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Belfast City Council (Irish: ) is the city council for Belfastmarker, Northern Irelandmarker. It is the largest local council, serving the largest city in Northern Ireland and had an estimated population of in . It is the central council for Metropolitan Belfast which has a population of 576,500. The Council is based in Belfast City Hallmarker. Belfastmarker was also the first seat of government for Northern Ireland. The council was created on its current boundaries following the local council elections of May 1973. Originally it was intended that there would be 52 wards. However, local enquiries meant that the proposed Tullycarnet ward became instead the Castlereagh Borough Council wards of Tullycarnet and Gilnahirk.

Councillors

Belfast City Council has 51 councillors representing the nine electoral areas across the city:

Councillor Ian Adamson, Councillor Tim Attwood, Councillor Janice Austin, Councillor David Browne, Councillor Michael Browne, Councillor Wallace Browne, Councillor May Campbell, Councillor Fred Cobain, Councillor Patrick Convery, Councillor Ian Crozier, Councillor Tierna Cunningham, Councillor Marie Cush, Councillor Nigel Dodds, Councillor Diane Dodds, Councillor Tom Ekin, Councillor Sir Reg Empey, Councillor Tom Hartley, Councillor Máire Hendron, Councillor William Humphrey, Councillor Mervyn Jones, Councillor Bernie Kelly, Councillor Niall Kelly, Councillor Jim Kirkpatrick, Councillor John Kyle, Councillor Danny Lavery, Councillor Naomi Long, Councillor Alban Maginness, Councillor Paul Maskey, Councillor Conor Maskey, Councillor Alex Maskey, Councillor Francis McCann, Councillor Patrick McCarthy, Councillor Nelson McCausland, Councillor Margaret McClenaghan, Councillor Frank McCoubrey, Councillor Michael McGimpsey, Councillor Margaret McKenzie, Councillor Elaine McMillen, Councillor Christine Mhic Giolla Mhin, Councillor Marie Moore, Councillor Cathal Mullaghan, Councillor Robin Newton, Councillor Gerard O'Neill, Councillor Peter O'Reilly, Councillor Ruth Patterson, Councillor Jim Rodgers, Councillor David Rodway, Councillor Hugh Smyth, Councillor Christopher Stalford, Councillor Bob Stoker, Councillor Sammy Wilson

Electoral areas

The current Belfast City Council area consists of 9 electoral areas: Oldpark, Castle, Victoria, Pottinger, Laganbank, Balmoral, Upper Falls, Lower Falls and Court. In the 2005 local government elections, the voters of Belfast elected a total of 51 councillors from the following political parties: 15 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 14 Sinn Féin, 8 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 7 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 2 Progressive Unionist Party and 1 Independent Unionist.

In 2006, the local government boundary commission published proposals to extend Belfast into the neighbouring districts of Castlereagh and Lisburn, as well as adding a small part of North Down. The proposed extension mostly comprises the communities of Poleglass, Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Lagmore, Belvoir, Cregagh, Braniel, Gilnahirk and Tullycarnet. However some have suggested extending the council further into Castlereagh and Newtownabbey councils and these proposals have recently been discussed at a local enquiry.

Previous Elections

Year APNI DUP PUP SF SDLP UDP UPNI UUP Workers Others
1973 8 2 - - 7 - - 25 2 7
1977 13 7 - - 8 - 2 15 1 2
1981 7 15 1 - 6 - 1 13 0 8
1985 8 11 1 7 6 - - 14 1 3
1989 6 8 1 8 8 - - 14 1 5
1993 5 9 1 10 9 - - 15 0 2
1997 6 7 3 13 7 1 - 13 0 1
2001 3 10 3 14 9 - - 11 0 1
2005 4 15 2 14 8 - - 7 0 1


2005 Election results

In the 2005 local government elections, the voters of Belfast elected fifty-one councillors to Belfast City Council from the following political parties: 15 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 14 Sinn Féin, 8 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 7 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 2 Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), and 1 Independent. The Independent is Frank McCoubrey who is a leading member of the Ulster Political Research Group, the successor to the Ulster Democratic Party.

Party seats change +/-
• Democratic Unionist Party 15 +5
• Sinn Féin 14 =
• Social Democratic and Labour Party 8 -1
• Ulster Unionist Party 7 -4
• Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 4 +1
• Progressive Unionist Party 2 -1
• Independent 1 =


1997 Election results

In 1997, Unionists lost overall control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gaining the balance of power between Nationalists and Unionists. This position was confirmed in the council elections of 2001 and 2005. Since then it has had three Nationalist mayors, two from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and one from Sinn Féin.

Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies

Belfast has four UK parliamentary and Assembly constituencies - North Belfast, West Belfast, South Belfast and East Belfast. All four extend somewhat beyond the city boundaries into parts of Castlereaghmarker, Lisburnmarker and Newtownabbeymarker districts. In 2007, the people of Belfast elected 8 Sinn Féin, 7 DUP, 3 Ulster Unionist, 4 SDLP, 1 PUP and 2 Alliance members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In the 2005 general election, they elected 2 DUP MPs, 1 SDLP MP and 1 Sinn Féin MP.

Northern Ireland Local Government Reform

Under proposals announced on 17 September 2008, when the number of councils in Northern Ireland is reduced to eleven in time for elections in 2011, the area of Belfast City Council shall expand slightly to "reflect its natural setting as encompassed by the surrounding hills, a number of landscape features and some major roads." It is proposed that "the localities of Gilnahirk, Tullycarnet, Braniel, Castlereagh, Merok, Cregagh, Wynchurch, Glencregagh and Belvoir, which are part of the existing Castlereagh Borough Councilmarker area, should be incorporated in the Belfast District; and that the localities of Collin Glen, Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Dunmurry, which are part of the existing Lisburn City area, should also be incorporated in the Belfast District...[while] a small area of housing at Knocknagoney should transfer from North Down to Belfast.", bringing its electorate to 190,393. The new council will elect 60 councillors.

Lord Mayor, High Sheriff

The city of Belfast has a mayoral form of municipal government. The City's elected officials are the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and High Sheriff who are drawn from fifty one elected councillors. The first Lord Mayor of Belfast was Daniel Dixon, who was elected in 1892. As of June 2007, the Lord Mayor of Belfast is Sinn Féin politician Tom Hartley, who becomes the second Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of the city. His duties, as mayor of Belfast, include presiding over meetings of the council, receiving distinguished visitors to the city, and representing and promoting the city on the national and international stage.

His deputy is Councillor David Browne (UUP). The city council also (uniquely amongst Northern Ireland's councils) elects a High Sheriff, who acts as the Queen's representative in the city; the current holder of that office is Councillor Margaret McKenzie(DUP).

Committees

The council currently has 6 committees, the members of which are appointed at the annual meeting of the council.

Each of the committees consists of 20 councillors with the quorum (the minimum number of councillors that are required to be present to transact business legally) of each committee being 5 members. Committees sit at least monthly with the exception of July. All committees are constituted to reflect, as far as practicable, the different political groups into which the members of the council are divided. The posts of chairman and deputy chairman of committees are allocated on the basis of the d’Hondt system of proportionality:

Minutes

Minutes of meetings of Council committees and subcommittees are available at Belfast City Council (searchable) and at Belfast NI Gov Wiki (unofficial site).

Council departments

The council currently has 7 departments, headed by the Chief Executive's Department: Responsible for providing support to the Lord Mayor and councillors in their roles as public representatives. Maintain the city's green spaces and organising park events and activities. They also work to promote some of Belfast’s biggest tourist attractions, like Belfast Zoomarker and Malone House. Responsible for managing many of the council's major assets, including Belfast Castlemarker and Belfast Botanic Gardensmarker. Responsible for human resources, financial services and information systems. Also oversees the registration of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships. Responsibilities include: Economic development and support for local businesses. Support for community development and management of 22 community centres and six play centres. Support the city's culture and heritage Support for Belfast's tourism potential. Delivering major civic events such Christmas Lights Switch-On and St Patrick's Day celebrations. Physical regeneration of the main ‘arterial’ routes into the city.
  • Management of venues
St George's and Smithfield Markets, Belfast Waterfront, Ulster Hall
Waste collection vehicle, Arthur Street, Belfast, October 2009
Works to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of all who live in the city or who come into the city each day to work or visit. Also has important waste management responsibilities, including promoting waste reduction and recycling and making arrangements for the collection, treatment and disposal of waste. Responsible for developing and delivering a single improvement and efficiency agenda for the organisation. Provides comprehensive legal advice to the Council.

See also



References



External links




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