Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council

History

The town of Kingston upon Thames was an ancient borough, having been formally incorporated in 1441, with a long history prior to that as a royal manor dating back to Saxon times. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. It was thereafter run by a body formally called the "Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough (or Royal Borough) of Kingston-upon-Thames". Kingston was often described as a royal borough, with its right to that title being formally confirmed in 1927.

The much larger London Borough of Kingston upon Thames and its council were created in 1965 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 outgoing authorities, being the councils of the three municipal boroughs of Kingston-upon-Thames, Malden and Coombe and Surbiton. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished.

Kingston's royal borough status transferred to the enlarged borough. The council's full legal name is the "Mayor and Burgesses of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames", although it styles itself Kingston 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 boroughs (including Kingston upon Thames) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Kingston upon Thames 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.

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, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2018.

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 is largely ceremonial in Kingston upon Thames. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1972 have been:

Composition

Following the 2022 election, a by-election in November 2022 and a change of allegiance in November 2023, the composition of the council was as follows:

The next election is due in May 2026.

Wards

The wards of Kingston upon Thames and the number of seats:

1. Alexandra (2)
2. Berrylands (2)
3. Canbury Gardens (2)
4. Chessington South & Malden Rushett (3)
5. Coombe Hill (2)
6. Coombe Vale (3)
7. Green Lane & St James (2)
8. Hook & Chessington North (3)
9. King George's & Sunray (2)
10. Kingston Gate (3)
11. Kingston Town (3)
12. Motspur Park & Old Malden East (2)
13. New Malden Village (3)
14. Norbiton (3)
15. Old Malden (2)
16. St Mark's & Seething Wells (3)
17. Surbiton Hill (3)
18. Tolworth (3)
19. Tudor (2)

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 19 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Premises

The council meets at the Guildhall on the High Street in Kingston upon Thames, which had been completed in 1935 for the old borough council. Most of the council's offices are into two 1970s buildings behind the Guildhall, known as Guildhall 1 and Guildhall 2.

Criticism

Size of staff departure payments

In the financial years 2015–19, under a Conservative and then Liberal Democrat administration the council spent £2.4 million of public money on so-called ‘golden goodbyes’ to departing senior staff, including:

• Over £250,000 for Bruce McDonald, the former CEO of the council.
• £316,000 to Charlie Adan, former council chief executive, who left her role two months after the May 2018 local elections, reportedly because she clashed with new council leader, Liz Green.
• £160,000 to Roy Thompson, who served as temporary Chief Executive for less than six months, while Adan's successor was found, with his post as deputy being axed as a cost saving.
• £442,000 split between five ‘senior officers’.

References

References

1. (14 May 2025). "Kingston's new Mayor to focus on resilience".
2. Griffiths, Elliot. (2023-05-18). "Sarah Ireland appointed as new Kingston Chief Executive".
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4. (1911). "A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3". Victoria County History.
5. (1835). "Municipal Corporations Act".
6. (27 October 1927). "Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames". [[The Times]].
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8. Youngs, Frederic. (1979). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England". Royal Historical Society.
9. Youngs, Frederic. (1979). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England". Royal Historical Society.
10. "Letters Patent of Incorporation under the title of the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames". The National Archives.
11. (30 March 2023). "Clean air".
12. "Your Mayor and Deputy Mayor".
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14. Leach, Steve. (1998). "Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath". Routledge.
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16. (12 November 2015). "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London.
17. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
18. "London Boroughs Political Almanac: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames".
19. (13 June 2013). "Kingston council leader quits over child porn arrest". BBC News.
20. (29 October 2013). "Former Kingston Council leader jailed for child abuse images". BBC News.
21. "Council minutes, 16 July 2013".
22. "Council minutes, 5 June 2014".
23. (14 June 2014). "Kingston Council's new leadership team confirmed". Your Local Guardian.
24. (27 April 2018). "Local elections 2018 preview: Kingston Borough Council". SW London.
25. "Council minutes, 22 May 2018".
26. (24 March 2020). "Kingston Council announce leadership change". Surrey Comet.
27. "New Leader appointed at Kingston Council".
28. (21 November 2023). "Senior London Tory councillor quits in fury over Gaza ceasefire stance". The Standard.
29. "Kingston upon Thames". Thorncliffe.
30. (25 March 2021). "The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (Electoral Changes) Order 2021".
31. {{cite legislation UK. (2021)
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33. "Contact us".
34. (10 December 2015). "Former Kingston Council chief executive to get more than £250,000 payout for "resigning"".
35. (9 July 2018). "MyLondon News".
36. Private Eye, Issue 1502, p.18
37. (3 December 2018). "Campaigners raise concerns after Kingston Council deputy chief executive axed".