Plymouth City Council

Unitary local authority for Plymouth, Devon

Plymouth City Council

Type
Type|

Unitary authority

of Plymouth

History
Founded| 1 April 1974
Leadership

Lord Mayor

Kathy Watkin,
Conservative
since 16 May 2025[1]

Leader

Tudor Evans,
Labour
since 19 May 2023

Chief Executive

Tracey Lee
since October 2012[2]

Structure
Seats| 57 councillors

Political groups

Administration (39)
Labour (39)
Other parties (18)
Conservative (7)
Green (2)
Liberal Democrats (1)
Independent (8)
Elections

Voting system

| Plurality-at-large

Last election

| 2 May 2024

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Council House, Armada Way, Plymouth, PL1 2AA
Website
www.plymouth.gov.uk
Constitution
The Constitution and rule book of Plymouth City Council

Plymouth City Council is the local authority for the city of Plymouth, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. Plymouth has had a council since 1439, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Devon County Council.

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023. It meets at the Council House in the city centre and has its main offices at Ballard House in the Millbay area of the city.

## History

[edit]

Plymouth was an ancient borough, having been incorporated in 1439.[3] It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836, governed by a corporate body officially called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Plymouth", but generally known as the corporation or town council.[4] When elected county councils were established in 1889, Plymouth was considered large enough for its existing corporation to provide county-level services and so it was made a county borough, independent from Devon County Council.[5]

In 1914 Plymouth absorbed the neighbouring towns of Devonport and East Stonehouse.[6] The enlarged Plymouth was awarded city status on 18 October 1928, after which the corporation's formal title was the "mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Plymouth", also known as the city council.[7][8] The position of mayor was raised to a lord mayor in 1935.[9]

In 1974 Plymouth became a lower-tier non-metropolitan district under the Local Government Act 1972, with Devon County Council providing county-level services to the city for the first time. Plymouth's city status was re-conferred on the reformed district, allowing the council to take the name Plymouth City Council.[10][11]

Plymouth regained its independence from the county council on 1 April 1998 when it was made a unitary authority following the recommendations of the Banham Commission. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Plymouth covering the same area as the existing district, but with no separate county council; instead the existing city council took on county council functions, making it a unitary authority. This therefore had the effect of restoring the city council to the powers it had held when Plymouth had been a county borough prior to 1974.[12] The city remains part of the ceremonial county of Devon for the purposes of lieutenancy.[13]

## Governance

[edit]

As a unitary authority, Plymouth City Council has the responsibilities of both a district council and county council combined. There are no civil parishes in the city.[14] Some functions are carried out in partnership with neighbouring authorities, notably with the city council appointing four members to the Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority.[15] The council is also responsible for arranging elections both for its own councillors and for three Parliamentary constituencies: Plymouth Moor View; Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport; and South West Devon.

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[16]

Lower tier non-metropolitan district

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 1974–1991
| Labour | 1991–1998

Unitary authority

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1998–2000
| Conservative | 2000–2003
| Labour | 2003–2006
| No overall control[17][18] | 2006–2006
| Labour | 2006–2007
| Conservative | 2007–2012
| Labour | 2012–2015
| No overall control | 2015–2017
| Conservative[19] | 2017–2018
| Labour | 2018–2021
| No overall control | 2021–2022
| Conservative | 2022–2022
| No overall control | 2022–2023
| Labour | 2023–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of Lord Mayor is largely ceremonial in Plymouth. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

George Creber[20] |  | Conservative | 1 Apr 1974 | Jan 1987
Tom Savery[21] |  | Conservative | Jan 1987 | 1991
John Ingham[22] |  | Labour | 1991 | May 1998
Tudor Evans[22] |  | Labour | May 1998 | May 2000
Patrick Nicholson[22] |  | Conservative | May 2000 | 2002
Kevin Wigens[23][22] |  | Conservative | 2002 | May 2003
Tudor Evans[22] |  | Labour | May 2003 | May 2007
Vivien Pengelly[22] |  | Conservative | May 2007 | May 2012
Tudor Evans[24][22] |  | Labour | 18 May 2012 | 20 May 2016
Ian Bowyer[25][22] |  | Conservative | 20 May 2016 | May 2018
Tudor Evans[26][22] |  | Labour | 18 May 2018 | May 2021
Nick Kelly[27][22][28] |  | Conservative | 21 May 2021 | 21 Mar 2022
Richard Bingley[28][29] |  | Conservative | 21 Mar 2022 | 27 Mar 2023
Tudor Evans[30][22] |  | Labour | 19 May 2023 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2024 election and the three changes of allegiance in May 2025, the composition of the council was:[31][32][33]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Labour | 39
| Conservative | 7
| Green | 2
| Liberal Democrats | 1
| Independent | 8
Total  | 57

Seven of the eight independent councillors sit together as a group called "The Independents".[34] The next election is due on 7 May 2026 where one third of the council's seats will be contested.[35]

## Premises

[edit]

See also: Plymouth Civic Centre

Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ: Council's main offices since 2014.

The council meets at the Council House on Armada Way in the city centre, being the southern wing of the former Civic Centre, built in 1962, which was made a listed building in 2007.[36] The council's main offices are at Ballard House on West Hoe Road adjoining the docks in the Millbay area of the city, having moved there from the tower block wing of the Civic Centre in 2014.[37][38] The tower block wing of the Civic Centre was sold to developers Urban Splash in 2015[39] and later re-purchased to be redeveloped into a City College Plymouth campus in 2024.[40]

## Elections

[edit]

Main article: Plymouth City Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 57 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time for a four-year term of office.[41]

### Ward and councillors

[edit]

The wards and current councillors (as at May 2024) are as follows:[42]

Ward  | Elected 2022  | Elected 2023  | Elected 2024

|
|
|

Budshead  |  | Lee Finn (Con)  |  | Kevin Sproston (Lab)  |  | Alison Simpson (Lab)
Compton  |  | Dylan Tippetts[a] (Lib Dem)  |  | Angela Penrose (Lab)  |  | Matt Smith (Lab)
Devonport  |  | Bill Stevens (Lab)  |  | Mark Coker[b] (Lab)  |  | Anne Freeman (Lab)
Drake  |  | Charlotte Holloway (Lab)  |  | Steve Ricketts (Ind. Group)  | No election
Efford and Lipson  |  | Neil Hendy (Lab)  |  | Pauline Murphy (Lab)  |  | Paul McNamara (Lab)
Eggbuckland  |  | Chip Tofan (Con)  |  | Tess Blight (Lab)  |  | Chris Wood (Con)
Ham  |  | Tina Tuohy (Lab)  |  | Tudor Evans[c] (Lab)  |  | Kate Taylor (Lab)
Honicknowle  |  | Zoë Reilly[a] (Ind)  |  | Keith Moore (Lab)  |  | Ray Morton (Lab)
Moor View  |  | Maddi Bridgeman[d] (Ind. Group)  |  | Lindsay Gilmour (Lab)  |  | Will Noble (Lab)
Peverell  |  | Jeremy Goslin (Lab)  |  | Sarah Allen (Lab)  |  | Jamie Bannerman (Lab)
Plympton Chaddlewood  |  | Ian Poyser (Grn)  | No election |  | Lauren McLay (Grn)
Plympton Erle  | No election |  | Terri Beer (Ind. Group)  |  | Andrea Loveridge (Ind. Group)
Plympton St Mary  |  | Ian Darcy (Con)  |  | Patrick Nicholson (Ind. Group)  |  | Sally Nicholson (Ind. Group)
Plymstock Dunstone  |  | Stefan Krizanac[e] (Lab)  |  | John Stephens (Lab)  |  | Maria Lawson (Lab)
Plymstock Radford  |  | Rebecca Smith (Con)  |  | Kathy Watkin (Con)  |  | Daniel Steel (Lab)
Southway  |  | Andy Lugger[f] (Con)  |  | Mark Lowry (Lab)  |  | Carol Ney[a] (Ind. Group)
St Budeaux  |  | Sally Haydon[b] (Lab)  |  | Jon Dingle (Lab)  |  | Josh McCarty (Lab)
St Peter and the Waterfront  |  | Alison Raynsford[e] (Lab)  |  | Chris Penberthy[b] (Lab)  |  | Lewis Allison (Lab)
Stoke  |  | Tom Briars-Delve[b] (Lab)  |  | Jemima Laing[b] (Lab)  |  | Sally Cresswell[b] (Lab)
Sutton and Mount Gould  |  | Mary Aspinall[b] (Lab)  |  | Sue Dann[b] (Lab)  |  | Chris Cuddihee (Lab)

1. ^ a b c Originally elected as a Labour candidate
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Cabinet member
3. ^ Leader of the council
4. ^ Originally elected as a Conservative
5. ^ a b Elected in a July 2023 by-election
6. ^ Leader of the opposition

## Lord Mayoralty

[edit]

See also: List of Lord Mayors of Plymouth

Plymouth has had a mayor in some form since 1439, and this tradition continued until 1934, when the king granted Plymouth the honour of having a Lord Mayor.

The role of the Lord Mayor is largely ceremonial, and has evolved into a figurehead position which is the public, non-political image of Plymouth City Council. The Lord Mayor chairs council meetings in the Council Chamber. The position usually rotates between the Conservatives and Labour, and is chosen on the third Friday of May. The Lord Mayor chooses the Deputy Lord Mayor.

The Lord Mayor's official residence is 3 Elliot Terrace, on Hoe. Once a home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor, it was given by Lady Astor to the City of Plymouth as an official residence for future Lord Mayors and is also used today for civic hospitality, as lodgings for visiting dignitaries and High Court judges, and is available to hire for private events.

## Coat of arms

[edit]

The coat of arms of the City of Plymouth

The coat of arms of the City of Plymouth show the four towers of the old Plymouth Castle, with the saltire of Saint Andrew, who is the patron of Plymouth's oldest church. The crest is a blue naval crown with a red anchor held in a lion's paw. The crown and anchor were part of the crest of the former County Borough of Devonport and represent the importance of the Royal Navy in the life of the city.[43] The Latin motto, Turris Fortissima est Nomen Jehova, means "The name of Jehovah is the strongest tower".

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Council minutes, 16 May 2025". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
2. ^ "Plymouth Growth Board". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
3. ^ Hawkyard, A. D. K. "Plymouth Borough". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
4. ^ Municipal Corporations Act 1835
5. ^ "Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1888 c. 41, retrieved 13 August 2023
6. ^ "Three Towns Amalgamation". The Times. UK. 9 February 1914.
7. ^ "The City of Plymouth". The Times. UK. 18 October 1928.
8. ^ "City Council surprise: Alderman Moses and Molesworth ward by-election". The Western Morning News. Plymouth. 13 October 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
9. ^ "No. 34160". The London Gazette. 14 May 1935. p. 3139.
10. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
11. ^ "No. 46255". The London Gazette. 4 April 1974. p. 4400.
12. ^ "The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1865, retrieved 11 August 2023
13. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 11 August 2023
14. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
15. ^ "Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority".
16. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Plymouth" in search box to see specific results.)
17. ^ "Labour loses control in Plymouth". BBC News. 5 May 2006.
18. ^ "Labour regains control of Plymouth city council". The Guardian. 23 June 2006.
19. ^ All three of Plymouth's Ukip councillors have just quit the party and joined the Tories
20. ^ Fleming, Guy (10 December 1986). "Savery beats Morrell to lead Tories". Western Evening Herald. Plymouth. p. 1. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
21. ^ Telford, William (14 September 2022). "Tributes paid to ex-council leader and lord mayor Tom Savery". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Telford, William (6 May 2023). "Labour leader Tudor Evans' triumphs and disasters explained". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
23. ^ "School cash not passed on". BBC News. 2 May 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
24. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2012". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
25. ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2016". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
26. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2018". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
27. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2021". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
28. ^ a b "Council minutes, 21 March 2022". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
29. ^ Telford, William (22 March 2023). "Plymouth's Tory council leader Richard Bingley resigns". Plymouth Live. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
30. ^ "Council minutes, 19 May 2023". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
31. ^ "Plymouth council results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
32. ^ "Two Plymouth Labour councillors resign in single day". Plymouth Plus. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
33. ^ "Councillor Dylan Tippetts joins the Liberal Democrats". www.plymouthliberaldemocrats.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
34. ^ "Plymouth councillors". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
35. ^ "Plymouth". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
36. ^ Historic England. "Council House and former Civic Centre (Grade II) (1392038)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
37. ^ "Ballard House (main council office)". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
38. ^ "Plymouth City Council to relocate hundreds of staff". Foodservice News. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
39. ^ "Plymouth civic centre building sold to developers". 10 February 2015.
40. ^ "Plymouth City College to move into Civic Centre". BBC News. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
41. ^ "The City of Plymouth (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/2236, retrieved 13 August 2023
42. ^ "Your councillors by party". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
43. ^ "Coat of Arms". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 17 April 2016.

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