristol",{{cite book |title=A Collection of the Public General Statutes, Passed in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Years of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria |date=1866 |page=491 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3xqwX7lLLUC&pg=PA491 |access-date=23 May 2024}} which was generally known as the corporation or city council.{{cite book |last1=Ralph |first1=Elizabeth |title=Guide to the Bristol Archives Office |date=1971 |location=Bristol |page=32 |isbn=978-0-902945-01-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SYfAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Bristol%20Corporation%22 |access-date=23 May 2024}}{{cite book |title=Statutory Rules and Orders |date=1903 |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |page=1741 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ds0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1741 |access-date=23 May 2024}} The city boundaries were enlarged on numerous occasions.{{cite web |title=Bristol Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10153311 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=23 May 2024}}{{cite book |last1=Ralph |first1=Elizabeth |title=Government of Bristol, 1373–1973 |date=1973 |publisher=Corporation of Bristol |location=Bristol |pages=57 |url=https://archive.org/details/ralph-government/page/56/mode/2up |access-date=23 May 2024}}

File:Oldcouncilhousebristol.JPG: Council's meeting place 1827–1952]]

When elected county councils were established in 1889, Bristol became a county borough, with the council taking responsibility for county-level functions that would otherwise have fallen to a county council to provide.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41}} In 1899 the city's mayor was raised to the status of a lord mayor.

Local government was reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. Bristol kept the same boundaries (which had last been expanded in 1966) but was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district and placed in the new county of Avon, with county-level functions passing to the Avon County Council.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=23 May 2024}} Bristol's borough and city statuses and its lord mayoralty were all transferred to the new district and its council, which took the name Bristol City Council.{{cite web |title=District Councils and Boroughs |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145 |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=23 May 2024 |date=28 March 1974}}{{London Gazette|issue=46255|page=4400|date=4 April 1974}}

In 1996 the county of Avon and its council were abolished, and Bristol City Council gained responsibility for county-level services. The way this change was legally implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Bristol covering the same area as the existing district, but with no separate county council; instead the existing city council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority. This therefore had the effect of restoring the city council to the powers it had held when Bristol was a county borough prior to 1974. As a consequence of being made a non-metropolitan county, the ceremonial position of Lord Lieutenant of Bristol was also created in 1996.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995|year=1995|number=493|access-date=23 May 2024}}

Following a referendum in 2012, the council was led by a directly elected mayor.{{cite news |title=Bristol votes in favour of directly-elected mayor |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-17922812 |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=4 May 2012}} The position was known as the Mayor of Bristol; it was distinct from the more ceremonial position of Lord Mayor. The mayor exercised executive powers and chose councillors to sit in a cabinet. It was decided via another referendum in 2022 to abolish the directly elected mayor's position, which took effect following the 2024 election. Since then, the council has been run by a committee system, with a leader of the council as its political leader instead.{{cite news |title=Bristol mayor vote: City decides to abolish mayor post |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-61336049 |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/huge-political-switch-happening-bristol-8986002 |title=The huge political switch happening in Bristol in 2024 that will completely change how the city is run |last=Seabrook |first=Alex |newspaper=Bristol Post |date=29 December 2023 |access-date=31 December 2023}}

A combined authority was established in 2017 covering Bristol and the neighbouring Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas, called the West of England Combined Authority. It is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the West of England.{{cite news |title='Metro mayor' to run new West of England authority |url=https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2016-11-15/metro-mayor-to-run-new-west-of-england-authority |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=ITV News |date=15 November 2016}}{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The West of England Combined Authority Order 2017|year=2017|number=126|access-date=23 May 2024}}

Bristol City Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. There are no civil parishes in the city,{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=23 May 2024}} but the city council runs nine area committees to discuss local matters.{{cite web |title=Committee Structure |url=https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/mgListCommittees.aspx?bcr=1 |website=Bristol City Council |access-date=23 May 2024}}

The council has been under no overall control since 2021. The Green Party became the largest party following a by-election in February 2023, but until the ending of the mayoral system in May 2024 the council continued to be led by the Labour mayor, Marvin Rees, and the cabinet he chose.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-64508748 |title=Bristol by-election: Green Party becomes largest on council |last=Seabrook |first=Alex |work=BBC News |date=3 February 2023 |access-date=3 February 2023}} Following the 2024 election the Green Party increased their number of seats, but remained two seats short of having an overall majority. Green councillor Tony Dyer was subsequently appointed leader of the council and chair of the co-ordinating Strategy and Resources Policy Committee. Other policy committee chair positions were shared amongst the Greens and Liberal Democrats.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-21 |title=Bristol City Council's new committee roles are approved |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9917ddzjro |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Postans |first=Adam |date=2024-05-15 |title=Greens to lead Bristol City Council in 'coalition' with Lib Dems |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/greens-lead-bristol-city-council-9286559 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Bristol Live |language=en}}

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Bristol" in search box to see specific results.)

Lower tier non-metropolitan district

Unitary authority

Prior to 2012, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leaders from 1974 to 2012 were:{{cite book |last1=Sweeting |first1=David |last2=Hambleton |first2=Robin |last3=Oliver |first3=Thom |title=The Bristol Referendum 2022: Thinking through the options |date=March 2022 |publisher=The Bristol Civic Leadership Project |page=36 |url=https://bristolcivicleadership.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/the-bristol-referendum-2022.-thinking-through-the-options.pdf |access-date=8 December 2024}}

Between 2012 and 2024 the council had directly-elected mayors. The mayors were:{{efn|Mayoral terms of office ran from the fourth day after the election day.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Authorities (Elected Mayors) (Elections, Terms of Office and Casual Vacancies) (England) Regulations 2001|year=2001|number=2544|regulation=6}}}}

In 2024 the position of directly elected mayor was abolished and the post of leader of the council re-established. The leaders since 2024 have been:

Following the 2024 election the composition of the council was:{{cite news |title=Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/may/02/local-elections-2024-full-council-results-for-england |access-date=21 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2024}}

The next election is due in May 2028.

{{main|Bristol City Council elections|List of electoral wards in Bristol}}

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 70 councillors representing 34 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Bristol (Electoral Changes) Order 2015|year=2015|number=1871|access-date=23 May 2024}}

The council meets and has its main offices at City Hall on College Green. The building was purpose-built for the council. Construction began in the 1930s but was paused due to the Second World War. The building would be completed in 1952.{{NHLE|desc=Council House and attached railings and piers, College Green|grade=II*|num=1282341|access-date=23 May 2024}} It was called the 'Council House' until 2012, when it was renamed 'City Hall'.{{cite news |title=Bristol mayor George Ferguson is sworn in |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20391547 |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=19 November 2012}}

Prior to 1952 the council met at the Old Council House on Corn Street, which had been completed in 1827.{{NHLE|desc=The Old Council House and attached front gates|grade=II*|num=1207433|access-date=23 May 2024}}

The Bristol City Youth Council (BCYC) are an elected group of young people aged 11 to 18. Members are voted for in the Bristol Big Youth Vote, which takes place in schools, with students voting. The constituencies for Youth Council are divided into Bristol North, Bristol East Central, and Bristol South, with each area having eight members. This is in addition to several co-optees from special representation groups such as Young Carers, Unity Youth, and the Children in Care Council.

The purpose of the Youth Council is to express young people's views on the decisions that are important to them and that their opinions are voiced and heard. They also run internal and external campaigns

The Youth Council also internally elects two members of youth parliament (MYP), and two youth mayors.{{Cite web |title=Bristol City Youth Council and Youth Mayors |url=https://www.bristol.gov.uk/council/how-council-decisions-are-made/bristol-city-youth-council-and-youth-mayors |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Bristol City Council |language=en-gb}}

• History of Bristol City Council
• Politics of Bristol
• Mansion House, Bristol

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• {{Official website}}

{{Unitary authorities of England}}

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Category:Unitary authority councils of England

Category:Local education authorities in England

Category:Local authorities in Bristol

Category:Billing authorities in England

Category:Local government in Bristol

Category:Local authorities in England with elected mayor

Category:1974 establishments in England

Category:Government agencies established in 1974