The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is one of 32 boroughs in Greater London. Tower Hamlets Council runs most of the day-to-day services in the borough. The Council is responsible for social services; many arts and leisure services; street cleaning; roads; local planning, as well as the following other services:
Education
Each London Borough acts as the Local Education Authority for its area. Each LEA has certain legal responsibilities and functions which include the provision of suitable education for each child, the improvement of local education, special needs assessment and recruitment of school
governors. They also provide services such as educational psychology, school meals, maintenance and out-of-hours facilities. Each LEA is headed by a councillor with political responsibility for education and learning, and a Chief Education Officer with legal and
administrative responsibilities. Each borough has a scrutiny committee which monitors the work of the LEA.
Housing
The boroughs are responsible for dealing with all non-strategic planning applications in their area and applicants have the right to appeal against refusals to the Secretary of State. However, the Mayor must be consulted on planning applications that are considered to be of potential strategic importance. He can comment on and support these applications or, if he considers it necessary on strategic planning grounds, he can direct the borough to refuse planning permission. The Mayor is not able to direct approval of applications. If the Mayor issues a direction to refuse an application, he must set out his reasons for the decision and the borough will inform the applicant of these reasons. Each borough must produce a Unitary Development plan that addresses these issues as well as wider planning points. They also have a legal responsibility to provide appropriate housing for all their residents.
Benefits
Although they operate within strict national guidelines from the Department for Work and Pensions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are paid for and administered by local authorities.
Health
The councils have a range of health and social care responsibilities covering services for older people, mental health, occupational therapy, public and environmental health, often working in partnership with NHS bodies. The council has an elected councillor with executive
responsibility for health services.
Waste disposal and the environment
In collecting and disposing of waste, they must take into account the Mayor's municipal waste management strategy. They are also responsible for promoting and co-ordinating local environmental initiatives, in partnership with the Mayor and on their own.
The Council is based at:
Tower Hamlets Council
Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
E14 2BG
Switchboard: 020 7364 5000
Website: http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/
Local Democracy
Tower Hamlets has 51 councillors all elected for a four year term. Elections are held every four years. These are ‘all out’ elections, when all the seats in each Council are contested. In addition by-elections may be called in a ward during this four year term, to replace representatives who have resigned or who may have died.
Tower Hamlets is divided into17 smaller areas called local wards. These are:
Bethnal Green North
Bethnal Green South
Blackwall and Cubitt Town
Bow East
Bow West
Bromley by Bow
East India and Lansbury
Limehouse
Mile End and Globe Town
Mile End East
Millwall
Shadwell
Spitalfields and Banglatown
St. Dunstan's and Stepney Green
St. Katharine's and Wapping
Weaver
Whitechapel.
Each of these wards elects three councillors.
Understanding in which ward you live , is the first step to contacting your local councillors. If you are not sure, then you can find out from the council by calling the switchboard number or use the web page link below:
http://webgis.towerhamlets.gov.uk/LBTHMapViewer/MainMap.aspx?displaylaye...
