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2021 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council election>6 May 2021| next_election1 = 2 May 2024| session_room = Rotherham Town Hall.jpg| session_res =| session_alt =Rotherham Town Hall>Town Hall, The Crofts, Moorgate Street, Rotherham, S60{{nbsp}}2THwww.rotherham.gov.uk}}| footnotes =| motto =}}Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of four in South Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England. The council was created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972.

History

The town of Rotherham had been a municipal borough from 1871. In 1902 it was elevated to become a county borough, taking over county-level functions from West Riding County Council.WEB, Rotherham Municipal Borough / County Borough,visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10136301#tab02, A Vision of Britain through Time, GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, 10 March 2024, The county borough was abolished in 1974 and replaced by the larger Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, which also took in the areas of the abolished urban districts of Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, and Wath upon Dearne, plus the Kiveton Park Rural District and Rotherham Rural District.LEGISLATION UK, act, Local Government Act 1972, 1972, 70, 10 March 2024, The enlarged district was named Rotherham after its largest town.LEGISLATION UK, si, The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973, 1973, 137, 11 March 2024, The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Rotherham’s series of mayors dating back to 1871.WEB, District Councils and Boroughs,api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145, Hansard, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 11 March 2024, 28 March 1974, Until 1986 the council provided district-level services, with county-level services provided by South Yorkshire County Council. Following the abolition of the county council in 1986, Rotherham also took on county-level services, with some functions provided in joint arrangements with the other South Yorkshire boroughs.WEB, South Yorkshire Joint Authorities Governance Unit,www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/south-yorkshire-governance/south-yorkshire-governance/, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, 11 March 2024, LEGISLATION UK, act, Local Government Act 1985, 1985, 51, 11 March 2024, In February 2015 the council had certain decision-making powers suspended and transferred to commissioners appointed by the government after the council was severely criticised by the Casey report into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal.NEWS, Pidd, Helen, Laville, Sandra, Government to take over Rotherham council after damning child exploitation report,www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/04/rotherham-council-denial-child-sexual-exploitation-failures-report, 8 February 2015, The Guardian, 4 February 2015, NEWS,www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31643047, BBC News, Eric Pickles names new Rotherham Council leaders, 26 February 2015, 26 February 2015, The commissioners were wound up in September 2018, when normal powers were restored to the council.WEB, Commissioners,www.rotherham.gov.uk/commissioners, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, 11 March 2024, NEWS, Mann, Tanveer, Rotherham council given back control three years after child sex abuse scandal,metro.co.uk/2018/09/18/rotherham-council-given-back-control-three-years-after-child-sex-abuse-scandal-7957978/, 11 March 2024, Metro, 18 September 2018,

Governance

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Rotherham is within a metropolitan area of England. It provides the majority of local government services in Rotherham, including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The council appoints members to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel and it is a constituent council of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government for their areas.

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the creation of the metropolitan borough in 1974.WEB, Compositions calculator,www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825, The Elections Centre, 10 August 2022, {| class=“wikitable“! colspan=2|Party in control || YearsLabour Party (UK)}} 1974–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Rotherham. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1990 have been:WEB, Council minutes,moderngov.rotherham.gov.uk/uuCoverPage.aspx?bcr=1, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, 12 August 2022, {| class=wikitable! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! ToMark Edgell >Labour Party (UK)}} align=right12 Sep 2003Roger Stone (councillor)>Roger StoneLEADER OF ROTHERHAM COUNCIL STEPS DOWN OVER FINDINGS >URL=HTTPS://WWW.ITV.COM/NEWS/UPDATE/2014-08-26/LEADER-OF-ROTHERHAM-COUNCIL-STEPS-DOWN-AFTER-FINDINGS/ WORK=ITV NEWS Labour Party (UK)}} align=right26 Aug 2014ACCESS-DATE=12 AUGUST 2022 DATE=4 FEBRUARY 2015, {{party name with colour10 Sep 2014 align=right|4 Feb 2015Labour Party (UK)}} align=right

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:{| class=“wikitable”!colspan=“2“|Party!!CouncillorsLabour Party (UK)}} align=center|33Conservative Party (UK)}} align=center|13Independent politician}} align=center|10Liberal Democrats (UK)}} align=center|3! colspan=2|Total! align=center|59

Elections

{{also|Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council elections}}Since the last boundary changes in 2020 the council has comprised 59 councillors representing 25 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.LEGISLATION UK, si, The Rotherham (Electoral Changes) Order 2018, 2018, 327, 12 March 2024, WEB, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council,moderngov.rotherham.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0, 15 July 2021, rotherham.gov.uk,

Premises

The council meets at Rotherham Town Hall on The Crofts in the centre of Rotherham, which had been built as a courthouse in 1929 and was bought by the council in 1985 to use as a town hall.WEB,www.donvalleyway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Rotherham-1-.pdf, Rotherham Town Circular Walk, Don Valley Way, 4, 16 November 2020, (File:Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Riverside House, 17 October 2014 (2).jpg|thumb|Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham, S60{{nbsp}}1AE: Council’s main offices)(File:Civic Building, Rotherham - geograph.org.uk - 2250328.jpg|thumb|Civic Building: Council’s former headquarters, since demolished.)The council has its main offices at a modern building called Riverside House on Main Street, which it moved to in 2011.NEWS, Dennison, Gareth, £9.9m bill to equip Rotherham Council’s new offices,www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/people/ps99m-bill-to-equip-rotherham-councils-new-offices-4322219, 12 March 2024, Rotherham Advertiser, 25 August 2011, Prior to moving to Riverside House the main offices were at the Civic Building on Walker Place, a 1970s building which was subsequently demolished to make way for a supermarket.

See also

• South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner
• Shaun Wright

References

{{reflist}}

External links

• Council website
• {{Twitter}}

{{Local authorities in South Yorkshire}}{{Metropolitan districts of England}}