Shetland Islands Council

Local authority for Shetland, Scotland

Shetland Islands Council

Comhairle Shealtainn

Full council election every 5 years

Coat of arms

Council logo

Type
Type|

Unitary authority

History
Founded| 1975
Leadership

Convener

Andrea Manson,
Independent
since 23 May 2022

Leader

Emma MacDonald,
Independent
since 23 May 2022

Chief Executive

Maggie Sandison
since 28 February 2018[1]

Structure
Seats| 23 councillors

Results of the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections in 2022:[2]

Political groups

Independent (20)

Greens (1)

SNP (1)

Labour (1)

Elections

Voting system

| Single transferable vote

Last election

| 5 May 2022

Next election

| 6 May 2027
Motto
Með lögum skal land byggja (Old Norse: "By law shall the land be built up")
Meeting place
Council Chamber, Lower Hillhead, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0EL
Website
www.shetland.gov.uk

The Shetland Islands Council (Shetland Insular Scots: Shitlin Islant' Cooncil; Scottish Gaelic: Comhairle Shealtainn) is the local authority for Shetland, Scotland. It was established by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and is the successor to the former Lerwick Town Council and Zetland County Council. This council was established in 1975 and was largely unaffected by the Scottish local government changes of the mid-1990s.

It provides services in the areas of Environmental Health, Roads, Social Work, Community Development, Organisational Development, Economic Development, Building Standards, Trading Standards, Housing, Waste, Education, Burial Grounds, Port and Harbours and others. The council is allowed to collect Council Tax. The Fire Service is part of the Highlands and Islands division of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

In 2011, structural reforms saw the creation of the Political Leader position, with the Convener becoming a civic leadership post.[3]

## Composition

[edit]

See also: Category:Wards of Shetland and Category:Shetland Islands Council elections

As of 2022 the council has the following councillors:

Shetland Island Council  Party  | Seats

|

| Independent | 20
| Scottish Green Party | 1
| Scottish National Party | 1
| Scottish Labour Party | 1

## Leaders

[edit]

### Political Leaders

[edit]

No.  |  | Political Leader  | Party  | Period in office  | Election  | Depute Leader

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | Josie Simpson  | Independent  | 2011 - 2012  | 2007 |  |
2  |  | Gary Robinson  | Independent  | 2012 - 2017  | 2012 |  | Billy Fox (Independent)
Michael Stout (Independent)
3  |  | Cecil Smith  | Independent  | 2017 - 2018  | 2017 |  | Steven Coutts (Independent)
4  |  | Steven Coutts  | Independent  | 2018–2022  | 2017 |  | Emma Macdonald (Independent)
5  |  | Emma Macdonald  | Independent  | 2022–present  | 2022 |  | Gary Robinson (Independent)

### Convenors[4]

[edit]

No.  |  | Convener  | Party  | Period in office  | Election  | Depute Convener

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | A.I. Tulloch  | Independent  | 1974 - 1986  | 1974
1978
1982 |  | John Jamieson (Independent)
John Butler (Labour)
Edward Thomason (Independent)
2  |  | Edward Thomason  | Shetland Movement | 1986 - 1994  | 1986
1990 |  | Willie Tait (Independent)
William Anderson (Shetland Movement)
3  |  | Lewis Shand Smith  | Independent  | 1994 - 1999  | 1994 |  | James Smith (Shetland Movement)
4  |  | Tom Stove  | Independent  | 1999 - 2003  | 1999 |  | John Nicolson (Liberal Democrat)
5  |  | Sandy Cluness  | Liberal Democrat[a]
Independent  | 2003 - 2012  | 2003
2007 |  | Florence Grains (Independent)
Josie Simpson (Independent)
6  |  | Malcolm Bell  | Independent  | 2012–2022  | 2012
2017 |  | Gary Robinson (Independent)
Cecil Smith (Independent)
Beatrice Wishart (Independent)
Cecil Smith (Independent)
7  |  | Andrea Manson  | Independent  | 2022–present  | 2022 |  | Bryan Peterson (Independent)

## Premises

[edit]

North Ness, Lerwick: Council offices being the white building in the middle.

Council meetings are held at the Council Chamber on Lower Hillhead in Lerwick. The building was formerly St Ringan's Church and was built in 1886.[5] After the church closed the building was used as a library for some years, before being converted to become the council chamber in 2022. Council meetings were previously held at Lerwick Town Hall.[6]

The council's main offices are at 8 North Ness in Lerwick, overlooking the harbour. The building was completed in 2012 to bring together the council's departments in one building.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* Constitutional status of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
* Lerwick Declaration

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Sandy Cluness was first elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in 2003 but stood as an independent candidate in 2007.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Davidson, Jenni (28 February 2018). "Maggie Sandison appointed chief executive of Shetland Islands Council". Holyrood. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
2. ^ "Ballotbox Scotland, 2022 Local Elections, Shetland Islands Council 2022".
3. ^ "Josie Takes the Helm". Shetland News. 7 March 2011.
4. ^ Stewart, James. "Politics". Shetland History Online.
5. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Lower Hillhead and Union Street, St Ringan's Church (United Free Church of Scotland), including church hall, boundary walls, and gatepiers (Category B Listed Building) (LB37269)". Retrieved 13 July 2023.
6. ^ Cope, Chris (11 March 2022). "From church to library to council chamber: St Ringan's latest evolution". Shetland News. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
7. ^ "New council headquarters open". Shetland News. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Shetland Islands Council Website

* v
* t
* e

Local government of Scotland

Council areas|

* Aberdeen City
* Aberdeenshire
* Angus
* Argyll and Bute
* Clackmannanshire
* Dumfries and Galloway
* Dundee City
* East Ayrshire
* East Dunbartonshire
* East Lothian
* East Renfrewshire
* City of Edinburgh
* Falkirk
* Fife
* Glasgow City
* Highland
* Inverclyde
* Midlothian
* Moray
* Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)
* North Ayrshire
* North Lanarkshire
* Orkney
* Perth and Kinross
* Renfrewshire
* Scottish Borders
* Shetland
* South Ayrshire
* South Lanarkshire
* Stirling
* West Dunbartonshire
* West Lothian

Councils|

* Aberdeen City
* Aberdeenshire
* Angus
* Argyll and Bute
* Clackmannanshire
* Dumfries and Galloway
* Dundee City
* East Ayrshire
* East Dunbartonshire
* East Lothian
* East Renfrewshire
* City of Edinburgh
* Falkirk
* Fife
* Glasgow City
* Highland
* Inverclyde
* Midlothian
* Moray
* Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
* North Ayrshire
* North Lanarkshire
* Orkney Islands
* Perth and Kinross
* Renfrewshire
* Scottish Borders
* Shetland Islands
* South Ayrshire
* South Lanarkshire
* Stirling
* West Dunbartonshire
* West Lothian

List by area, population, density

* v
* t
* e

Elections and referendums in Shetland

Zetland County Council|

* 1890
* 1892
* 1895
* 1898
* 1901
* 1904
* 1907
* 1910
* 1913
* 1919
* 1922
* 1925
* 1928
* 1929
* 1932
* 1935
* 1938
* 1945
* 1949
* 1952
* 1955
* 1958
* 1961
* 1964
* 1967
* 1970
* 1973

Shetland Islands Council|

* 1974
* 1978
* 1982
* 1986
* 1990
* 1994
* 1999
* 2003
* 2007
* 2012
* 2017
* 2022

Referendums|

* 1978

* v
* t
* e

Wards of Shetland

* North Isles
* Shetland North
* Shetland West
* Shetland Central
* Shetland South
* Lerwick North
* Lerwick South

* v
* t
* e

Local government areas of Scotland, in use 1975 to 1996

Borders|

* Berwickshire
* Ettrick and Lauderdale
* Roxburgh
* Tweeddale

Central Region|

* Clackmannan
* Falkirk
* Stirling

Dumfries and
Galloway|

* Annandale and Eskdale
* Nithsdale
* Stewartry
* Wigtown

Fife|

* Dunfermline
* Kirkcaldy
* North East Fife

Grampian|

* Aberdeen
* Banff and Buchan
* Gordon
* Kincardine and Deeside
* Moray

Highland|

* Badenoch and Strathspey
* Caithness
* Inverness
* Lochaber
* Nairn
* Ross and Cromarty
* Skye and Lochalsh
* Sutherland

Lothian|

* East Lothian
* Edinburgh
* Midlothian
* West Lothian

Strathclyde|

* Argyll and Bute
* Bearsden and Milngavie
* Strathkelvin
* Clydebank
* Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
* Cumnock and Doon Valley
* Cunninghame
* Dumbarton
* East Kilbride
* Eastwood
* Glasgow
* Hamilton
* Inverclyde
* Kilmarnock and Loudoun
* Kyle and Carrick
* Clydesdale
* Monklands
* Motherwell
* Renfrew

Tayside|

* Angus
* Dundee
* Perth and Kinross

Island areas1|

* Orkney
* Shetland
* Western Isles

1 The island areas were unitary authorities, combining the powers of a region and a district.

Authority control databases |

* ISNI
* VIAF

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