Aberdeenshire

From Free net encyclopedia

For other uses, see Aberdeenshire (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox Scotland council area Aberdeenshire (Siorrachd Obar Dheathain in Gaelic) is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland.

Present day Aberdeenshire does not include the City of Aberdeen which is a unitary authority in its own right. However, Aberdeenshire Council has its headquarters at Woodhill House, in Aberdeen; the only Scottish council whose headquarters are based outside of the council area. Aberdeenshire borders Angus and Perth and Kinross to the south, and Highland and Moray to the west.

[edit]

History

The present council area is named after the historic county of Aberdeenshire which had different boundaries and was abolished in 1975. Between 1975 and 1996 the area was incorporated within the region of Grampian, with local government being carried out by three district councils; Banff and Buchan, Gordon and Kincardine and Deeside.

[edit]

Aberdeenshire council

Image:Aberdeenshirelogo.png Aberdeenshire Council was established in April 1996, following the abolition of the Scottish Regions. The council has 68 councillors. In 2004 the poloitical composition was as follows:

Liberal Democrat - 28
Scottish National Party - 15
Independent - 14
Conservative - 11

The Council's net expenditure is £399.1m a year (2003/04). Education takes the largest share of expenditure (55%), followed by Social Work and Housing (19%), Transportation and Infrastructure (11%), and Joint Services such as Fire and Police (10%). 22% of revenue is raised locally through the Council Tax. Average Band D Council Tax is the eighth lowest in mainland Scotland at £966 (2003/04).

The council area has a population of 226,871, representing 4.5% of Scotland's total, and a 20% increase since 1981, 50% since 1971. Major towns are Peterhead (17,947), Fraserburgh (12,454), Inverurie (10,882), Stonehaven (9,577), Westhill (9,498), Ellon (8,754) and Portlethen (6,848). The population has a higher proportion of younger age groups than the rest of Scotland, reflecting employment-driven in-migration in recent decades.

The council has devolved power to six area committees:

[edit]