West Lothian Council

West Lothian Council is the local authority for the council area of West Lothian in Scotland.

West Lothian Council
West Lothian Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms
West Lothian Council logo
West Lothian Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Cathy Muldoon,
Labour
since 24 May 2022[1]
Lawrence Fitzpatrick,
Labour
since 25 May 2017[2]
Graham Hope
since September 2010
Structure
Seats33 councillors
Political groups
Administration
  Labour (12)
Other parties (21)
  Scottish National Party (15)
  Conservative (4)
  Liberal Democrats (1)
  Independent (1)
Elections
Single transferable vote
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, EH54 6FF
Website
www.westlothian.gov.uk

History

West Lothian District Council was created in 1975 as one of four districts within the Lothian region. The West Lothian district took its name from the historic county of West Lothian, which had covered a similar but not identical area.[3] The Lothian region was abolished in 1996, when the four districts in the region, including West Lothian, became unitary council areas.[4]

Political control

The first election to the West Lothian District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows:[5]

West Lothian District Council

Party in controlYears
Labour1975–1977
No overall control1977–1980
Labour1980–1992
No overall control1992–1996

West Lothian Council

Party in controlYears
Labour1996–2007
No overall control2007–

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:[6]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Graeme Morrice Labour1 Apr 1996May 2007
Peter Johnston SNP10 May 2007May 2012
John McGinty Labour10 May 2012May 2017
Lawrence Fitzpatrick Labour25 May 2017

Elections

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:[5]

Year Seats SNP Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats Independent / Other Notes
1995271115100Labour majority
1999321120100New ward boundaries.[7] Labour majority
2003321218101Labour majority
2007321314104New ward boundaries.[8] SNP-Conservative-Action to Save St. John's Hospital[9]
2012331516101Increase in number of councillors.[10]
2017331312701Labour minority with Conservative support.[11]
2022331512411Labour minority with Conservative-Independent-Liberal Democrat support.[12]

Premises
Former County Buildings, Linlithgow: One of the council's former offices

The council is based at the West Lothian Civic Centre in Livingston. The building was built in 2009 at a cost of £50 million to serve as a police headquarters and courthouse as well as offices for the council.[13] Prior to 2009 the council's offices had been divided between various buildings, including:

  • County Buildings in Linlithgow, which had been built in 1935 as the headquarters for the old West Lothian County Council.[14]
  • Lindsay House on South Bridge Street, Bathgate, built in 1966 as the Burgh Chambers for the old Bathgate Town Council.[15]
  • West Lothian House on Almondvale Boulevard in Livingston, which had been built in 1981 as Sidlaw House and had been the headquarters of the Livingston Development Corporation.[16]

Lindsay House and West Lothian House were both demolished shortly after the new Civic Centre opened in 2009.[17][18]

Services

Like all Scottish Councils, West Lothian Council provides services such as Education,[19] Social Work,[20] Housing,[21] Highways, Street lighting[22] and Cleansing.[23]

The council is responsible for the co-ordination of the planning and provision of public services in West Lothian. It works closely with other public bodies such as police, fire and health, through its community planning partnership.

West Lothian Council operates country parks at Beecraigs, Polkemmet, and Almondell & Calderwood.[24]

Wards
Map of the area's wards (2007 to 2017 configuration)

During elections West Lothian Council is divided geographically into 9 wards which then elect either three or four councillors each by the Single Transferable Vote system. The electoral system of local councils in Scotland is governed by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, an Act of the Scottish Parliament which first introduced proportional representation to councils. These electoral wards are as follows:

West Lothian Council Wards[25][26]
Ward Number Ward Name Location Elected Members
1 Linlithgow 3
2 Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh 4
3 Livingston North 4
4 Livingston South 4
5 East Livingston and East Calder 4
6 Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley 3
7 Whitburn and Blackburn 4
8 Bathgate 4
9 Armadale and Blackridge 3

References
  1. "Council minutes, 24 May 2022". West Lothian Council. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  2. "Council minutes, 25 May 2017". West Lothian Council. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  3. "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1973 c. 65, retrieved 24 December 2022
  4. "Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 39, retrieved 16 December 2022
  5. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  6. "Council minutes". West Lothian Council. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  7. "The West Lothian (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1998/3076, retrieved 25 December 2022
  8. Scottish Parliament. The West Lothian (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006 as made, from legislation.gov.uk.
  9. Local Single Issue Political Party to save St. John's Hospital in Livingston
  10. Scottish Parliament. The West Lothian (Electoral Arrangements) Councillor Numbers Order 2011 as made, from legislation.gov.uk.
  11. "Labour denies minority deal with Tories in West Lothian". Edinburgh Evening News. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  12. Sommerville, Stuart (24 May 2022). "New minority West Lothian Labour leaders accused of "grubby" deal with Tories". Daily Record. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  13. "Alex Salmond unveils £50m Livingston civic centre". BBC News. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  14. Historic Environment Scotland. "High Street, County Buildings with screen wall lamp standards and Provost's lamp (LB37399)". Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  15. "Chambers par excellence: Bathgate's fine new image". West Lothian Courier. Bathgate. 18 February 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  16. "Livingston, Sidlaw House". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  17. Kerr, Marjorie (17 December 2009). "West Lothian Council revamps Bathgate office". Daily Record. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  18. Kerr, Marjorie (13 May 2010). "Plans for West Lothian House". Daily Record. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  19. "West Lothian Council – Schools and Education". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  20. "West Lothian Council – Health and Social Care". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  21. "West Lothian Council – Housing". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  22. "West Lothian Council – Roads, Streets and Parking". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  23. "West Lothian Council – Recycling and Waste". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  24. "Countryside and Wildlife". West Lothian Council. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  25. "West Lothian Council – Councillors and Wards". www.westlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  26. "United Kingdom: Scotland | Council Areas and Electoral Wards". City Population. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
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