Warwick District

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox settlement Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.<ref name="2011census">Template:NOMIS2011</ref>

The neighbouring districts are Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Solihull and Coventry.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district was formed through the merger of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

The new district was named Warwick after the county town.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Proposals to merge the district with neighbouring Stratford-on-Avon District were put forward in 2021 and provisionally agreed, before eventually being abandoned in April 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Governance

Template:Infobox legislature

Warwick District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Warwickshire County Council.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref name=electionmaps>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Following the 2023 election a coalition of the Greens and Labour formed to run the council, led by Green councillor Ian Davison.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Warwick" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=warwick>Template:Cite news</ref>

Party in control Years
Template:Party name with colour 1974–1976
Template:Party name with colour 1976–1995
Template:Party name with colour 1995–2007
Template:Party name with colour 2007–2019
Template:Party name with colour 2019–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1974 have been:

Councillor Party From To
Ken Rawnsley<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 1974 May 1991
Tony Dalton<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour May 1991 May 1995
Ian Dove<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 1995 Apr 2000
Margaret Begg<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=LSC27Apr2001/> Template:Party name with colour 19 Apr 2000 May 2001
Ian Dove<ref name=LSC27Apr2001>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour May 2001 Apr 2002
Bob Crowther<ref name=23Apr2002>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 24 Apr 2002 2007
Michael Coker<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 16 May 2007 2008
Michael Doody<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 14 May 2008 4 Dec 2013
Andrew Mobbs<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 4 Dec 2013 May 2019
Andrew Day<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 15 May 2019 May 2023
Ian Davison<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Party name with colour 17 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent changes of allegiance and by-elections up to September 2025, the composition of the council is:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party Councillors
Template:Party name with colour 16
Template:Party name with colour 10
Template:Party name with colour 7
Template:Party name with colour 5
Template:Party name with colour 3
Template:Party name with colour 3
Total 44

Elections

Template:See also Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 44 councillors representing 17 wards with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Premises

Council meetings are usually held at Leamington Spa Town Hall on The Parade, which had been built in 1884 for the old Leamington Borough Council, and which is also the council's official registered address.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The council also has offices at 1 Saltisford Office Park in Warwick, and the customer services reception is at the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Riverside House, Leamington Spa.jpg
Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Leamington Spa: Council's main offices from 2000 to 2024, since demolished

From 2000 until 2024, the council had its main offices at Riverside House on Milverton Hill in Leamington, close to the River Leam, which had been built in 1984 as the headquarters of the Leamington Spa Building Society, and was subsequently bought by the council in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Riverside House closed in 2024 and was subsequently sold and demolished.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The environment

On 27 June 2019 the elected members at the Full Council meeting declared a "climate emergency" in response to ongoing global climate change. The council aims to become carbon neutral by 2025, whilst trying to make the whole district carbon neutral by 2030.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 20 January 2020 it was announced that electric cars would be given free parking in council car parks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 4 February of that year it was proposed by the council group leaders to increase council tax by around £1 a week on Band D properties to create £3 million per year. This would be ring-fenced for environmental purposes. If this proposal was accepted by the other councillors then a district wide referendum would have been held on 7 May to decide if the public accept it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 26 February the full council unanimously agreed the proposal, triggering the 7 May referendum,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> – which was put back to 6 May 2021, due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Template:As of the referendum has not yet occurred and no date has been set.

Demography

Ethnic Group 2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Number % Number %
White: British 111,043 88.19% 114,739 83.36%
White: Irish 2,525 2.01% 2,146 1.56%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller 41 0.03%
White: Other 3,448 2.74% 5,789 4.21%
White: Total 117,016 92.94% 122,715 89.15%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 5,218 4.14% 6,745 4.90%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 222 0.18% 480 0.35%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 22 0.02% 69 0.05%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese 521 0.41% 1,155 0.84%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 435 0.35% 1,496 1.09%
Asian or Asian British: Total 6,418 5.10% 9,945 7.22%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 360 0.29% 389 0.28%
Black or Black British: African 168 0.13% 474 0.34%
Black or Black British: Other Black 59 0.05% 110 0.08%
Black or Black British: Total 587 0.47% 973 0.71%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 506 0.40% 861 0.63%
Mixed: White and Black African 93 0.07% 233 0.17%
Mixed: White and Asian 503 0.40% 1,070 0.78%
Mixed: Other Mixed 281 0.22% 639 0.46%
Mixed: Total 1,383 1.10% 2,803 2.04%
Other: Arab 231 0.17%
Other: Any other ethnic group 981 0.71%
Other: Total 504 0.40% 1,212 0.88%
BAME: Total 8,892 7.06% 14,933 10.85%
Total 125,908 100.00% 137,648 100.00%
Religion 2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Number % Number %
Christian 89,763 71.28% 80,185 58.25%
Buddhist 347 0.28% 521 0.38%
Hindu 848 0.67% 1,633 1.19%
Jewish 207 0.16% 268 0.19%
Muslim 630 0.50% 1,299 0.94%
Sikh 4,239 3.37% 5,373 3.90%
Other religion 355 0.28% 531 0.39%
No religion 20,494 16.27% 37,859 27.50%
Religion not stated 9,051 7.19% 9,979 7.25%
Total 125,934 100.00% 137,648 100.00%

Travel, education and healthcare

The district has six railway stations – Warwick, Warwick Parkway, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Hatton and Lapworth. Regular bus services run between Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth and onwards to Coventry, Stratford upon Avon and the University of Warwick. The Grand Union Canal flows through the district and the M40 motorway also passes through. Right on the edge of the district is Coventry Airport.

National Health Service general healthcare is provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and mental health care by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. Local hospitals include Warwick Hospital, the Leamington Spa Hospital,<ref name=bh>Template:Cite web</ref> St Michael's Hospital and the Warwickshire Nuffield Hospital (non-NHS, part of the Nuffield Health group)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Historic hospitals included St Michael's Leper Hospital, Warneford Hospital and Central Hospital. In 2021 a COVID-19 "mega lab" was opened in the town, named after English chemist Rosalind Franklin. The largest laboratory of its kind in the UK,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> it failed to reach projected performance goals and closed without ceremony in January 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Social services and fostering are dealt with on a countywide basis by Warwickshire County Council.

Freedom of district

Towns and parishes

Template:Further The district is divided into 32 civil parishes, which cover the whole area. The parish councils for Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The small parish of Bushwood has a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parishes are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

<references />

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