Barnet London Borough Council

History

There has been a Barnet local authority since 1863 when a local government district was created for the town of Barnet, also known as Chipping Barnet, governed by an elected local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894, which saw the board replaced by an urban district council.

The much larger London Borough of Barnet and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964. For its first year the council operated as a shadow authority alongside the area's five outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Finchley and Hendon and the urban district councils of Barnet, East Barnet and Friern Barnet. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.

The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Barnet", although it styles itself as 'Barnet Council'.

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 borough councils (including Barnet) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Barnet has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London borough councils, 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.

In 2012 Barnet outsourced many functions to Capita under what it called the 'One Barnet' programme. The scheme was controversial; a local resident tried to challenge the council's decision via a judicial review, but without success. Most of the outsourced functions were brought back in-house during 2023.

Powers and functions

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, environmental services including waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads.

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022.

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

Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Barnet. The leaders since 1969 have been:

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Seats are filled using plurality block voting; elections are held every four years.

Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance in January 2023, March 2024, and November 2024, June 2025, the composition of the council was:

The next election is due in 2026.

Wards

The wards of Barnet and the number of seats:

1. Barnet Vale (3 seats)
2. Brunswick Park (3)
3. Burnt Oak (3)
4. Childs Hill (3)
5. Colindale North (2)
6. Colindale South (3)
7. Cricklewood (2)
8. East Barnet (3)
9. East Finchley (3)
10. Edgware (3)
11. Edgwarebury (2)
12. Finchley Church End (3)
13. Friern Barnet (3)
14. Garden Suburb (2)
15. Golders Green (2)
16. Hendon (3)
17. High Barnet (2)
18. Mill Hill (3)
19. Totteridge and Woodside (3)
20. Underhill (2)
21. West Finchley (3)
22. West Hendon (3)
23. Whetstone (2)
24. Woodhouse (2)

Premises

The council has its main offices at 2 Bristol Avenue in Colindale, which was completed in 2019. Council meetings are held at Hendon Town Hall, which had been completed in 1901 for Hendon Urban District Council.

Prior to 2019 the council's main offices were at Barnet House in Whetstone, which had been built in 1966 as 'Ever Ready House', being the headquarters of the British Ever Ready Electrical Company. The council moved into the building in 1986 and renamed it Barnet House.

References

References

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