Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. The district is named after its largest town of Stratford-upon-Avon, but with a change of preposition; the town uses "upon" and the district uses "on". The council is based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the district, which is predominantly rural, also includes the towns of Alcester, Henley-in-Arden, Shipston-on-Stour and Southam, and the large villages of Bidford-on-Avon, Studley and Wellesbourne, plus numerous other smaller villages and hamlets and surrounding rural areas. The district covers the more sparsely populated southern part of Warwickshire, and contains nearly half the county's area. The district includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The neighbouring districts are Rugby and Warwick in Warwickshire, Solihull in the West Midlands, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wychavon in Worcestershire, Cotswold in Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell in Oxfordshire, and West Northamptonshire.

History The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: Alcester Rural District Shipston-on-Stour Rural District Southam Rural District Stratford-on-Avon Rural District (except parish of Hockley Heath, which went to Solihull) Stratford-upon-Avon Municipal Borough The new district was named Stratford-on-Avon after its main town, but using the "Stratford-on-Avon" variant of the name, which had also been used for the rural district which had covered the parishes surrounding the town.

Proposals to merge the district with neighbouring Warwick District were put forward and provisionally agreed, before eventually being abandoned in April 2022. Abolition Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Warwickshire, as well as the county council, were planned to be abolished in 2028, with the district forming part of a new South Warwickshire unitary authority, also including the area of the Warwick District. However, in September 2026, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government paused all ministerial decisions made in July, including South Warwickshire, meaning the 2027 district council election will go ahead.

Governance

Stratford-on-Avon District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Warwickshire County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing councils before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: (Put "Stratford-on-Avon" in search box to see specific results.)

Party in control Years 1974–1976 1976–1979 1979–1991 1991–1992 1992–1994 1994–2000 2000–2002 2002–2003 2003–2023 2023–present

Leadership The leaders of the council since 2000 have been:

Councillor Party From To Bob Stevens 2000 May 2003 Chris Saint 21 May 2003 Jan 2005 Les Topham 7 Feb 2005 May 2010 Stephen Gray 19 May 2010 18 May 2011 Chris Saint 18 May 2011 11 May 2018 Tony Jefferson 16 May 2018 May 2023 Susan Juned 24 May 2023

Composition Following the 2023 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance and by-elections up to July 2026, the composition of the council was:

Party Councillors 24 10 3 2 2Total41 The next election was scheduled for 2027, but the council will be abolished in favour of the South Warwickshire unitary authority. This election is expected in 2027 with the council beginning in 2028.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 41 councillors representing 39 wards, with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years. Premises The council is based at Elizabeth House on Church Street in Stratford. The oldest part of the building was a house at 15 Church Street, built in 1911 as "Maugersbury House". The house was bought in 1920 by NFU Mutual and converted to be their offices. It was later extended in a similar style along Church Street in 1927 and 1957. The NFU left the building in 1982, after which it was bought by the council and converted to become their offices and meeting place, replacing the five sets of offices inherited from the council's predecessor authorities. The building was formally re-opened as the council's headquarters on 19 April 1985 by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, when it was named "Elizabeth House" in recognition of her visit.

Towns and parishes

The whole district is covered by civil parishes, of which there are 113. The parish councils for Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour, Southam and Stratford-upon-Avon have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council or share a grouped parish council with neighbouring parishes. Henley-in-Arden and Studley are both post towns, but have parish councils rather than town councils.

The parishes are:

Admington, Alcester, Alderminster, Ardens Grafton, Arlescote, Arrow, Aston Cantlow, Atherstone-on-Stour, Avon Dassett, Barcheston, Barton-on-the-Heath, Bearley, Beaudesert, Bidford-on-Avon, Billesley, Binton, Bishops Itchington, Brailes, Broom, Burmington, Burton Dassett, Butlers Marston Chadshunt, Chapel Ascote, Charlecote, Cherington, Chesterton and Kingston, Claverdon, Clifford Chambers and Milcote, Combrook, Compton Verney, Compton Wynyates, Coughton Dorsington Ettington, Exhall Farnborough, Fenny Compton, Fulbrook Gaydon, Great Alne, Great Wolford Halford, Hampton Lucy, Harbury, Haselor, Henley-in-Arden, Hodnell and Wills Pastures, Honington Idlicote, Ilmington Kineton, Kinwarton Ladbroke, Langley, Lighthorne, Lighthorne Heath, Little Compton, Little Wolford, Long Compton, Long Itchington, Long Marston, Lower Shuckburgh, Loxley, Luddington Milcote, Moreton Morrell, Morton Bagot Napton-on-the-Hill, Newbold Pacey, Northend Oldberrow, Oversley Green, Oxhill Pillerton Hersey, Pillerton Priors, Preston Bagot, Preston-on-Stour, Priors Hardwick, Priors Marston Quinton Radbourne, Radway, Ratley and Upton Salford Priors, Sambourne, Shipston-on-Stour, Shotteswell, Snitterfield, Southam, Spernall, Stockton, Stoneton, Stourton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stretton-on-Fosse, Studley, Sutton-under-Brailes Tanworth-in-Arden, Temple Grafton, Tidmington, Tredington, Tysoe Ufton, Ullenhall, Upper Shuckburgh, Warmington, Watergall, Weethley, Welford-on-Avon, Wellesbourne, Weston-on-Avon, Whatcote, Whichford, Whitchurch, Willington, Wilmcote, Wixford, Wolverton, Wootton Wawen, Wormleighton

See also List of wards in Stratford district by population

Notes

References

External links Stratford-on-Avon District Council YouTube channel