Corporation of London

The concept of the Court of Common Council grew from the ancient custom of the Folkmoot, when the assent of the citizens to important acts was obtained. This custom was continued by the Mayor who consulted the Commons several times during the 13th century. From 1376 the assembly began to meet regularly and was referred to as the Common Council. It was decided that the Council should be made up of persons elected from each Ward. By 1384 a permanent Common Council chosen by the citizens was established for all time. The Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers, confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383. The Council has often used these powers to amend the civic constitution, regulate the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amend the functions of the City courts. The Council was judged so successful in the conduct of its duties that it was the only Corporation unreformed by Parliament following the Municipal Corporations Commission report of 1837, while the Corporation Inquiry Commission of 1854 suggested only minor reforms. The work of the Council is conducted by a number of committees, while the whole Council has the right to approve policy, confirm major decisions and sanction expenditure. The committees handle many aspects of the running of the City including land and estates, finance and valuation, open spaces, street improvement and town planning, public health, police, Port of London, civil defence, airports, libraries, markets, education, and law. The Town Clerk has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council and its committees since 1274.

The Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party was established in 1968 following a resolution of the Court of Common Council of 25 April 1968 which referred the report of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon on the proposed Barbican Arts Centre to the Barbican, Music, Library and Policy and Parliamentary Committees. The Music Committee already had its own Working Party to consider the proposals to create a theatre and concert hall in the newly developed Barbican, particularly with reference to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the London Symphony Orchestra being resident there, as agreed with the Corporation in February 1965 and March 1966 respectively: this Working Party seems first to have been appointed in July 1964, and then re-appointed in July 1967. In addition to members from the Barbican, Library, Music and Policy and Parliamentary Committees, the Chairman of the Library Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the Barbican Committee were added, and this newly constituted Barbican Arts Centre Joint Working Party held its first meeting on 7 June 1968. Its latest extant minutes are for 6 July 1970, and it appears to have ceased to exist then or shortly thereafter.