Scotland/Catalogs/Council areas of Scotland

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Scotland is divided into 32 Council areas. These divisions were set through the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 and took effect on April 1, 1996 . The Council areas replaced the multi tier system which had been used since 1974 that consisted of 9 Regions containing 53 District which could be further subdivided into over 1,000 Community Areas. Prior to 1974, a system of 33 counties had been used. The Council areas are in part based on, and reuse some of the names of, the older system of Counties that predated the Regions.

Local Councils are unitary authorities formed of a body of Councilors. Each councilor represents a ward within the Council Area. The boundaries and number of wards is set by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Councilors are elected by popular ballot, on a first past the post system, and sit for 4 year terms. Ordinary elections area held on the first Thursday of the month of May.

The councilors then elect one of their number to be the convener and also a deputy convener. The convener is the Chair of the council meetings. In the four city areas of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the convener is given the title "Lord Provost". In other areas, each council may decide the title of the convener themselves (excluding the title "Lord Provost".) Currently, 16 councils use the title "Provost" for their convener. Each Councillor is paid a part-time salary for conducting their duties.

Each council receives the majority of their funding, in the form of grants, form the Scottish Executive. They also Levy a Council Tax which is a form of property tax. Another minority source of funds is though the issue of licenses and permits.

Catalog of Council Areas

Council Area Name Population[1] Land Area
(sqr km)
Controlling Party
(Post May 6, 2007 Election)[2]
Convener,

Provist or

Lord Provist
Setlements
(Cities and Towns)[3]
Aberdeen City 202090 182
 
No Overall Control hold
  Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire 238770 6317
 
No Overall Control hold
  Peterhead
Angus 109930 2184
 
Scottish National Party lose to No Overall Control
  Arbroath
Argyll & Bute 91390 7023
 
Others lose to No Overall Control
   
Clackmannanshire 48900 158
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Alloa
Dumfries & Galloway 148030 6446
 
No Overall Control hold
  Dumfries
Dundee City 142160 55
 
No Overall Control hold
  Dundee
East Ayrshire 119290 1275
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Kilmarnock
East Dunbartonshire 105460 176
 
No Overall Control hold
  Bearsden
Bishopbriggs
Kirkintilloch
East Lothian 92830 666
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Musselburgh
East Renfrewshire 89290 168
 
No Overall Control hold
  Barrhead
Newton Mearns
Clarkston
Giffnock
Edinburgh, City of 463510 260
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Edinburgh
Eilean Siar (Western Isles) 26350 3070
 
Others hold
   
Falkirk 149680 293
 
No Overall Control hold
  FalkirkStenhousemuir
Polmont
Grangemouth
Fife 358930 1340
 
No Overall Control hold
  Dunfermline
Glenrothes
Kirkcaldy
St Andrews
Buckhaven
Glasgow City 580690 175
 
Labour hold
  Glasgow
Highland 215310 26119
 
Others lose to No Overall Control
  Inverness
Inverclyde 81540 167
 
LD lose to No Overall Control
  Greenock
Port Glasgow
Midlothian 79290 350
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
   
Moray 89030 2237
 
Others lose to No Overall Control
  Elgin
North Ayrshire 135490 888
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Irvine
Kilwinning
North Lanarkshire 323780 476
 
Labour hold
  Wishaw
Cumbernauld
Motherwell
Airdrie
Coatbridge
Bellshill
Viewpark
Orkney Islands 19770 5395
 
Others hold
   
Perth & Kinross 139590 1025
 
No Overall Control hold
  Perth
Renfrewshire 169590 263
 
No Overall Control hold
  Paisley
Erskine
Johnstone
Renfrew
Scottish Borders 110240 4727
 
No Overall Control hold
   
Shetland Islands 21880 1471
 
Others hold
   
South Ayrshire 111670 1230
 
No Overall Control hold
  Ayr
South Lanarkshire 307670 1778
 
Labour our lose to No Overall Control
convener Rutherglen
Hamilton
East Kilbride
Cambuslang
Blantyre
Larkhall
Stirling 87810 2243
 
No Overall Control hold
  Stiring
West Dunbartonshire 91240 176
 
No Overall Control hold
  Clydebank
Dumbarton
West Lothian 165700 427
 
Labour lose to No Overall Control
  Livingston
Bathgate

Key to Parties Colours

  •  

SNP

References

  1. Mid-2006 Population Estimates Scotland. National Statistics (April 26, 2007). Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
  2. BBC NEWS ¦ Election 2007 ¦ Seat-by-seat ¦ Results: Scotland councils (HTML). BBC News (May 8, 2007). Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
  3. Mid-2004 Population Estimates for Localities in Scotland (PDF). General Register Office for Scotland (November 9, 2006). Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
    This list of towns and cities currently only includes localities with a population of over 15,000 people.