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Aberdeenshire Council

Unitary authority council in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Field	Value
name	Aberdeenshire Council
logo_pic	Aberdeenshire Council.svg
logo_caption	Council logo
leader1_type	Provost
leader1	Judy Whyte
party1
Independent
election1	19 May 2022
leader2_type	Co-leaders
leader2	Stewart Adams
Conservative
and
Anne Stirling
Liberal Democrat
election2	26 June 2025
leader3_type	Chief Executive
leader3	Jim Savege
party3
election3	February 2015
members	70 councillors
structure1	Scotland Aberdeenshire Council 2025.svg	structure1_res = 250px
:	border	darkgray}} Conservative (20)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Liberal Democrats (14)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Independent (7)}}
:	border	darkgray}} SNP (18)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Reform (6)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Independent (5)}}
voting_system1	Single transferable vote
last_election1	5 May 2022
next_election1	6 May 2027
session_room	Woodhill House, Westburn Road - geograph.org.uk - 14346.jpg
meeting_place	Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB165GB
website

Independent Conservative and Anne Stirling Liberal Democrat ;Administration (41) : : : ;Other parties (28) : : : Aberdeenshire Council is the local authority for Aberdeenshire, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council has been under no overall control since its creation in 1996. It is based at Woodhill House, which is outside its own territory in the neighbouring Aberdeen City council area.

History

The Aberdeenshire council area was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with single-tier council areas. Aberdeenshire covered the area of the abolished Banff and Buchan, Gordon and Kincardine and Deeside districts, all of which had been part of the Grampian region. It is named after the historic county of Aberdeenshire, but covers a larger area, also including most of the historic county of Kincardineshire and eastern parts of the historic county of Banffshire.

Governance

The council is the fifth largest Scottish council by number of councillors, having 70 members.

The council has devolved power to six area committees: Banff and Buchan; Buchan; Formartine; Garioch; Marr; and Kincardine and Mearns. Each area committee takes decisions on local issues such as planning applications, and the split is meant to reflect the diverse circumstances of each area.

Political control

Following the 2017 election a coalition of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors formed to run the council. The same parties continued running the council in coalition following the 2022 election.

The first election to the council was held in 1995. It initially operated as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1996. Aberdeenshire Council has been under no overall control since its creation.

Party in control	Years
	1996–present

Leadership

The role of provost is largely ceremonial in Aberdeenshire. They chair full council meetings and act as the council's civic figurehead. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1996 have been:

Councillor	Party	From	To	Notes
Audrey Findlay		1 Apr 1996	May 2007
Anne Robertson		17 May 2007	2 May 2012
Jim Gifford		17 May 2012	8 Jun 2015
Richard Thomson		8 Jun 2015	29 Sep 2016	Co-leaders
Martin Kitts-Hayes
Richard Thomson		29 Sep 2016	May 2017	Co-leaders
Alison Evison
Jim Gifford		18 May 2017	Jun 2020
	Jun 2020	19 Nov 2020
title=Council minutes, 19 November 2020	url=https://aberdeenshire.moderngov.co.uk/Data/Aberdeenshire%20Council/202011191015/Agenda/2020%2011%2019%20-%20AC%20Minute%20.pdf	website=Aberdeenshire Council	access-date=29 August 2025}}		19 Nov 2020	May 2022
title=Council minutes, 19 May 2022	url=https://aberdeenshire.moderngov.co.uk/Data/Aberdeenshire%20Council/20220519/Agenda/2022%2005%2019%20AC%20Minute.pdf	website=Aberdeenshire Council	access-date=13 July 2023}}		19 May 2022	28 Jun 2023
Gillian Owen		29 Jun 2023	25 Jun 2025
Stewart Adams		26 Jun 2025		Co-leaders
Anne Stirling

Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party	Councillors	Total	70
	20
	18
	14
	6
	12

Of the independent councillors, seven form the 'Administration Independents' group, which forms part of the council's administration in coalition with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council is based at Woodhill House in Aberdeen, outside the council's own territory. The building was completed in 1977 for the former Grampian Regional Council.

Elections

Main article: Aberdeenshire Council 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:

Year	Seats	Conservative	SNP	Liberal Democrats	Labour	Green	Independent / Other	Notes	Scottish Conservatives}}; width: 3px;"		Scottish National Party}}; width: 3px;"		Scottish Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;"
1995	47	4	15	15	0	0	13
1999	68	7	23	28	0	0	10	New ward boundaries.{{Cite legislation UK	type = si	si = The Aberdeenshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998	year = 1998	number = 3239	access-date = 2024-04-11
2003	68	11	18	28	0	0	11
2007	68	14	22	24	0	0	8
2012	68	14	28	12	2	1	11
2017	70	23	21	14	1	1	10
2022	70	26	21	14	0	0	9

Wards

The council has 70 councillors, elected by single transferable vote in 19 multi-member wards:

Ward number	Ward	Members
1	Banff and District	3
2	Troup	3
3	Fraserburgh and District	4
4	Central Buchan	4
5	Peterhead North and Rattray	4
6	Peterhead South and Cruden	3
7	Turriff and District	4
8	Mid Formartine	4
9	Ellon and District	4
10	West Garioch	3
11	Inverurie and District	4
12	East Garioch	4
13	Westhill and District	4
14	Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford	4
15	Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside	3
16	Banchory and Mid Deeside	3
17	North Kincardine	4
18	Stonehaven and Lower Deeside	4
19	Mearns	4

References

(19 November 2014). "Jim Savege named new Aberdeenshire Council chief executive". BBC News.
{{cite legislation UK. (1994)
"Aberdeenshire Council, Elections and voting, Who represents you".
(2007-06-07). "Aberdeenshire Council - Statistics by Area".
(18 May 2017). "Conservatives and Lib Dems form Aberdeenshire coalition". BBC News.
"Aberdeenshire Council 2022".
"Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
(27 March 1996). "The changing face of Scotland". The Scotsman.
(15 June 2007). "North east locals receive honours". BBC News.
"Council minutes, 17 May 2007".
(3 April 2012). "Lib Dem steps down as leader of Aberdeenshire Council". Daily Record.
"Council minutes, 17 May 2012".
(9 June 2015). "Aberdeenshire Council: SNP chief takes provost job as Tory-led alliance is ousted". The National.
"Council minutes, 8 June 2015".
(30 August 2016). "Legoland trip Aberdeenshire councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes resigns". BBC News.
"Council minutes, 29 September 2016".
(29 September 2016). "Aberdeenshire Council elects Alison Evison as new co-leader after 'Legogate'". BBC News.
"Council minutes, 18 May 2017".
(28 September 2020). "Changing Aberdeenshire Council leadership would be 'perverse' game of 'political musical chairs' in midst of pandemic, argues former SNP councillor". Press and Journal.
"Council minutes, 19 November 2020".
(4 May 2022). "Aberdeenshire election 2022: 135 candidates hoping to represent the region's 19 wards". Aberdeen Live.
"Council minutes, 19 May 2022".
(22 May 2023). "Aberdeenshire Council leader ousted as head of Conservative group". BBC News.
"Council minutes, 29 June 2023".
(29 June 2023). "Change in leadership at Aberdeenshire Council". The Scotsman.
"Council report, 26 June 2025".
(26 June 2025). "Former council leader says she felt 'betrayed'". BBC News.
"Aberdeenshire Council co-leaders appointed".
"Aberdeenshire". Thorncliffe.
Johnson, Simon. (24 October 2024). "Three Tory councillors defect to Reform UK after Farage urges them to join party". The Daily Telegraph.
"Council Offices". Aberdeenshire Council.
(1995). "Scottish Council Elections 1995: Results and Statistics". Election Studies.
[https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2003/428/ Local Election Results 2003: Aberdeenshire]

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