Sutton London Borough Council
MayorLouise Phelan
Party 1
Liberal Democrat
Election 119 May 2025[1]
LeaderBarry Lewis
Party 2
Liberal Democrat
Election 220 May 2024
Chief ExecutiveHelen Bailey
Election 32019[2]
Seats55 councillors
Structure 1Sutton London Borough Council 2026.svg
Structure1 res260px
Political groups 1
Administration (51)
Liberal Democrat (51)
Other parties (4)
Reform UK (2)
Sutton Independent Residents (1)
Labour (1)
Voting system 1Plurality-at-large
Last election 15 May 2022
Next election 17 May 2026
Session roomCivic Offices, Sutton - geograph.org.uk - 6139673.jpg
Session res250
Meeting placeCivic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, SM1 1EA
Websitewww.sutton.gov.uk

Sutton London Borough Council, also known as Sutton Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London, England. The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 1990. The council is based at the Civic Offices in Sutton.

History

The London Borough of Sutton and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964.[3] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the municipal borough councils of Sutton and Cheam and Beddington and Wallington, and the urban district council of Carshalton. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.[4]

The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Sutton".[5]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by 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 boroughs (including Sutton) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Sutton has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[6]

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.[7]

Powers and functions

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.[8] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[9]

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 1990.

The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[10]

Party in controlYears
1965–1971
1971–1974
1974–1986
1986–1990
1990–present

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Sutton is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[11]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Tag Taylor19651973
John Charles Cox19731976
Robin Squire19761980
David Trafford19801986
Graham Tope19861988
19881999
Mike Cooper[12]199916 Oct 2002
Sean Brennan[13][14]18 Nov 200221 May 2012
Ruth Dombey[15][16]21 May 201220 May 2024
Barry Lewis[17][18]20 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was:[19]

PartyCouncillors
51
2
1
1
Total55

The next election is due in 2030.[20]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[21]

Wards

  1. Beddington (3)
  2. Belmont (3)
  3. Carshalton Central (3)
  4. Carshalton South & Clockhouse (3)
  5. Cheam (3)
  6. Hackbridge (2)
  7. North Cheam (3)
  8. South Beddington & Roundshaw (3)
  9. St Helier East (2)
  10. St Helier West (3)
  11. Stonecot (2)
  12. Sutton Central (3)
  13. Sutton North (3)
  14. Sutton South (3)
  15. Sutton West & East Cheam (3)
  16. The Wrythe (3)
  17. Wallington North (3)
  18. Wallington South (3)
  19. Worcester Park North (2)
  20. Worcester Park South (2)

Premises

The council is based at the Civic Offices on St Nicholas Way in the centre of Sutton. The building was purpose-built for the council in phases between 1972 and 1975. In 2022 the council announced plans to develop a new headquarters on part of the site of the St Nicholas Shopping Centre on the High Street.[22][23]

References

  1. ^ "Council appoints Sutton's Mayor for 2025/26 at its annual meeting". Sutton Council. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  2. ^ Kituno, Nick (14 February 2019). "Sutton Council set to appoint Helen Bailey as new chief executive". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  3. ^ "33" (act). Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  4. ^ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
  5. ^ "Baseline Agreement". Kippa Bid. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  6. ^ "51" (act). 1985. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  7. ^ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0714648590.
  8. ^ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Sutton" in search box to see specific results.)
  11. ^ "London Boroughs Political Almanac: London Borough of Sutton". London Councils. Archived 29 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Council chief steps down". News Shopper. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Council minutes, 18 November 2002". Sutton Council. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  14. ^ Watts, Matt (11 April 2012). "Sutton Council leader Sean Brennan to step down". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2012". Sutton Council. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  16. ^ Galliven, Harrison (12 March 2024). "Ruth Dombey will stand down as Sutton Council leader". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2024". Sutton Council. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  18. ^ "New Leader of Sutton Council chosen". sutton.gov.uk. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  19. ^ "Elections 2026: Sutton election result". Sutton Council. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  20. ^ "Sutton". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  21. ^ No. 1225. 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  22. ^ O'Connor, Tara (16 November 2022). "Sutton Council plans to sell offices and move to High Street". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Sutton Civic and Town Centre Regeneration". Sutton Council