Local Government
When the Local Government Act 1972 came into force on 1 January 1974, Corsham came within the areas of Wiltshire County Council and North Wiltshire District Council, electing one county councillor and three district councillors from the Corsham and Lacock division. On 1 April 2009, Wiltshire became a unitary authority managed by Wiltshire Council and the county's district councils were all merged into this body. From 2009, Corsham elects three councillors to the new authority, one from each of three new single-member electoral divisions:
- Corsham Pickwick and Rudloe,
- Corsham Town, and
- Corsham Without and Box Hill (which includes neighbouring Lacock and part of Box.)
Corsham's lowest level of government is Corsham Town Council, which was founded as a parish council in 1895. Although Corsham never had its own town charter, in May 2000 it became a town council. There are currently twenty councillors, and the four council committees are
- Finance and General Purposes - general policy, finances, Christmas lights and "Corsham in Bloom"
- Leisure - children's play areas, recreation grounds and allotments
- Amenities - Town Hall maintenance, cemetery, footpaths etc.
- Planning - the council is not itself the planning authority for Corsham but makes recommendations to Wiltshire Council on applications.
Corsham made headlines in April 2007 when a British National Party candidate was elected unopposed to the council.
Read more about this topic: Corsham
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