Brent London Borough Council

Brent London Borough Council
Whole council elected every four years
Coat of arms
125px Council logo
Type
Type	London borough council of the London Borough of Brent
Structure
Seats	63 councillors in 21 wards
Labour	56 / 63
Conservatives	6 / 63
Lib Dems	1 / 63
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	22 May 2014
Next election	2018
Meeting place
Brent Civic Centre, Wembley
Website
www.brent.gov.uk

Brent London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Brent in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The borough has seen illegal dumping on the borough’s streets between 2013/14 and 2014/15 surge by 84 per cent, the most recorded by a local authority in England. According to the findings of a survey by property group Rightmove, Brent is the third most unhappiest borough in London, based on a number of factors including décor, space, value, pride, costs, safety, amenities, recreation, community, contentment, neighbourliness and area contentment. Brent has the highest proportion of housing benefit claims by private tenants in the country as a percentage of all households according to the Financial Times.

History

A map showing the wards of Brent since 2002

It was envisaged through the London Government Act 1963 that Brent as a London local authority would share power with the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the local authorities responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council it has been an education authority since 1965. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when Brent London Borough Council gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the Greater London Council, such as waste disposal. Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.

Powers and functions

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation. Brent has the powers and functions of a London borough 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. It is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal. The council shares responsibility with the Greater London Authority for strategic policies including housing, planning and the environment.

Finances

Brent London Borough Council is the billing authority for Council Tax, and collects a precepts on behalf of the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.

Political control

Main article: Brent local elections

Since 1964 political control of the council has been held by the following parties:

Party in control	Years
Labour	1964 - 1968
Conservative	1968 - 1971
Labour	1971 - 1982
No overall control	1982 - 1986
Labour	1986 - 1990
No overall control	1990 - 1998
Labour	1998 - 2006
No overall control	2006 - 2010
Labour	2010 - present

Composition

As of the 2014 election the council is composed of the following councillors:-

Party		Councillors
	Labour Party	56
	Conservative Party	6
	Liberal Democrats	1

External links

• London Borough of Brent website