Enfield London Borough Council
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The first elected local authority for Enfield was a local board, established in 1850. Such boards were reconstituted as urban district councils under the Local Government Act 1894. Enfield was then incorporated to become a municipal borough in 1955, after which it was governed by a body formally called the "Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Enfield", generally known as the corporation or borough council.
The much larger London Borough of Enfield and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Enfield, Edmonton and Southgate. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished. The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Enfield".
From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Enfield) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Enfield has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.
Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.
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Governance
The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010.
The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:
Leadership
The role of Mayor of Enfield is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:
Premises
The council is based at Enfield Civic Centre on Silver Street, which had originally been completed in 1961 for the old Enfield Borough Council. The building was later significantly extended with a 12 storey tower block, which was completed in 1975.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 25 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.