Strabane District Council

NI_district
district_name = Strabane District
alt_name = Comhairle Ceantair an tSratha Báin Stràbane Destrick Cooncil
district_

area_rank = 4th
district_area = 862
district_HQ = Strabane
district_iso = GB-STB
district_ons = 95J
protestant_pc = 33.3%
catholic_pc = 66.2%
web_address = http://www.strabanedc.org.uk
district_MPs = Pat Doherty

Strabane District Council is a Local Council in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the Council is in the town of Strabane. Apart from Strabane the other smaller towns in the area include Plumbridge, Newtownstewart, Donemana, Sion Mills and Castlederg. Also included in the Strabane District Council area are the following rural areas: Glenmornan, Evish, Glebe, Artigarvan, Ballymagorry.

The Strabane District Council area consists of three electoral areas: Derg, Glenelly and Mourne from which 16 members are elected. At the last elections in 2005 members were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn Féin, 3 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 2 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and 1 Independent Nationalist. The current Council Chairman is Councillor Brian McMahon (Sinn Féin) and the Vice Chair is Councillor Eugene McMenamin (SDLP).

2005 Election results

Rates

On 12 February 2008, Strabane District Council stuck the district rate for 2008-09. The new domestic district rate became £3.1274 per thousand capital value, an increase of 6.47%. The new non-domestic district rate became 21.282p in the pound, an increase of 6.47%. [cite web | title=Rates | work=Strabane District Council | url=http://www.strabanedc.com/council/finance/rates/ | accessdate=2008-05-31]

Review of Public Administration

Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA) the Council is due to merge with Derry City Council in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1303 km² and a population of 143,314. [cite web | title=Minister Foster announces decisions on Local Government Reform | work=DoE | url=http://www.doeni.gov.uk/index/local_government/minister_foster_announces_decisions_on_local_government_reform.htm | accessdate=2008-05-31] The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7367253.stm "Northern Ireland elections are postponed", BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008] ]

Twinning

Strabane is twinned with Zeulenroda in Thuringia in Germany. [cite web | title=Town Twinning | work=Strabane District Council | url=http://www.strabanedc.com/general-information/town-twinning/ | accessdate=2008-05-31]

ee also

*Local Councils in Northern Ireland

References

External links

* [http://www.strabanedc.com/ Strabane District Council]
* [http://www.strabane-lifford.org/ Strabane-Lifford Development Commission]