Wakefield Council

Wakefield Council has long been, and remains, one of the success stories of local government; we are financially responsible and have delivered on our commitments through economically buoyant and challenging times. We are a Council with strong political and managerial leadership, high skills and competencies, and dedicated and empowered people.

We have a clear and ambitious vision for a 21^st Century district where everyone benefits from the strengths of the district and its continued growth.  We are committed to quality in everything we do, from public realm to social care – and to securing the best possible outcomes for all our people, in all our places.

We are not just ambitious, we are also realistic and grounded in the social values that are at the core of our organisation. We have continued to protect our most vulnerable people and maintain the core services on which ordinary families rely, while also delivering significant savings.

Yet we have more to do. Over the next five years we want to see a real reduction in poverty and growth in skills. Both inside and outside the Council, we also want to up our game in exploiting new technology and ways of working.

We are not afraid to think differently, to forge new partnerships and set new directions. We are caring, ambitious and forward looking, proud of our teams and of our district.

Wakefield Leadership

We have 63 councillors – three for each of the 21 wards in the district. The political make up is:

• Labour – 52
• Conservative – 11

The Council is controlled by the majority Labour Party. The Leader of the Council is Councillor Peter Box.

A local strategic partnership brings together partners from across the district, and area panels engage local people to help us develop our policies and priorities.

• View the full list of our Councillors

The vision

Wakefield is a district with a strong, proud heritage and a bright future. We have rich and diverse communities, each with their own distinctiveness and history.

Through bringing together our communities and working with partners, we will make the most of people’s skills, initiative and resources to ensure they achieve their full potential and help maintain a strong and successful district.

We aim to be one of the best performing councils in the country…

• In Caring for our People we are committed to having a real and lasting impact in reducing poverty and tackling its effects, particularly domestic violence.
• In Caring for our Place we have a strong focus on regeneration and economic growth – transforming our urban centres and neighbourhoods, promoting opportunities for new businesses and exploiting our world class culture and heritage offer.
• In being Ambitious for our Young People, Communities and Businesses we are focussed on driving up skills and innovation, raising aspirations and creating an inclusive future for all.
• In Delivering Modern Public Services we want to promote a learning organisation; one that understands what our residents and businesses really need and is prepared to experiment and change.