Stratford-on-Avon District Council covers a large rural area, some 979km² (378 square miles), right in the middle of England. Over 125,000 people live in the district, the largest town being Stratford-upon-Avon with 30,000 residents. The council's policies on how it delivers its services to the communities of south Warwickshire are decided by 36 councillors, each of whom is elected for four years.