Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. It is named after its largest town, the port town of Dover. The council is based in Whitfield on the outskirts of Dover. The district also covers the towns of Deal, Sandwich and Walmer as well as the surrounding rural areas.
Dover District | |
|---|---|
 Shakespeare Cliff and Dover town skyline and coastline | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Dover shown within Kent | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South East England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Kent |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Dover |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Dover District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet |
| • MPs | Mike Tapp (Labour) Polly Billington (Labour) |
| Area | |
• Total | 121.56 sq mi (314.84 km2) |
| • Rank | 116th (of 296) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 117,473 |
| • Rank | 206th (of 296) |
| • Density | 970/sq mi (370/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (UTC) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 29UE (ONS) E07000108 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | TR315415 |
The district borders Thanet District to the north, the City of Canterbury to the west, and Folkestone and Hythe District to the south-west. To the south and east, it faces the Strait of Dover.
History
editThe district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, all of which were abolished at the same time:[2]
- Deal Municipal Borough
- Dover Municipal Borough
- Dover Rural District
- Eastry Rural District (except five parishes which went to Thanet)
- Sandwich Municipal Borough
The new district was named Dover after its largest town.[3]
Governance
editDover District Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Nadeem Aziz since April 2002[4] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 32 |
Political groups |
Other parties (15)
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Last election | 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Council Offices, Honeywood Close, White Cliffs Business Park, Whitfield, Dover, CT16 3PJ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Dover District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Kent County Council.[5] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[6]
Political control
editSince the 2023 election the council has been under Labour majority control.[7]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[8][9]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1991 | |
| No overall control | 1991–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| No overall control | 1999–2007 | |
| Conservative | 2007–2023 | |
| Labour | 2023-present | |
Leadership
editThe leaders of the council (formally the chair of the policy and resources committee prior to 2001) have been:[10][11]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Greenway-Stanley | Conservative | 1974 | 1976 | |
| Raymond Norley | Conservative | 1976 | 1977 | |
| Alexander Greenway-Stanley | Conservative | 1977 | 1978 | |
| Gwladys Payne | Conservative | 1978 | 1986 | |
| Graham Forster | Conservative | 1986 | Sep 1986 | |
| Paul Watkins | Conservative | Sep 1986 | 1989 | |
| George Tyler | Conservative | 1989 | Oct 1989 | |
| Christopher Smith | Conservative | Oct 1989 | 1992 | |
| Paul Watkins | Conservative | 1992 | Dec 1993 | |
| Tony Sansum | Labour | Dec 1993 | Nov 1995 | |
| Terry Birkett | Labour | Nov 1995 | 1998 | |
| Reg Hansell[12] | Labour | Nov 1998 | 1999 | |
| Terry Birkett[13] | Labour | 1999 | 2001 | |
| Peter Wells | Labour | 2001 | 14 May 2003 | |
| Paul Watkins[14] | Conservative | 14 May 2003 | 30 Sep 2017 | |
| Keith Morris[15] | Conservative | 18 Oct 2017 | 14 Oct 2019 | |
| Trevor Bartlett | Conservative | 30 Oct 2019 | 17 May 2023 | |
| Kevin Mills | Labour | 17 May 2023 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[16]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 17 | |
| Conservative | 14 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 32 | |
The next election is due in 2027.
Premises
editThe council's main offices are at the White Cliffs Business park in the parish of Whitfield, to the north of the town of Dover itself.[17]
Elections
editSince the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 32 councillors representing 17 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[18]
Geography
editThe northern boundary of the district is the River Stour; on its western side is the district of Canterbury; to the south the parish of Capel-le-Ferne; and to the east the Straits of Dover. The southern part of the latter is the point where the North Downs meets the sea, at the White Cliffs of Dover. Further north along the coast, from Deal onwards, the land is at sea level, where the River Stour enters the sea by a circuitous route. It is here, on the sand-dunes, that the Royal St George's Golf Club, founded in 1887, and of international repute, is situated.
In the district are industrial remains of the erstwhile Kent coalfield, situated around Tilmanstone and Betteshanger. Half of the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel is under British Sovereignty and thus part of the district.
Parishes
editThere are 35 civil parishes covering the whole district. The parish councils of Deal, Dover, Sandwich and Walmer take the style "town council".[19]
- Alkham
- Ash
- Aylesham
- Capel-le-Ferne
- Deal (town)
- Denton with Wootton
- Dover (town)
- Eastry
- Eythorne
- Goodnestone
- Great Mongeham
- Guston
- Hougham Without
- Langdon
- Lydden
- Nonington
- Northbourne
- Preston
- Ringwould with Kingsdown
- Ripple
- River
- Sandwich (town)
- Shepherdswell with Coldred
- Sholden
- St Margaret's at Cliffe
- Staple
- Stourmouth
- Sutton
- Temple Ewell
- Tilmanstone
- Walmer (town)
- Whitfield
- Wingham
- Woodnesborough
- Worth
Communications
editDeal Timeball is a Victorian maritime Greenwich Mean Time signal located on the roof of a waterfront four-storey tower. It was established in 1855 by the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy in collaboration with Charles V. Walker.
Crossing Dover district are the Roman roads of Watling Street and that leading from Richborough. Today the main road, the A2, closely follows Watling Street to Dover.
References
edit- ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Dover Local Authority (E07000108)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Meet the board". Visit Kent. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ Esson, Daniel (17 May 2023). "New Labour leader of Dover District Council reveals plan for cabinet". Kent Online. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ "Dover". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "Past leaders of the council". Dover District Council. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Dover District Council. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes, 21 February 2007" (PDF). Dover District Council. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
Councillor Reg Hansell...
- ^ "Press release: Foot and Mouth Disease" (PDF). Dover District Council. 27 March 2001. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
Councillor Terry Birkett, Leader of the Council...
- ^ Robson, Beth (20 September 2017). "Dover District Council leader Cllr Paul Watkins to retire and says now is right time". Kent Online. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ Lennon, Sam (14 October 2019). "Dover District Council leader Keith Morris resigns". Kent Online. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ "Contact us". Dover District Council. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "The Dover (Electoral Changes) Order 2019", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2019/124, retrieved 25 June 2023
- ^ "Town and parish council contact details". Dover District Council. Retrieved 25 June 2023.