South Lanarkshire Council is headquartered in
Hamilton , has 15,000 employees, and an annual budget of £538 million. The council publishes a regular four-year plan, FourCast. The large and varied council area takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as
Lanark and
Carluke , the urban
Burgh s of
Rutherglen and
Cambuslang , and
East Kilbride which was Scotland's first
New Town .
There are 67 council wards in South Lanarkshire, each represented on the council by an elected councillor. Politically the council is dominated by the
Labour Party . South Lanarkshire operates a cabinet style system, with key decisions being taken by the Executive Committee, under the leadership of the Council Leader, and approved by the council, led by the
Provost .
The work of the council is divided into seven departments:
- Community Resources
- Corporate Resources
- Education Resources
- Enterprise Resources
- Finance & IT Resources
- Housing & Technical Resources
- Social Work Resources
South Lanarkshire shares borders with the unitary authorities of
Dumfries And Galloway ,
East Ayrshire ,
North Ayrshire ,
East Renfrewshire ,
City Of Glasgow ,
North Lanarkshire ,
West Lothian and
Scottish Borders .
The area was formed in 1996, from the area of
Clydesdale ,
Hamilton and
East Kilbride districts, the Royal Burghs of Cambuslang North and South, as well as some other, outer areas of
Glasgow .
The Council Headquarters building, on Almada Street, Hamilton, was built as the Lanark County Buildings in 1963, and designed by Lanark council architect D G Bannerman. The 17 storey, 200 foot tower is the largest in Hamilton, and is a highly visible landmark across this part of the Clyde Valley. The modernist design was influenced by the
United Nations building in New York. Glass curtain walls cover the north and south facades, with the narrow east and west sides being blank white walls. At the front of the building is the circular council chamber, and a plaza with water features.
