Birmingham, England is a business and leisure city, with a vibrant cultural scene and diverse mix of shopping and nightlife. To protect the city and to safeguard its residents, the Birmingham City Council was set up in the early 1800s. On 14 January 1889, a Charter conferred the rank of City on Birmingham with the addition of districts like Balsall Heath, Harborne, Saltley and Little Bromwich. Later in the early 1900s, the Parish of Quinton, the Boroughs of Aston Manor, the Urban districts of Handsworth and Erdington, part of the urban district of Kings Norton and Northfield and the rural district of Yardley were added to Birmingham. This came to be known as 'The Greater Birmingham Scheme'. Thus the Birmingham Council slowly started to expand to urban District of Perry Barr, and parts of the Parishes of Solihull, Castle Bromwich, Minworth and Sheldon.
With a major national re-organization in 1974, the City was combined with Borough of Sutton Coldfield to form the new Birmingham District Council thus giving birth to the Birmingham City Council in 1986. By then, the council had 42 wards with 3 elected councilors. Today it is reduced to 40 wards with 3 elected councilors from each ward. The Birmingham Council is divided into five working committees that frame strategies and policies towards the development of the city. These include the Development Control Committee, Licensing Committee, Public Protection Committee, Council Business Management Committee and Standards Committee. The Council also consists of a Cabinet with a Leader and a Deputy leader. In addition, the Birmingham Council also has other departments that looks into issues such as health, housing and urban renewal, street services, local services and community safety and leisure of the residents. The Birmingham Council is a composition of Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Group with 53, 39 and 28 members respectively. The Birmingham Council services can be availed both online and in person.
