Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Sarah Norman since July 2019[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 63 councillors[3][4] |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority |
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large | |
Last election | 7 May 2026 |
Next election | 2030 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Church Street, Barnsley, S70 2TA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council is a member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
The council was under Labour majority control since the modern borough was created in 1974 until 2026, when Reform UK won a majority of seats in the 2026 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council election.[5] Council meetings are held at Barnsley Town Hall, and the council's main offices are in the adjoining Westgate Plaza One building.
History
[edit]The first elected council for the town of Barnsley was a local board of health established in 1853.[6] This replaced a body of improvement commissioners which had previously administered the town under a local act of Parliament, the Barnsley Improvement Act 1822 (3 Geo. 4. c. xxv).[7] The local board in turn was replaced in 1869 when the town was made a municipal borough. In 1913 the borough was elevated to county borough status, making it independent from West Riding County Council.[8]
The current metropolitan borough of Barnsley was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the former county borough of Barnsley plus parts of 13 other districts, which were all abolished at the same time.[9][10] The enlarged Barnsley district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Barnsley's series of mayors dating back to 1869.[11]
The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley was initially a district-level authority, with South Yorkshire County Council providing county-level services. However, the metropolitan county councils, including South Yorkshire County Council, were abolished in 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985. Since 1986 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has therefore been responsible for most local government functions.[12]
Since 2014 the council has been a constituent member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (called the Sheffield City Region until 2021), led by the directly-elected Mayor of South Yorkshire since 2018.
Governance
[edit]Political control
[edit]The first election to the reconstituted borough council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into force on 1 April 1974. Labour held a majority of the seats on the council from its creation until the 2026 election, when Reform UK took control.[13][14][15]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–2026 | |
| Reform UK | 2026– | |
Leadership
[edit]The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Barnsley. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Varley[16][17][18] | Labour | 1974 | 1975 | |
| Ron Fisher[17][18] | Labour | Feb 1975 | May 1975 | |
| Ron Rigby[18] | Labour | May 1975 | 1976 | |
| Fred Lunn[19] | Labour | 1976 | 11 Dec 1984 | |
| Ron Rigby[20][21] | Labour | 1985 | 1988 | |
| Hedley Salt[22] | Labour | 1988 | 1995 | |
| Jeff Ennis[23] | Labour | 1995 | 1996 | |
| Stephen Houghton[24] | Labour | 1996 | 2026 | |
| William Brown[25] | Reform | 2026 | present | |
Composition
[edit]Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was: [5]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Reform | 42 | |
| Labour | 11 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 8 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Total | 63 | |
Premises
[edit]
Council meetings are held at Barnsley Town Hall on Church Street, which had been completed in 1933 for the old borough council.[26] In 2007 the council moved most office staff to a new building called Westgate Plaza One on Westgate, just west of the Town Hall.[27]
Elections
[edit]Since the last ward boundary changes in 2025, the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing three councillors to sit for a four year term. Elections are held every four years, with all seats contested, following a council decision in 2025 to replace the previous policy of 1/3 of seats (one per ward) being elected per year for 3 years, with the 4th year having no elections.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Ashton, Lucy (29 May 2026). "New civic mayor and council leader installed at Barnsley Council". BBC News.
- ^ Calkin, Sarah (10 September 2019). "Interview: Sarah Norman on the lure of Barnsley". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections".
- ^ "Councillors - Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council".
- ^ a b "Reform UK ends 50 years of Labour leadership in Barnsley". BBC News. 8 May 2026.
- ^ "Barnsley Local Board of Health". Newcastle Courant. 8 July 1853. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Barnsley Improvement Act 1822 (3 Geo 4 c. 25)". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Barnsley Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 18 June 2023
- ^ "The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/137, retrieved 18 June 2023
- ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 18 June 2023
- ^ "Barnsley". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
- ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Barnsley" in search box to see specific results.)
- ^ "Reform UK ends 50 years of Labour leadership in Barnsley". BBC News. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ^ "'Don't do a Clay Cross' warning to protesters". South Yorkshire Times. 25 May 1974. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b "New leader". South Yorkshire Times. 22 February 1975. p. 20. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "1975: Glancing back". Barnsley Chronicle. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Death of Barnsley Council Leader". South Yorkshire Times. 14 December 1984. p. 29. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Coal communities launch survival campaign". South Yorkshire Times. 18 January 1985. p. 13. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Welcome boost for village". South Yorkshire Times. 22 April 1988. p. 52. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Council mourns death of ex-leader". BBC News. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Andrews, Danielle (28 March 2024). "Tributes paid to retiring long-standing councillor who has 'dedicated his life' to Barnsley". The Star. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Sir Stephen Houghton OBE". LGA Governance. Local Government Association. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Reform UK group in Barnsley chooses a Leader and Deputy Leader". Barnsley Council. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- ^ "Town Hall". Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Cabinet report, 18 May 2022" (PDF). Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
