Salisbury City Council

The civil parish of Salisbury – which excludes some of the city's suburbs and satellite villages such as Old Sarum, Laverstock, Hampton Park, Britford, Netherhampton and Odstock – had a population of 40,302 at the 2011 census.[1]

As New Sarum, Salisbury has been ranked as a city since "time immemorial". The Local Government Act 1972, which took effect in 1974, eliminated the New Sarum City Council, administered under its charters, with the new Salisbury District Council taking over its administrative functions. However, the status of a city was preserved after 1974 by the Charter trustees of the City of New Sarum. That name was formally changed from "New Sarum" to "Salisbury" by the 2009 structural changes to local government in England which created a civil parish of Salisbury and a new Salisbury City Council as its first tier of local government.[2][3] The parish was again granted city status by letters patent dated 1 April 2009.[4]

The council met in temporary offices until 2011, while the 18th-century Salisbury Guildhall was adapted.[2]

On 23 March 2010, the city council was granted a royal licence, transferring to it the armorial bearings of the previous City of New Sarum. The arms and supporters were originally recorded at the heraldic visitations of Wiltshire in 1565 and 1623.[5] The blazon of the arms is:

Barry of eight Azure and Or. Supporters: On either side an eagle displayed with two heads Or, ducally gorged Azure.[6][7]

There do not appear to be any meanings attached to the design.[8] The traditional explanation that the blue stripes represent the rivers that meet in the city is now discounted.[8][9] It has also been suggested that the eagles derive from the arms of the Bouverie family, Earls of Radnor, benefactors of the city. However, this also can be discounted, as the arms of the city were recorded before the family was connected with it.[8][9]

The council has 24 members, elected by eight wards which each elect three councillors.[10] Boundary changes confirmed in 2020 and applied at the 2021 election redrew wards in the central, Harnham, Milford and Bishopdown areas and increased the number of councillors from 23.[11][12]

Elections to the city council took place on Thursday 6 May 2021.[13] The current makeup of the council is shown below - those marked * are also Wiltshire Councillors.

The council has some sixty empoyees[11] and is responsible for the following properties and services:[2]

• Parks and associated public conveniences
• Car parks
• Cemeteries and Salisbury Crematorium
• Play areas
• Sports pitches
• Open spaces
• Allotments
• Charter market
• Charter fair
• The Guildhall
• Bemerton Heath neighbourhood centre
• General fund shops and garages owned by the city prior to 1974
• Events: Christmas Lights, St George's Day, Salisbury Food Festival, Music in the Parks, Britain in Bloom
• City Centre management
• General Community Fund

• Official website
• "Views sought on new city council". BBC News Online. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2015. Under the new system of local government, the city council would have the same powers and functions as a town or parish council. These include looking after allotments, burial ground, cemeteries and crematoria, bus shelters, community centres, the arts, public footpaths and public toilets.