Sub-divisions
See also: List of civil parishes in Shropshire.
The area covered by the unitary authority is sub-divided into 63 electoral divisions, which are essentially wards. Shropshire Council has established three area committees, which deal with more local matters such as licensing and planning. The area committees cover a geographical area based on the former (pre-2009 reforms) districts of Shropshire and which consist of electoral divisions with a combined representation of 24 or 25 councillors. The councillors who represent an area's electoral divisions then form the area committee for that area.
| Area committee | Former districts | Location(s) of headquarters | Land area (km²) | Population (2007 est.) | Electoral divisions | Number of councillors | Parliamentary constituencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | North Shropshire and Oswestry | Oswestry and Wem | 935.25 | 100400 | 19 divisions | 25 | North Shropshire |
| Central | Shrewsbury and Atcham | Shrewsbury | 601.63 | 96200 | 22 divisions | 24 | Shrewsbury and Atcham |
| South | Bridgnorth and South Shropshire | Bridgnorth and Ludlow | 1660.43 | 94300 | 22 divisions | 25 | Ludlow and The Wrekin (part) |
Committee meetings in the North and South areas rotate between the two headquarters; the four headquarters of these areas were the headquarters of the former district councils in these two areas. The Central area has just one meeting location, Shirehall, though some staff are at The Guildhall in Shrewsbury, which was the headquarters of the former borough council.
This is similar to the arrangements at the neighbouring Powys County Council, where the area covered is sub-divided into three areas, which were the previous (pre-merger) administrative divisions. The areas also correspond to the Westminster Parliament constituencies of Shropshire, with the North and Central areas being exactly coextensive with constituencies.
The county is entirely parished, with the formerly unparished area of Shrewsbury having been parished in 2008, with a single parish covering the town. A number of "local joint committees" exist, which consist of councillors from both Shropshire Council and the parish council(s) in a particular locality.
Read more about this topic: Shropshire Council