City of Winchester
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Winchester (Template:IPAc-en),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or the City of Winchester, is a local government district with city status in Hampshire, England.
The district is named after its main settlement of Winchester, which is where the council is based and is also the county town of Hampshire. The city boundaries also encompass a large surrounding rural area, including the towns of New Alresford and Whiteley and numerous villages.
Parts of the district lie within the South Downs National Park. The neighbouring districts are Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Havant, Portsmouth, Fareham, Eastleigh and Test Valley.
History
Winchester was an ancient borough, which had additionally held city status from time immemorial. The city traces its history to the Roman Era, developing from the town of Venta Belgarum. It saw historic significance from its reconstruction under Alfred the Great in the 9th century and grew in prominence. The office of Mayor of Winchester was created sometime between 1190 and 1200, making it the second oldest mayoralty in England, after London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Winchester saw a decline after plague swept the country, but began to recover from the 19th century.
The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which reformed most boroughs across the country. It had its territory enlarged at the same time to bring developing suburbs within the city boundary.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The borough was significantly enlarged in 1932, absorbing Weeke and gaining territory from several other surrounding parishes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and parts of a third, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
- Droxford Rural District
- Winchester Municipal Borough
- Winchester Rural District (except parishes of Botley, Bursledon, Fair Oak, Hamble, Hedge End, Hound and West End, which went to Eastleigh)
The new district was named Winchester after its largest settlement.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> Winchester's borough status passed to the enlarged district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Winchester's series of mayors dating back to the twelfth century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city status formerly held by the municipal borough of Winchester was also transferred to the whole of the new district from its creation, allowing the council to call itself Winchester City Council.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
Governance
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Winchester City Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Hampshire County Council. Much of the district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the parts of the district within the South Downs National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the South Downs National Park Authority. The district council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 27-person National Park Authority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Political control
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Winchester" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=gain>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="battery">Template:Cite news</ref>
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 1974–1976 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1976–1979 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1979–1987 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1987–1995 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1995–2004 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2004–2006 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2006–2010 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2010–2011 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2011–2012 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2012–2014 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2014–2015 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2015–2019 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2019–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor of Winchester is now largely ceremonial, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1979 have been:
Composition
Following the 2024 election,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent by-elections up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:<ref name=Thorncliffe>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 32 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 8 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 4 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1 | |
| Total | 45 | |
The next election is due in May 2026.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>
Elections
Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with roughly a third of the council elected each time for a four year term of office. Hampshire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no city council elections.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
| Ward | Party | Member | Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alresford & Itchen Valley | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Russell Gordon-Smith | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Margot Power | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Clare Pinniger | 2024 | |
| Badger Farm & Oliver's Battery | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Adrian Brophy | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Brian Laming | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Jan Warwick | 2024 | |
| Bishops Waltham | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jonathan Williams | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Steve Miller | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Ritchie Latham | 2024 | |
| Central Meon Valley | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Green | Danny Lee | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Green | Malcolm Wallace | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Green | Suzanne White | 2024 | |
| Colden Common and Twyford | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Independent<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Refn | Sue Cook | 2022 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Green | Liam Bailey Morgan | 2025<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Denmead | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Paula Langford-Smith | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Caroline Brook | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Michael Bennett | 2024 | |
| Southwick and Wickham | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Chris Chamberlain | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Neil Cutler | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Angela Clear | 2024 | |
| St Barnabas | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jonny Morris | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | James Batho | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Kelsie Learney | 2024 | |
| St Bartholomew | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Nathan Eve | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Kathleen Becker | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | John Tippett-Cooper | 2024 | |
| St Luke | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Charlie Wise | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jamie Scott | 2024 | |
| St Michael | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Richard Murphy | 2024 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Mark Reach | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Rachel Aron | 2024 | |
| St Paul | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Martin Tod | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Lucille Thompson | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Chris Westwood | 2024 | |
| The Worthys | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jane Rutter | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jackie Porter | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrats | Steve Cramoysan | 2024 | |
| Upper Meon Valley | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrat | Jerry Pett | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Neil Bolton | 2022 | |
| Whiteley & Shedfield | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrats | Sudhakar Achwal | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrats | Anne Small | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Liberal Democrats | Vivian Achwal | 2024 | |
| Wonston & Micheldever | style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Caroline Horrill | 2023 |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Partrick Cunningham | 2022 | |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Conservative | Stephen Godfrey | 2024 | |
Since 2024, the City of Winchester has straddled three parliamentary constituencies. Winchester constituency covers most of the district area, including 13 of the 16 City Council wards of the district. Hamble Valley constituency lies mostly within the boroughs of Eastleigh and Fareham, but also includes Winchester's Whiteley and Shedfield ward. Fareham and Waterlooville constituency lies mostly in the Fareham and Havant districts, but also includes Winchester's Denmead and Southwick & Wickham wards.<ref name=electionmaps>Template:Cite web</ref> Since the boundaries were introduced in 2024, Winchester constituency has been represented by Danny Chambers, Hamble Valley has been represented by Paul Holmes and Fareham and Waterlooville by Suella Braverman.
Premises
The council meets at Winchester Guildhall, on the section of High Street known as The Broadway. The main building was built between 1871 and 1875.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> The council's main offices are in an adjoining modern building called City Offices, to the rear of the Guildhall on Colebrook Street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
A Legatum Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute in October 2016 showed the City of Winchester as the third most prosperous council area in the United Kingdom, after the Borough of Waverley and Mole Valley.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ethnicity
| Ethnic Group | 1991<ref name=":412">Data is taken from United Kingdom Casweb Data services of the United Kingdom 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England, Scotland and Wales (Table 6)</ref> | 2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 2011<ref name=":36">Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 95,427 | 99% | 104,907 | 97.8% | 111,577 | 95.7% |
| White: British | – | – | 101,689 | 94.8% | 107,070 | 91.8% |
| White: Irish | – | – | 750 | 733 | ||
| White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | 263 | |
| White: Other | – | – | 2,468 | 3,511 | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Total | 563 | 0.6% | 1,063 | 1% | 2,639 | 2.3% |
| Asian or Asian British: Indian | 144 | 382 | 665 | |||
| Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | 31 | 44 | 92 | |||
| Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | 80 | 180 | 222 | |||
| Asian or Asian British: Chinese | 142 | 324 | 745 | |||
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 166 | 133 | 915 | |||
| Black or Black British: Total | 147 | 0.2% | 270 | 0.3% | 457 | 0.4% |
| Black or Black British: Caribbean | 54 | 118 | 147 | |||
| Black or Black British: African | 41 | 126 | 250 | |||
| Black or Black British: Other Black | 52 | 26 | 60 | |||
| Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | 708 | 0.7% | 1,626 | 1.4% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | 142 | 321 | ||
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | 86 | 180 | ||
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | 283 | 684 | ||
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | 197 | 441 | ||
| Other: Total | 249 | 0.3% | 274 | 0.3% | 296 | 0.3% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | 110 | |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | 249 | 0.3% | 274 | 0.3% | 186 | |
| Total | 96,386 | 100% | 107,222 | 100% | 116,595 | 100% |
Parishes
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Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes. The main part of the Winchester urban area, roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 borough, is an unparished area.<ref name=electionmaps/> The council runs a "Winchester Town Forum" for this area to discuss local matters in that area in the absence of a parish council.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The parish councils for New Alresford and Whiteley have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The parishes are: Template:Div col
- Badger Farm
- Beauworth
- Bighton
- Bishop's Waltham
- Bishops Sutton
- Boarhunt
- Bramdean and Hinton Ampner
- Cheriton
- Chilcomb
- Colden Common
- Compton and Shawford
- Corhampton & Meonstoke
- Crawley
- Curdridge
- Denmead
- Droxford
- Durley
- Exton
- Hambledon
- Headbourne Worthy
- Hursley
- Itchen Stoke and Ovington
- Itchen Valley
- Kilmeston
- Kings Worthy
- Littleton and Harestock
- Micheldever
- New Alresford
- Newlands
- Northington
- Old Alresford
- Oliver's Battery
- Otterbourne
- Owslebury
- Shedfield
- Soberton
- South Wonston
- Southwick and Widley
- Sparsholt
- Swanmore
- Tichborne
- Twyford
- Upham
- Warnford
- West Meon
- Whiteley
- Wickham and Knowle
- Wonston
Notes
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References
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