Camden London Borough Council, also known as Camden Council and legally as The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Camden, is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. The council is responsible for the provision of a range of services within the borough. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council meets at Camden Town Hall and their other premises.
History The London Borough of Camden and its council were created 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 three outgoing authorities, the metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn and St Pancras. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished.
The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Camden", but it styles itself Camden 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 Camden) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. Camden became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved.Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40)
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. It sets council tax and as a billing authority it 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 most planning applications. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, including sheltered housing such as Henderson Court, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic management and public roads, and environmental health.
The council is responsible for social services provision and in 2025 the Care Quality Commission rated Camden Councils Greenwood Centre as outstanding for its adult social care provision.
The council licenses street trading throughout the borough, including the following markets:
Chalton Street Market Earlham Street Market Goodge Place Market Inverness Street Market Leather Lane Market Plender Street Market Queen's Crescent Market Swiss Cottage Market
Political control The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010.
The first election to the council was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows: (Put "Camden" in search box to see specific results.) Party in control Years 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–2006 (Liberal Democrats–Conservative coalition) 2006–2010 2010–present
Leadership The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Camden. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been: Councillor Party From To Charlie Ratchford 1965 1968 Geoffrey Finsberg 1968 1970 Martin Morton 1970 1971 Millie Miller 1971 1973 Frank Dobson 1973 1975 Roy Shaw 1975 1982 Phil Turner 1982 1986 Tony Dykes 1986 1990 Julie Fitzgerald 1990 1993 Richard Arthur 1993 17 May 2000 Jane Roberts 17 May 2000 7 Nov 2005 Raj Chada 8 Nov 2005 May 2006 Keith Moffitt 24 May 2006 May 2010 Nash Ali 26 May 2010 May 2012 Sarah Hayward 16 May 2012 17 May 2017 Georgia Gould 17 May 2017 11 July 2024 Richard Olszewski 22 July 2024 May 2026 Sagal Abdi-Wali 20 May 2026 Present
Composition Following the 2026 election and a subsequent by-election in July 2026, the composition of the council is as follows:
Party Councillors 31 10 10 3 1 Total 55 The next election is due in May 2030.
Wards The wards of Camden and the number of seats:
Belsize (3) Bloomsbury (3) Camden Square (2) Camden Town (2) Fortune Green (3) Frognal (2) Gospel Oak (3) Hampstead Town (2) Haverstock (3) Highgate (3) Holborn & Covent Garden (3) Kentish Town North (2) Kentish Town South (3) Kilburn (3) King's Cross (3) Primrose Hill (3) Regent's Park (3) South Hampstead (3) St Pancras & Somers Town (3) West Hampstead (3)
Premises
The council meets at Camden Town Hall on Judd Street, which was completed in 1937 for the old St Pancras Borough Council, originally being known as St Pancras Town Hall. The council's main offices are at 5 Pancras Square, which was purpose-built for the council as part of the regeneration of the King's Cross area, being completed in 2014.
Prior to 2014 the council's main offices were at the Town Hall Annexe, which had been completed in 1977 at the corner of Argyle Street and Euston Road, immediately east of the Town Hall. The Town Hall Annexe was subsequently converted into a hotel.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
The wards are:
Belsize Bloomsbury Camden Square Camden Town Fortune Green Frognal Gospel Oak Hampstead Town Haverstock Highgate Holborn and Covent Garden Kentish Town North Kentish Town South Kilburn King's Cross Primrose Hill Regent's Park South Hampstead St Pancras and Somers Town West Hampstead
Criticisms DVLA Data Mis-use In 2012 it was reported that Camden Council was one of several local authorities to have been banned from accessing information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. This information is normally made available to local authorities for purposes such as enforcing parking fines, but access can be withdrawn if they are found to be mis-using the service. The Big Brother Watch organisation, which obtained the information about the ban under a Freedom of Information request, claimed that "the public are right to be worried that their privacy is at risk across a range of government services."
Local employment imbalance Following Freedom of Information requests in 2020, it was discovered that only 16% of Camden's employees live within the borough, and that many of its employees live as far afield as Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It was also discovered that senior employees were more likely to live further away from Camden, with a spokesperson saying that finding employees with specialised skillsets near to the borough was 'almost impossible'. Camden stated in response that all their staff are provided with one day's extra leave for volunteering, with a 'focus on Camden'.
Statistics also showed that only a single employee lived in Camden's three Central London wards, despite comprising almost a quarter of the borough's size and population.
Social housing
In November 2024, the Housing Ombudsman published a special investigation into Camden Council's management of social housing. The investigation was prompted by a significant volume of severe maladministration rulings. They found evidence of a defensive complaints culture. The main areas of concern identified were complaint management, disrepair and how vulnerable tenants were treated. One tenant had to live with damp and mould, for over three years, severely impacting the tenant's mental health.
Notable councillors
Nasim Ali (Labour, Regents Park 2002–present), Leader of Camden London Borough Council 2010–12; Mayor of Camden 2003–04 and 2022–23; first Bangladeshi and first Muslim mayor. Katherine Allen (Labour, Kilburn 1982–90), Director of Amnesty International UK (AIUK) 2000–21. Lucy Anderson (Labour, Kentish Town 2002–06), Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the London region 2014–19. Richard Arthur (Labour, Bloomsbury 1971–74; Belsize 1974–76; Highgate 1990–2002), Leader of Camden London Borough Council 1993–2000; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust 2009–13. Siobhan Baillie (Conservative, Frognal and Fitzjohns 2014–18), Member of Parliament (MP) for Stroud 2019–2024. Hugh Bayley (Labour, Chalk Farm 1982–86), MP for York 1992–97; MP for City of York 1997–2010; MP for York Central 2010–15; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security 1999–2001; Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons First Deputy Chair of Ways and Means 2010; President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly 2012–14. Danny Beales (Labour, Cantelowes 2014–22; Camden Square 2022–24), Member of Parliament (MP) for Uxbridge and South Ruislip since 2024. Siân Berry (Green, Highgate 2014–23), Member of the London Assembly (AM) 2016–24; Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales 2018–2021; Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion since 2024. Geoffrey Bindman (Labour, St Johns 1971–74), Chair of the British Institute of Human Rights since 2005. Nicholas Bosanquet (Labour, Camden 1974–82), British health economist; Chair of the Fabian Society 1974–75. Edward Bowman (Conservative, Alderman 1964–74), MEP for Lancashire East 1979–84; MEP for Hampshire Central 1988–94; MEP for Itchen, Test and Avon 1994–99. Peter Brooke (Conservative, Highgate 1968–69), MP for City of London and Westminster South 1977–97; Cities of London and Westminster 1997–2001; Chairman of the Conservative Party 1987–89; Paymaster General 1987–89; Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1989–92; Secretary of State for National Heritage 1992–94. Leila Campbell (Labour, Priory 1965–68; Alderman 1971–78), Chair of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) 1977–78; Vice Chair 1967–77. Raj Chada (Labour, Gospel Oak 2002–06), Leader of Camden London Borough Council 2005–06. Pamela Chesters (Conservative, Frognal 1994–2001), Leader of the Opposition on Camden London Borough Council 1998–2000; Advisor for Health and Youth Opportunities to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson 2009–12; Chair of Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust 2012–16; Chair of Anchor Trust 2013–18. Adrian Cohen (Labour, Hampstead Town 2022), founder of the London Jewish Forum. Oliver Cooper (Conservative, Hampstead Town 2015–22), Leader of the Opposition on Camden London Borough Council 2018–22. Frank Dobson (Labour, Holborn 1971–76); Leader of Camden London Borough Council 1973–75; MP for Holborn and St Pancras South 1979–83; MP for Holborn and St Pancras 1983–2015; Secretary of State for Health 1997–99. Peggy Duff (Labour, Camden 1965–68), the first General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Anthony Dykes (Labour, King's Cross 1982–90; Caversham 1990–94), Leader of Camden London Borough Council 1986–90; Director of Action for Southern Africa 2007–18. Maryam Eslamdoust (Labour, Kilburn 2010–22), Mayor of Camden 2019–20; first Iranian-born woman to hold public office in Great Britain; General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) 2023–present. Geoffrey Finsberg (Conservative, Hampstead Central 1964–71; West End 1971–74), MP for Hampstead 1970–83 and Hampstead & Highgate 1983–92.