Aberdeenshire Council
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Aberdeenshire Council | |
|---|---|
 Council logo | |
| Leadership | |
Jim Savege since February 2015[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 70 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB16 5GB | |
| Website | |
| www | |
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.
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.[3]
Governance
The council is the fifth largest Scottish council by number of councillors, having 70 members.[4]
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.[5]
Political control
Following the 2017 election a coalition of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some of the independent councillors formed to run the council.[6] The same parties continued running the council in coalition following the 2022 election.[7]
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.[8]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 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[9][10] | Liberal Democrats | 1 Apr 1996 | May 2007 | ||
| Anne Robertson[11][12] | Liberal Democrats | 17 May 2007 | 2 May 2012 | ||
| Jim Gifford[13][14] | Conservative | 17 May 2012 | 8 Jun 2015 | ||
| Richard Thomson | SNP | 8 Jun 2015 | 29 Sep 2016 | Co-leaders[15][16] | |
| Martin Kitts-Hayes | Independent | ||||
| Richard Thomson | SNP | 29 Sep 2016 | May 2017 | Co-leaders[17][18] | |
| Alison Evison | Labour | ||||
| Jim Gifford[19][20][21] | Conservative | 18 May 2017 | Jun 2020 | ||
| Independent | Jun 2020 | 19 Nov 2020 | |||
| Andy Kille[21][22] | Conservative | 19 Nov 2020 | May 2022 | ||
| Mark Findlater[1][23][24] | Conservative | 19 May 2022 | 28 Jun 2023 | ||
| Gillian Owen[25][26][27] | Conservative | 29 Jun 2023 | 25 Jun 2025 | ||
| Stewart Adams | Conservative | 26 Jun 2025 | Co-leaders[28][27] | ||
| Anne Stirling | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to February 2026, the composition of the council was:[29]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 20 | |
| SNP | 18 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 14 | |
| Reform | 7 | |
| Independent | 11 | |
| Total | 70 | |
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.[29] Two Conservative councillors who defected to Reform UK in October 2024 were the party's first representatives in Scotland.[30]
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.[31]
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