Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Tom Wootton,
Conservative
since 9 May 2023
Wendy Rider,
Liberal Democrat
since 17 May 2023
Laura Church
since October 2021
Structure
Seats47 (46 councillors plus mayor)
Bedford Borough Council composition
Political groups
  Conservative Party (14)
  Labour Party (14)
  Liberal Democrats (13)
  Green (2)
  Independent (2)
  Vacant (1)
Length of term
Executive mayor elected every four years
Whole council elected every four years
Elections
Plurality-at-large
First-past-the-post[1]
Last election
4 May 2023
Last election
2027
Meeting place
Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP
Website
www.bedford.gov.uk

Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The executive of the council is the directly elected mayor of Bedford. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.

The council was founded in 1974 as Bedford District Council, being renamed North Bedfordshire Borough Council in 1975. In 1992 it changed its name again to become Bedford Borough Council. Until 2009 it was a lower-tier district council, with county-level services provided by Bedfordshire County Council. On 1 April 2009, the Bedfordshire County Council ceased to exist, at which point Bedford Borough Council became a unitary authority.

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows:[2][3][4]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–1986
No overall control1986–2009

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
No overall control2009–present

Leadership

Bedford Borough Council is one of a relatively small number of councils in England to have a directly-elected mayor as its political leader, having chosen to move to directly-elected mayors following a referendum in 2002.[5] The mayors of Bedford since 2002 have been:

MayorPartyFromTo
Frank Branston Independent21 Oct 200214 Aug 2009
Dave Hodgson Liberal Democrats19 Oct 20098 May 2023
Tom Wootton Conservative9 May 2023

Composition

The council comprises 46 councillors plus the elected mayor. Following the 2023 election the composition of the council is as follows:[6]

PartySeats
Conservative14
Labour14
Liberal Democrats13
Green3
Independent2
Vacant1
Total47

A by-election will be held to fill the vacancy later in 2023. The next full election is due to be held in 2027.

Premises

From 1892 the old Bedford Borough Council was based at the Town Hall in St Paul's Square, which had previously been part of Bedford School, with parts of the building dating back to c. 1550. The town hall passed to the new council on local government reorganisation in 1974. Following the abolition of Bedfordshire County Council in 2009, Bedford Borough Council took over the old County Hall on Cauldwell Street, renaming it Borough Hall.

Arms

Bedford has been granted two distinct coats of arms. The first is per pale Argent and Gules a fess Azure, and the second Argent an eagle displayed wings inverted and head turned towards the sinister Sable ducally crowned and surmounted by a castle of three tiers Or.[7]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 46 councillors, elected from 28 wards. Council and mayoral elections are held together every four years.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Changes to the voting system for mayoral and PCC elections". www.electoralcommission.org.uk.
  2. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "Bedford". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "Bedford". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  5. ↑ Parker, Simon (22 February 2002). "Bedford wants a mayor". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Hertsmere election result". BBC News. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "The Bedford (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/268, retrieved 11 May 2023
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