Chief Executive Simon Baker | Mayor Cllr George Wharmby | |
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Deputy Leader Cllr Tony Kemp, Conservative | ||
High Peak Borough Council is the local authority for High Peak, a borough of Derbyshire, England. It forms part of the two-tier system of local government for High Peak, alongside Derbyshire County Council. The administrative base of High Peak Borough Council is split between sites in the towns of Buxton and Glossop. Full council meetings are usually held in Buxton. The whole council is elected once every four years. As of May 2015 the council is controlled by the Conservatives.
Contents
In February 2008, the council formed a strategic alliance with the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, an arrangement where both councils share a number of services and staff to keep costs as low as possible.
History
The High Peak Borough Council was formed on 1 April 1974 by absorbing the municipal boroughs of Buxton and Glossop, the urban districts of New Mills and Whaley Bridge and the rural district of Chapel-en-le-Frith, all of which had previously been in the administrative county of Derbyshire, as well as the rural district of Tintwistle which had been in the administrative county of Cheshire.
At the May 2011 election the Conservative Party lost overall control of the council and it became No overall control, with the Labour Party having the largest number of seats but being short of a majority.
Shortly after taking office in 2007, the Conservative Party implemented a number of policies including contracting out the refuse and recycling services. The contract began in August 2008, and was continued by the succeeding Labour administration.
In June 2009, the ruling Conservative administration took the decision to dispose of the former council headquarters in Chinley, which also housed the location of full council meetings. The Council said that disposal of the site would save £200,000 per year. The site has now been sold.
Administration
The Council, made up of 43 councillors, is currently controlled by the Conservatives, which won 23 seats at the 2015 local election.
Leader
At the 2015 local election, Tony Ashton became the Leader of High Peak Borough Council and Tony Kemp became the Deputy Leader, after the Conservative Party gained control with a majority of 3.
From 2003 to 2007 the Leader was David Lomax of the Liberal Democrats. In 2007, after the Conservatives gained control of the council, John Faulkner was elected to the post, but he resigned less than a year later and Deputy Leader Tony Ashton took over as Leader.
From 2011 to 2015 the Leader was Caitlin Bisknell, after the Labour Party gained control with a minority administration.
Mayor
The current Mayor is Cllr Stuart Young who was elected as Mayor of High Peak for 2015/16 in May 2015. Predecessors include:
Executive
At the 2015 election, the Labour Party lost minority control of the council and the Conservative Party became the largest party with 23 seats, gaining a majority of 3. Upon taking control they increased the number of councillors on the executive from four to five.
Electoral wards and councillors
Below is a list of all 43 serving councillors: