Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
Coat of arms
Logo
Type
Type	London borough
Leadership
Mayor	Patricia Quigley, Labour since 24 May 2023[1]
Leader	Stephen Cowan, Labour since 22 May 2014
Chief Executive	Sharon Lea since 24 February 2022[2]
Structure
Seats	50 councillors
Political groups	Administration (39)   Labour (39) Other parties (11)   Conservative (10)   Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	5 May 2022
Next election	7 May 2026
Meeting place
Town Hall, King Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9JU
Website
www.lbhf.gov.uk

Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council, which styles itself Hammersmith and Fulham Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2014. The council's usual meeting place is at Hammersmith Town Hall.

History

The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the ancient parish of Fulham, which was historically part of the county of Middlesex. The chapelry of Hammersmith was given its own vestry in 1631, making it independent from Fulham.^[3] From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.^[4] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards. From 1856 until 1886 the two parishes of Fulham and Hammersmith were administered together as the Fulham District. The Fulham district was dissolved in 1886 when the vestries for its two parishes took on district functions.^[5]

In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs. In this area the two vestries which had been in operation prior to 1900 each became a borough: Fulham and Hammersmith.^[6]

The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963. It was a merger of the old Fulham and Hammersmith metropolitan boroughs.^[5] The borough was initially just called Hammersmith, but changed its name to Hammersmith and Fulham in 1979.^[7] The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham", but it styles itself Hammersmith and Fulham Council.^[8]

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 Hammersmith and Fulham) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.^[9] Hammersmith and Fulham became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved.^[10]

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.^[11]

The council was involved in a landmark English administrative law case in 1991, Hazell v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC, which ruled that local authorities had no power to engage in interest rate swap agreements because they were beyond the council's borrowing powers.^[12]

In 2021 the council was said by the Housing Ombudsman to be the worst performing landlord in the country with regard to damp and mould in its properties.^[13]

Governance

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.^[14] 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.^[15]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2014.

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:^[16]

Leadership

The role of Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:^[17][18]

Premises

The council's usual meeting place is at Hammersmith Town Hall on King Street, which was completed in 1939 for the old Hammersmith Borough Council.^[19] The building has been closed since 2019 whilst being refurbished as part of the development of a new 'Civic Campus' around it, which has included the demolition of the council's former main offices which had been built in front of the Town Hall in 1974/5. The Town Hall is due to reopen in 2024.^[20][21]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 50 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[22]

See also

• London Plus Credit Union

References

External links

• Official website