Warwick District Explained

Warwick District
Type:Non-metropolitan district
Mapsize:frameless
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Name:United Kingdom
Subdivision Type1:Constituent country
Subdivision Name1:England
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:West Midlands
Subdivision Type3:Administrative county
Subdivision Name3:Warwickshire
Seat Type:Admin. HQ
Seat:Leamington Spa
Leader Title1:MPs
Leader Name1:Matt Western (L)
Jeremy Wright (C)
Established Title:Founded
Area Rank:
Population As Of:2021 census
Population Total:148,500
Population Rank:143rd
Population Density Km2:524
Timezone:Greenwich Mean Time
Utc Offset:+0
Timezone Dst:British Summer Time
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcode
Blank Name:ISO 3166-2
Blank1 Name:ONS code
Blank1 Info:44UF (ONS)
E07000222 (GSS)
Blank2 Name:OS grid reference
Blank3 Name:NUTS 3
Demographics Type1:Ethnicity (2021)
Demographics1 Title1:Ethnic groups
Demographics Type2:Religion (2021)
Demographics2 Title1:Religion

Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.

The neighbouring districts are Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Solihull and Coventry.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district was formed through the merger of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named Warwick after the county town.[2]

Proposals to merge the district with neighbouring Stratford-on-Avon District were put forward in 2021 and provisionally agreed, before eventually being abandoned in April 2022.[3] [4]

Governance

Warwick Avon District Council
Logo Pic:Warwick District Council logo.svg
House Type:Non-metropolitan district
Leader1 Type:Chair
Leader1:Robert Margrave
Party1:
Whitnash RA
Election1:17 May 2023[5]
Leader2 Type:Leader
Leader2:Ian Davison
Party2:
Green
Election2:17 May 2023
Leader3 Type:Chief Executive
Leader3:Chris Elliott
Seats:44 councillors
Structure1:UK Warwick District Council 2023.svg
Structure1 Res:200px
Political Groups1:
Administration (24)
  • Green (14)
  • Labour (10)
    Other parties (20)
  • Conservative (6)
  • Term Length:4 years
    Voting System1:First past the post
    Last Election1:4 May 2023
    Next Election1:6 May 2027
    Session Room:Leamington Spa Town Hall (1) 5.23.jpg
    Meeting Place:Town Hall, The Parade, Leamington Spa, CV324AT

    Warwick District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Warwickshire County Council.[6] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]

    Political control

    The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Following the 2023 election a coalition of the Greens and Labour formed to run the council, led by Green councillor Ian Davison.[8]

    The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:[9] [10]

    Party in control Years
    1974–1976
    1976–1995
    1995–2007
    2007–2019
    2019–present

    Leadership

    The leaders of the council since 1995 have been:[11]

    Councillor Party From To
    Ian Dove 1995 19 Apr 2000
    Margaret Begg 19 Apr 2000 13 Jun 2001
    Ian Dove 13 Jun 2001 24 Apr 2002
    Bob Crowther 24 Apr 2002 May 2007
    Michael Coker May 2007 2008
    Michael Doody 2008 4 Dec 2013
    Andrew Mobbs 4 Dec 2013 5 May 2019
    Andrew Day 15 May 2019 17 May 2023
    Ian Davison 17 May 2023

    Composition

    Following the 2023 election and a change of allegiance in April 2024, the composition of the council was:[12] [13]

    PartyCouncillors
    14
    10
    10
    6
    3
    1
    Total44
    The next election is due in 2027.

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 44 councillors representing 17 wards with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[14]

    Premises

    Council meetings are usually held at Leamington Spa Town Hall on The Parade, which had been built in 1884 for the old Leamington Borough Council.[15] The council has its main offices at Riverside House on Milverton Hill in Leamington, close to the River Leam. That building was completed in 1984 as the headquarters of the Leamington Spa Building Society, and was subsequently bought by the council in the late 1990s.[16] Plans are being considered to move the council's main offices nearer to the town centre of Leamington Spa; various schemes have been proposed since 2016, but none has yet to come to fruition.[17] [18]

    The environment

    On 27 June 2019 the elected members at the Full Council meeting declared a "climate emergency" in response to ongoing global climate change. The council aims to become carbon neutral by 2025, whilst trying to make the whole district carbon neutral by 2030.[19] On 20 January 2020 it was announced that electric cars would be given free parking in council car parks.[20] On 4 February of that year it was proposed by the council group leaders to increase council tax by around £1 a week on Band D properties to create £3 million per year. This would be ring-fenced for environmental purposes. If this proposal was accepted by the other councillors then a district wide referendum would have been held on 7 May to decide if the public accept it.[21] On 26 February the full council unanimously agreed the proposal, triggering the 7 May referendum,[22] – which was put back to 6 May 2021, due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. the referendum has not yet occurred and no date has been set.

    Demography

    Ethnic Group2001[23] 2011[24]
    Number%Number%
    White: British 111,043 88.19% 114,73983.36%
    White: Irish 2,525 2.01% 2,1461.56%
    White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller 410.03%
    White: Other 3,4482.74% 5,7894.21%
    White: Total 117,016 92.94% 122,715 89.15%
    Asian or Asian British: Indian 5,2184.14% 6,7454.90%
    Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 2220.18% 4800.35%
    Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 220.02%690.05%
    Asian or Asian British: Chinese 5210.41%1,1550.84%
    Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 4350.35% 1,4961.09%
    Asian or Asian British: Total 6,418 5.10% 9,945 7.22%
    Black or Black British: Caribbean3600.29% 3890.28%
    Black or Black British: African1680.13% 4740.34%
    Black or Black British: Other Black590.05% 1100.08%
    Black or Black British: Total587 0.47% 973 0.71%
    Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 5060.40% 8610.63%
    Mixed: White and Black African 930.07% 2330.17%
    Mixed: White and Asian 5030.40% 1,0700.78%
    Mixed: Other Mixed 2810.22% 6390.46%
    Mixed: Total1,383 1.10% 2,803 2.04%
    Other: Arab 2310.17%
    Other: Any other ethnic group 9810.71%
    Other: Total504 0.40% 1,212 0.88%
    BAME: Total8,892 7.06% 14,933 10.85%
    Total125,908 100.00% 137,648 100.00%
    Religion2001[25] 2011[26]
    Number%Number%
    Christian 89,76371.28% 80,18558.25%
    Buddhist 3470.28% 5210.38%
    Hindu 8480.67% 1,6331.19%
    Jewish 2070.16% 2680.19%
    Muslim 6300.50% 1,2990.94%
    Sikh 4,2393.37% 5,3733.90%
    Other religion 3550.28% 5310.39%
    No religion 20,49416.27% 37,85927.50%
    Religion not stated 9,0517.19% 9,9797.25%
    Total 125,934 100.00% 137,648 100.00%

    Travel, education and healthcare

    The district has six railway stationsWarwick, Warwick Parkway, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Hatton and Lapworth. Regular bus services run between Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth and onwards to Coventry, Stratford upon Avon and the University of Warwick. The Grand Union Canal flows through the district and the M40 motorway also passes through. Right on the edge of the district is Coventry Airport.

    National Health Service general healthcare is provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and mental health care by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. Local hospitals include Warwick Hospital, the Leamington Spa Hospital,[27] St Michael's Hospital and the Warwickshire Nuffield Hospital (non-NHS, part of the Nuffield Health group)[28] Social services is pro On 13 July 2021 a coronavirus "mega lab" was opened in the town. Named after English chemist Rosalind Franklin. The site is expected to be capable of processing "hundreds of thousands of samples a day". The largest laboratory of its kind in the UK, and it is hoped it will create up to 1,500 jobs. It will also play a "key role in responding to new variants of the virus".[29] Historic hospitals included St Michael's Leper Hospital, Warneford Hospital and Central Hospital. Social services and fostering are dealt with on a countywide basis by Warwickshire County Council.

    Freedom of district

    Towns and parishes

    The district is divided into 32 civil parishes, which cover the whole area. The parish councils for Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The small parish of Bushwood has a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parishes are:[32]

    References

    1. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 31 May 2023.
    2. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 31 May 2023.
    3. News: Plans to merge Warwick and Stratford District Councils into single 'mega authority' have been scrapped . Warwickshireworld . Leamington Courier . 21 April 2022.
    4. News: Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon councils merger plans scrapped . BBC News . 21 April 2022 . 21 April 2022.
    5. Web site: Council minutes, 15 May 2024 . Warwick District Council . 24 July 2024.
    6. act. Local Government Act 1972. 1972. 70. 31 May 2023.
    7. Web site: Election Maps . Ordnance Survey . 9 January 2023.
    8. News: Greens and Labour form a coalition on Warwick District Council . 23 January 2024 . Leamington Observer . 18 May 2023.
    9. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 4 March 2016 . 20 August 2022.
    10. News: Warwick . 2009-09-13 . BBC News Online.
    11. Web site: Council minutes . Warwick District Council . 8 September 2022.
    12. Web site: Local elections 2023: live council results for England. The Guardian.
    13. News: Boothroyd . David . Not for glory, nor riches, nor honours . 27 April 2024 . Local Councils . Thorncliffe . 26 April 2024.
    14. si. The Warwick (Electoral Changes) Order 2018. 2018. 1313. 24 January 2024.
    15. News: Councillors move out as renovation begins on Leamington Town Hall . 24 January 2024 . Leamington Observer . 29 September 2023.
    16. News: On the move . 24 January 2024 . Coventry Evening Telegraph . 15 November 1984 . 5.
    17. Web site: Warwick District Council set to agree HQ move. leamingtonobserver.co.uk. Leamington Observer. 7 February 2020. en.
    18. Web site: Latest on plans to relocate council to Leamington town centre - and what could happen next. www.coventrytelegraph.net . 4 February 2019. Coventry Telegraph. 7 February 2020. en.
    19. Web site: Warwick District Council declares a climate emergency . 7 February 2020.
    20. Web site: Council to offer free parking for electric vehicles . 7 February 2020.
    21. Web site: Warwick District's Climate Emergency Action Programme . 7 February 2020.
    22. Web site: Residents in Warwickshire to vote on council tax rise for climate change fund . 26 February 2020 . 27 February 2020.
    23. Web site: Ethnic Group by measures . NOMIS . 8 January 2016.
    24. Web site: Ethnic Group by measures . NOMIS . 8 January 2016.
    25. Web site: Religion . 8 January 2016.
    26. Web site: QS208EW - Religion . 8 January 2016.
    27. Web site: How Leamington Rehab Hospital's friends make the road to recovery smoother for patients. Leamington Courier. 15 August 2012. 13 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180913150448/https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/feature-how-leamington-rehab-hospital-s-friends-make-the-road-to-recovery-smoother-for-patients-1-4157442. 13 September 2018. dead.
    28. Web site: Nuffield Hospital Warwick . NHS Choices. 7 December 2018.
    29. News: Covid-19: Leamington Spa 'mega lab' opens to speed up testing . BBC News . 13 July 2021 . 13 July 2021.
    30. Web site: Warwick Freedom Scroll . www.calligraphyanddesign.com . JPG. 2020-12-07.
    31. News: Fusiliers granted freedom of Warwick District. 26 November 2013. BBC News. BBC. 27 November 2013.
    32. Web site: Warwick District - parishes . City Population . 22 January 2024.

    External links