Shropshire Council

Unitary authority in England

Shropshire Council

Coat of arms

Council logo

Type
Type|

Unitary authority

History
Founded| 1 April 1889 (1889-04-01)
Leadership

Chair

Duncan Borrowman,
Liberal Democrats
since 22 May 2025[1]

Leader

Heather Kidd,
Liberal Democrats
since 22 May 2025

Chief Executive

Andy Begley
since 2020[2]

Structure
Seats| 74 councillors[3]

Political groups

Administration (42)
Liberal Democrats (42)
Other parties (32)
Reform UK (15)
Conservatives (7)
Green (4)
Labour (4)
Independent (2)
Elections

Voting system

| First past the post

Last election

| 1 May 2025

Next election

| 3 May 2029
Motto
Floreat Salopia
(May Shropshire Flourish)
Meeting place
The Guildhall, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, SY3 8HQ
Website
www.shropshire.gov.uk

Shropshire Council, known between 1980 and 2009 as Shropshire County Council and prior to 1980 as Salop County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county of Shropshire, which additionally includes Telford and Wrekin.

The council is based at the Guildhall in the Frankwell area of Shrewsbury. At the 2025 election, the Liberal Democrats took control of the council.

## History

[edit]

Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions that had previously been performed by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The first elections were held in January 1889 and the county council formally came into being on 1 April 1889. On that day it held its first official meeting at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury, the courthouse (built 1837) which had served as the meeting place for the quarter sessions. The first chairman was Alfred Salwey of Overton, who had also been chairman of the quarter sessions for some years prior to the creation of the county council.[4][5]

Old Shirehall, Shrewsbury: Council's headquarters 1889–1966

The Local Government Act 1888 which created county councils did not specify the names of the counties. As Shropshire was also known as Salop, the names 'Shropshire County Council' and 'Salop County Council' were used interchangeably in the council's early years.[6][7] The council chose to adopt an official seal inscribed in Latin rather than English: Concilii comitatus Salopiensis sigilum commune.[8] The county's legal name was confirmed as being Salop by the Local Government Act 1933.[9]

Local government was reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, which saw Salop designated as a non-metropolitan county. The lower tier of local government was reorganised as part of the same reforms. Prior to 1974 the lower tier had comprised numerous boroughs, urban districts and rural districts. They were replaced by six non-metropolitan districts: Bridgnorth, North Shropshire, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Atcham, South Shropshire and The Wrekin. The county's legal name remained Salop, although two of the districts included 'Shropshire' in their names.[10]

Logo used until 2009

The council changed the county's legal name from Salop to Shropshire with effect from 1 April 1980, after which the council was called Shropshire County Council.[11][12]

In 1998, following the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, The Wrekin district was removed from the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire, with its council becoming a unitary authority, independent from the county council. The district council chose to rename the district 'Telford and Wrekin' at the same time.[11]

In 2006 the government published a white paper which encouraged more unitary authorities to be established, particularly in counties with small populations. This started the process which culminated in the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.[13]

Shropshire County Council, supported by South Shropshire District Council and Oswestry Borough Council, proposed to the government that the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire should become a single unitary authority. This was opposed by the other three districts in the county. Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council took legal action challenging the government's decision to proceed with the reorganisation, but was unsuccessful.[14]

The ceremonial county and unitary authorities from 1 April 2009; the larger "Shropshire" unitary authority (1) and Telford and Wrekin (2)

Shropshire County Council became a unitary authority with effect from 1 April 2009. The way the changes were implemented was that the five remaining districts in the non-metropolitan county were abolished and merged into a single district called Shropshire, but with there being no separate district council. Instead, the existing county council also took on the functions that legislation assigns to district councils. The county council was given the option of omitting the word 'county' from its name as part of the reforms, which it took, becoming 'Shropshire Council'.[15]

## Governance

[edit]

As a unitary authority, Shropshire Council provides both county-level and district-level functions. The whole county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.[16]

### Political control

[edit]

In 2025, the Liberal Democrats took control of the council. It had previously been under Conservative control since 2005.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[17][18][19]

Upper-tier county council

Party in control | Years

|

| No overall control | 1974–2005
| Conservative | 2005–2009

Unitary authority

Party in control | Years

|

| Conservative | 2009–2025
| Liberal Democrats | 2025–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Roger Walker[20][21] |  | Labour | 2001 | 2005
Malcolm Pate[22][23] |  | Conservative | 2005 | 18 Jun 2009
Keith Barrow[24][25] |  | Conservative | 18 Jun 2009 | 4 Dec 2015
Malcolm Pate[26][27] |  | Conservative | 17 Dec 2015 | 18 May 2017
Peter Nutting[28][29] |  | Conservative | 18 May 2017 | May 2021
Lezley Picton[30][31] |  | Conservative | 20 May 2021 | May 2025
Heather Kidd[1] |  | Liberal Democrats | 22 May 2025 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2025 election,[32] and a subsequent change of allegiance later in May 2025 from Reform UK to independent, the composition of the council was:[33][34]

Party | Councillors

|

| Liberal Democrats | 42
| Reform UK | 15
| Conservative | 7
| Green | 4
| Labour | 4
| Independent | 2
Total:  | 74

The next election is due in 2029.[33]

## Elections

[edit]

Main article: Shropshire Council elections

Since the last review of boundaries took effect in 2025, the council has comprised 74 councillors representing 72 electoral divisions. Most divisions elect one councillor, but the St Martin's and Wem divisions each elect two councillors. Elections are held every four years.[35]

## Premises

[edit]

In February 2025, the council relocated to the Guildhall in the Frankwell area of Shrewsbury.[36] The Guildhall had been completed in 2004 as the headquarters for the old Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.[37]

Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury: Council's headquarters 1966–2025

The council was previously based at the Shirehall on Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury, which was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1966. The council announced its intention to vacate Shirehall in 2024.[38]

Prior to 1966 the council was based at the Old Shirehall in Shrewsbury, which was subsequently demolished.[39]

## See also

[edit]

* Parliamentary constituencies in Shropshire
* Flag of Shropshire

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Rogers, Paul; Trigg, Rob (22 May 2025). "Social care focus as Lib Dems control council". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
2. ^ Robertson, Dominic (24 September 2020). "New council chief 'humbled' to take on role". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
3. ^ "Your Councillors". shropshire.gov.uk. 14 June 2021.
4. ^ "Shropshire County Council". Shrewsbury Chronicle. 5 April 1889. p. 6. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
5. ^ "Death of Mr A. Salwey, J.P., first chairman of the Salop County Council". Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News. 16 August 1902. p. 12. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
6. ^ "No. 26023". The London Gazette. 14 February 1890. p. 807.
7. ^ "No. 27197". The London Gazette. 29 May 1900. p. 3437.
8. ^ "Seal of the Shropshire County Council". Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News. 23 March 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
9. ^ "Local Government Act 1933", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1933 c. 51, retrieved 18 July 2024
10. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 18 July 2024
11. ^ a b "The County". Shropshire History. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
12. ^ Alteration of Areas and Status of Local Authorities 1980–1982 (PDF). London: Department of the Environment. 1982. p. 17. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
13. ^ "Strong and prosperous communities: The Local Government white paper" (PDF). gov.uk. Department for Communities and Local Government. October 2006. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
14. ^ "Councils lose unitary appeal". Shropshire Star. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
15. ^ "The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009: Article 5", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2009/837 (art. 5), retrieved 18 July 2024
16. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
17. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Shropshire" in search box to see specific results.)
18. ^ "Local election results: Shropshire". BBC Online. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
19. ^ "Shropshire". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
20. ^ "Risk of a set-to at council's meeting". Shropshire Star. Telford. 28 June 2001. p. 7. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
21. ^ "Former Shropshire County Council leader Roger Walker dies, aged 76". Shropshire Star. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
22. ^ "Hospitals face axe over £61m debt". BBC News. 22 November 2005. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
23. ^ "New council leader following vote". BBC News. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
24. ^ "Council minutes, 18 June 2009" (PDF). Shropshire Council. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
25. ^ "Keith Barrow quits as leader of Shropshire Council". Shropshire Star. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
26. ^ "Council minutes, 17 December 2015". Shropshire Council. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
27. ^ "Shropshire Council leader Malcolm Pate voted out by own party". BBC News. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
28. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2017". Shropshire Council. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
29. ^ "Shropshire Council: Leader loses seat but Tories keep control". BBC News. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
30. ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2021". Shropshire Council. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
31. ^ Trigg, Rob (5 March 2025). "Council leader stepping down at election". BBC News. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
32. ^ "Unitary results - 1 May 2025". Shropshire Council. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
33. ^ a b "Shropshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
34. ^ "Shropshire councillor resigns from Reform UK after suspension". BBC News. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
35. ^ "The Shropshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2024/123, retrieved 6 July 2025
36. ^ Jones, Megan (28 February 2025). "Shropshire Council HQ at Shirehall officially closes its doors to the public". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
37. ^ "Shrewsbury Guildhall transformed into seat of learning for university". Shropshire Star. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
38. ^ Sheridan, Mike (25 March 2024). "Running costs revealed for 'failed' 60s council HQ". BBC News. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
39. ^ Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Watson, Gavin (2006). Shropshire. Yale University Press. p. 77\. ISBN 978-0300096422.

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