Angus Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Angus Council is the local authority for Angus, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based in Forfar. It has been under no overall control since 2017. A minority administration comprising the Conservatives, Labour and some of the independent councillors formed to run the council in April 2025.
Angus Council Comhairle Aonghais | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
 Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 28 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Full council elected every 5 years |
| Elections | |
| Single transferable vote | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town and County Hall, 26 Castle Street, Forfar, DD8 1BA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
Angus was one of Scotland's historic counties and had a county council from 1890 until 1975. The county was called Forfarshire until 1928 when the name was changed to Angus, being the name of the ancient province which had covered the same area as the later county.[4]
In 1975 Angus became a district within the Tayside region, with Angus District Council serving as a lower-tier authority subordinate to Tayside Regional Council.[5] The regions and districts were abolished in 1996, when Angus became a council area, governed by Angus Council, which took on all the local government functions previously performed by the district and regional councils. There were some adjustments to the boundaries of Angus with the neighbouring city of Dundee as part of both the 1975 and 1996 reforms.[6]
Governance
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2017. Following both the 2017 and 2022 elections, the Scottish National Party formed minority administrations to run the council. In April 2025, the SNP administration lost a vote of no confidence and was replaced by a new minority administration comprising the Conservatives, Labour and four of the independent councillors, led by independent councillor George Meechan, who had been deputy leader of the council's SNP group until he left the party earlier in April 2025.[7]
The first election to Angus District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows:[8]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1975–1977 | |
| Conservative | 1977–1980 | |
| No overall control | 1980–1984 | |
| SNP | 1984–1996 | |
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 1996–2007 | |
| No overall control | 2007–2012 | |
| SNP | 2012–2017 | |
| No overall control | 2017–present | |
Leadership
The role of provost is largely ceremonial in Angus. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Hudghton[9][10] | SNP | 1 Apr 1996 | 1998 | |
| Rob Murray[11] | SNP | 1998 | 2007 | |
| Bob Myles[12][13] | Independent | May 2007 | 2012 | |
| Iain Gaul[14][15] | SNP | 15 May 2012 | May 2017 | |
| Bob Myles[13][16][17] | Independent | 16 May 2017 | 24 Apr 2018 | |
| David Fairweather[18][19] | Independent | 14 Jun 2018 | May 2022 | |
| Beth Whiteside[20][21][22] | SNP | 26 May 2022 | 29 Jul 2024 | |
| Bill Duff[23][22][7] | SNP | 10 Sep 2024 | 22 Apr 2025 | |
| George Meechan[24] | Independent | 22 Apr 2025 | ||
Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to April 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 11 | |
| Conservative | 8 | |
| Labour | 1 | |
| Independent | 8 | |
| Total | 28 | |
Four of the independent councillors form part of the council's administration with the Conservatives and Labour.[7][25] The next election is due in 2027.[26]
Elections
Election results since 1995 have been as follows:
| Year | Seats | SNP | Independent / Other | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 26 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 1999 | 29 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 29 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 29 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 29 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Wards
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Angus is divided into 8 wards:[27]
| Ward Number |
Ward Name | Location | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirriemuir and Dean |  |
3 |
| 2 | Brechin and Edzell |  |
3 |
| 3 | Forfar and District |  |
4 |
| 4 | Monifieth and Sidlaw |  |
4 |
| 5 | Carnoustie and District |  |
3 |
| 6 | Arbroath West, Letham and Friockheim |  |
4 |
| 7 | Arbroath East and Lunan |  |
3 |
| 8 | Montrose and District |  |
4 |
Premises
Council meetings are generally held at Forfar Town and County Hall at The Cross in the centre of Forfar.[28] In 2007 the council moved its main offices to a new building called Angus House on Silvie Way in the Orchardbank Business Park on the outskirts of Forfar.[29] The council also has offices in Arbroath.[30]
Previously the council's main offices had been at County Buildings, on Market Street in Forfar. When the county council was established in 1890 the name County Buildings was used for the Forfar Sheriff Court, built 1871, which was the council's first meeting place.[31] The council later moved its main offices into the adjoining converted former prison of 1843, which subsequently became known as County Buildings instead. County Buildings continued to serve as the headquarters of the county council until 1975 and the successor Angus District Council from 1975 to 1996.[32] County Buildings continues to be used as secondary offices by the modern Angus Council.[33]