South Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, covering the southern part of the traditional county of Lanarkshire.

South Lanarkshire Council

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 burghs 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.

Political composition

Council Headquarters

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 16 storey, 165 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.

Towns and villages

Principal towns

Small towns and villages

Places of interest

Clyde Valley
Bothwell Castle
Craignethan Castle
Falls of Clyde
New Lanark, a World Heritage Site
Chatelherault Country Park, near Hamilton, including Cadzow Castle
David Livingstone Centre, in Blantyre
Sites of the Battle of Drumclog and the Battle of Bothwell Bridge
The Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Cambuslang North - Rutherglen, Cambuslang

External links

STEP Statistics

South Lanarkshire | Unitary authorities of Scotland

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