Angus Council

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Angus Council

Comhairle Aonghais
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms
Logo
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Craig Fotheringham,
Conservative
since 8 May 2025[1]
George Meechan, Independent
since 22 April 2025
Kathryn Lindsay
since 1 January 2024[2][3]
Structure
Seats28 councillors
File:Angus Council 2025.svg
Political groups
Administration (13)
  Conservative (8)
  Labour (1)
  Independent (4)
Other parties (15)
  SNP (11)
  Independent (4)
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
File:The Cross - geograph.org.uk - 405749.jpg
Town and County Hall, 26 Castle Street, Forfar, DD8 1BA
Website
www.angus.gov.uk

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.

History

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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

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Political control

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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]

Angus District Council
Party in control Years
No overall control 1975–1977
Conservative 1977–1980
No overall control 1980–1984
SNP 1984–1996
Angus Council
Party in control Years
SNP 1996–2007
No overall control 2007–2012
SNP 2012–2017
No overall control 2017–present

Leadership

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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

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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

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Main article: Angus Council 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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File:Angus UK ward map 2017 (blank).svg
Map of the area's wards (2017 configuration)

Angus is divided into 8 wards:[27]

Ward
Number 		Ward Name Location Seats
1 Kirriemuir and Dean File:Kirriemuir and Dean.svg 3
2 Brechin and Edzell File:Brechin and Edzell.svg 3
3 Forfar and District 4
4 Monifieth and Sidlaw File:Monifieth and Sidlaw.svg 4
5 Carnoustie and District File:Carnoustie and District.svg 3
6 Arbroath West, Letham and Friockheim File:Arbroath West, Letham and Friockheim.svg 4
7 Arbroath East and Lunan File:Arbroath East and Lunan.svg 3
8 Montrose and District File:Montrose and District.svg 4

Premises

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File:Office building, Orchard Loan, Forfar - geograph.org.uk - 1831218.jpg
Angus House, Orchardbank, Forfar, DD8 1AN: Angus Council's main offices since 2007

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]

File:County Buildings - geograph.org.uk - 405811.jpg
County Buildings: County Council's headquarters 1890–1975, then District Council's headquarters 1975–1996

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]

References

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