Editing West Dunbartonshire (section)

==Governance==
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = West Dunbartonshire
| native_name        =
| transcription_name =
| legislature        = 
| coa_pic            = West Dunbartonshire Council.svg
| coa_res            = 150px
| house_type         =
| body               =
| houses             =
| leader1_type       = [[Provost (civil)|Provost]]
| leader1            = Karen Murray Conaghan 
| party1             = <br>[[Scottish National Party|SNP]]
| election1          = 28 August 2024 <ref>{{cite news |title=First female Provost of West Dunbartonshire has been elected |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/24548008.first-female-west-dunbartonshire-provost-elected/#:~:text=Councillor%20Karen%20Murray%20Conaghan%20has,council's%20history%20to%20do%20so. |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=Clydebank Post |date=28 August 2024}}</ref>
| leader2_type       = [[Local government in Scotland#Leader of the Council|Leader]]
| leader2            = Martin Rooney
| party2             = <br>Labour
| election2          = 18 May 2022
| leader3_type       = [[Chief Executive]]
| leader3            = Peter Hessett
| party3             = <!--Non political role-->
| election3          = 2022<ref>{{cite news |title=West Dunbartonshire Council: Peter Hessett is new chief executive |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/20182249.peter-hesset-announced-new-chief-executive-west-dunbartonshire-council/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Clydebank Post |date=1 June 2022}}</ref>
| members            = 22 councillors
| house1             =
| house2             =
| structure1         = United Kingdom West Dunbartonshire -Council 2024.svg
| structure1_res     = 250px
| political_groups1  =
;Administration (10)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]] (10)
;Other parties (12)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] (7)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (4)
: {{Color box|{{party color|West Dunbartonshire Community Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[West Dunbartonshire Community Party|WDCP]] (1)
| committees1        =
| committees2        =
| joint_committees   =
| voting_system1     = [[Single transferable vote]]
| voting_system2     =
| last_election1     = [[2022 West Dunbartonshire Council election|5 May 2022]]
| next_election1     = 6 May 2027
| session_room       = The Old Burgh Hall (geograph 5785538).jpg
| session_res        =
| meeting_place      = [[Dumbarton Burgh Hall|Burgh Hall]], 16 Church Street, [[Dumbarton]], G82{{nbsp}}1QL
| website            = {{URL|www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk}}
| footnotes          =
}}

The council comprises 22 councillors elected from 6 wards.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Dunbartonshire Council May 2007 to present|url=http://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/CommitteeDetails.aspx?committeeID=98|publisher=Enline pic|access-date=31 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070731073231/http://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/CommitteeDetails.aspx?committeeID=98|archive-date=31 July 2007}}</ref>

===Political control===
The first election was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of West Dunbartonshire Council since 1996 has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || 1996–2007
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2007–2012
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || 2012–2017
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2017–2022
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || 2022–2022
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2022–2024
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || 2024–2024
|-
|{{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2024-present
|}

===Leadership===
The [[leader of the council|leaders of the council]] since 1996 have been:<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/cmis5/Home.aspx |website=West Dunbartonshire Council |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| Mary Campbell || {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=right|1 Apr 1996 || align=right|Jun 1997
|-
| Andy White || {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=right|Jun 1997 || align=right|20 Dec 2006
|-
| Martin Rooney || {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=right|20 Dec 2006 || align=right|12 Mar 2007
|-
| Denis Agnew || {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|12 Mar 2007 || align=right|May 2007
|-
| Iain Robertson || {{party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} || align=right|16 May 2007 || align=right|26 May 2010
|-
| Ronnie McColl || {{party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} || align=right|26 May 2010 || align=right|3 May 2012
|-
| Martin Rooney || {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=right|16 May 2012 || align=right|May 2017
|-
| Jonathan McColl || {{party name with colour|Scottish National Party}} || align=right|17 May 2017 || align=right|May 2022
|-
| Martin Rooney || {{party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=right|18 May 2022 || align=right|
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2022 West Dunbartonshire Council election|2022 election]] and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to August 2024, the composition of the council was:<ref>{{cite web |title=West Dunbartonshire |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=west_dunbartonshire |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grant |first1=Tom |title=Craig Edward: Court accused councillor sits as Independent |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/23150455.craig-edward-former-labour-councillor-now-sitting-independent/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Clydebank Post |date=25 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=David |title=SNP councillor and sister of MP resigns from party over gender reform stance |url=https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-councillor-sister-mp-resigns-28988899 |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Scottish Daily Express |date=18 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Clarke |first=Fraser |date=28 August 2024 |title=Two West Dunbartonshire councillors quit Labour group ahead of Provost decision |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/two-west-dunbartonshire-councillors-quit-33554071 |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)]]}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || align=center|10
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish National Party|full=yes}} || align=center|7
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} 
| align="center" |4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|West Dunbartonshire Community Party|full=yes}} || align=center|1
|-
! colspan=2|Total
! align=center|22
|}

The next election is due in 2027.

===Premises===
The council is based at the former [[Dumbarton Burgh Hall|Burgh Hall]] at 16 Church Street in Dumbarton. It also has an area office  in the main shopping centre in Clydebank.<ref>{{cite web |title=Council Offices |url=https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/contact-us/council-offices/ |website=West Dunbartonshire Council |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

When the council was created in 1996, it inherited several buildings from its predecessors, including [[Municipal Buildings, Dumbarton|Municipal Buildings]] and Crosslet House from [[Dumbarton (district)|Dumbarton District Council]], [[Clydebank Town Hall]] and the nearby Council Offices on Rosebery Place from [[Clydebank (district)|Clydebank District Council]], and the [[County Buildings, Dumbarton]] from [[Strathclyde]] Regional Council.

The council gradually consolidated its offices, with Crosslet House being demolished in 2015,<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.dumbartonreporter.co.uk/news/13963110.historic-crosslet-house-knocked-down-for-pound10million-super-care-home/ |title= Historic Crosslet House knocked down for £10million 'super' care home|date=16 September 2015|newspaper=Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter| access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref> the Rosebery Place offices being demolished in 2017,<ref>{{cite web |title=Former West Dunbartonshire Council offices |url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-former-west-dunbartonshire-council-offices-and-one-stop-shop-clydebank-161868622.html |website=Alamy |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref> and the County Buildings being demolished in 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/demolition-former-dumbarton-council-offices-16500952 |title= Demolition of former Dumbarton council offices blamed for rat infestation|date=11 June 2019| newspaper=Daily Record| access-date=17 December 2022}}</ref>

In 2018 the council consolidated most of its offices to Burgh Hall, which had been vacant for some years. The front part of the 1866 building was retained and a modern office complex built to the rear.<ref name=realm>{{cite news|url=https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/7580/West_Dunbartonshire_Council_settles_into_flagship_HQ.html  |title= West Dunbartonshire Council settles into flagship HQ|date=31 July 2018|newspaper=Urban Realm| access-date=3 June 2021}}</ref> The Municipal Buildings in Dumbarton are still used by the council as a [[register office]], whilst Clydebank Town Hall is now primarily an events venue.