London Borough of Bromley
London borough
Coat of arms of London Borough of Bromley
Coat of arms
Official logo of London Borough of Bromley
Council logo
Motto(s): 
Servire populo
(To serve the people)
Bromley shown within Greater London
Bromley shown within Greater London
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionLondon
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Created1 April 1965
Admin HQStockwell Close, Bromley
Government
 • TypeLondon borough council
 • BodyBromley London Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MayorMike Botting
 • London AssemblyPeter Fortune (Conservative) AM for Bexley and Bromley
 • MPsGareth Bacon (Conservative)
Bob Stewart (Independent)
Bob Neill (Conservative)
Ellie Reeves (Labour)
Area
 • Total57.97 sq mi (150.15 km2)
 • Rank166th (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total329,830
 • Rank31st (of 296)
 • Density5,700/sq mi (2,200/km2)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcodes
BR, CR, DA, SE, TN
Area codes01689, 01959, 020
ONS code00AF
GSS codeE09000006
PoliceMetropolitan Police
Websitehttp://www.bromley.gov.uk/

The London Borough of Bromley (/ˈbrɒmli/ ⓘ) is the largest and southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 census was 329,991 . It is named after Bromley, its principal town; other major towns are Penge, Hayes, West Wickham, Chislehurst, Beckenham and Orpington. The local authority is Bromley London Borough Council.[n 1]

Geography

The borough is the largest in Greater London by area and occupies 59 square miles (153 km2). The majority of the borough is Metropolitan Green Belt, including nearly all of the land south of the A232-A21 route between West Wickham and Pratt's Bottom.[1] Consequently, it is also perhaps the most rural borough and contains more of the North Downs than any other, as that escarpment is broad between Bromley and Banstead. This is also reflected in its population density, which is the lowest of the 32 London boroughs.[2]

Most of the population lives in the north and west of the borough, with an outlier at Biggin Hill in the far south. The borough shares borders with the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Greenwich to the north, Bexley to the north-east, Southwark and Lambeth to the north-west, and Croydon to the west. It also borders the Sevenoaks District of Kent to the east and south, and the Tandridge District of Surrey to the south-west.

Westerham Heights, the highest point in London and Kent at an altitude of 804 feet (245 m), is on the southern boundary. The Prime Meridian passes through Bromley.

About 30% of the land in Bromley is farmland, the highest figure of a London borough.[3]

History

The borough was formed on 1 April 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covered the areas of the Municipal Borough of Bromley, the Municipal Borough of Beckenham, Penge Urban District, Orpington Urban District and the Chislehurst part of Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District. The local government authorities that until then had administered those other areas were simultaneously abolished by the London Government Act on 1 April 1965. In 1969, after a local campaign, local government responsibility for the village of Knockholt was transferred to the neighbouring Sevenoaks Rural District: before 1965, it had been part of the Orpington Urban District.

Districts

Sundridge Park

The borough is partly urban and partly rural, the former to the north and very much part of the built-up area of suburban London.

The principal parts of the northern section, from west to east, are Beckenham, which includes Eden Park and Elmers End; Bromley with Bickley, Bromley Park and Bromley Common, Park Langley, Plaistow, Shortlands and Southborough; Chislehurst, with Elmstead and Sundridge. The built-up area around Orpington not only encompasses its direct outskirts of Chelsfield, Crofton, Derry Downs, Goddington, Kevingtown, and Petts Wood; it also includes the erstwhile separate settlements of Farnborough, Green Street Green, Pratt's Bottom, St Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray. Other smaller suburban areas include Penge, Anerley, and parts of nearby Crystal Palace including its park. In addition, parts of Mottingham, Sydenham, Swanley and Ruxley lie within the borough boundaries.

There are two main built-up areas in the southern part of the borough: Hayes and West Wickham. Biggin Hill, Downe and Keston with Leaves Green and Nash are separate, smaller, rural settlements.

Local attractions include Down House (the home of Charles Darwin), Chislehurst Caves, Holwood House (the home of William Pitt the Younger), Crofton Roman Villa, and the site of The Crystal Palace.

Governance

The 22 wards of the London Borough of Bromley (orange) and the surrounding London boroughs (yellow) and districts outside Greater London (grey)

Bromley is divided into 22 wards with a total of 58 council seats. These are currently represented by:[4]

Bromley was under Conservative control from its creation until the local elections of 7 May 1998 when a Liberal Democrat/Labour coalition assumed power. After a number of by-elections and a defection, the Conservatives regained control on 5 July 2001.

Bromley Civic Centre

The 22 wards are shown on the accompanying map. Ward names often straddle the named settlements and suburban areas above: their boundaries are fixed, whereas the latter are not.

Greater London representation

For elections to the Greater London Council, the borough formed the Bromley electoral division, electing four members. In 1973 it was divided into the single-member Beckenham, Chislehurst, Orpington and Ravensbourne electoral divisions.[5] The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986.

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the Lambeth and Southwark constituency.

Demographics

Population pyramid of the Borough of Bromley
Population
YearPop.±%
1801 8,944—    
1811 10,186+13.9%
1821 11,455+12.5%
1831 13,302+16.1%
1841 14,878+11.8%
1851 17,192+15.6%
1861 33,144+92.8%
1871 49,095+48.1%
1881 65,046+32.5%
1891 84,729+30.3%
1901 99,502+17.4%
1911 116,851+17.4%
1921 140,960+20.6%
1931 170,073+20.7%
1941 216,821+27.5%
1951 276,438+27.5%
1961 290,065+4.9%
1971 304,414+4.9%
1981 294,547−3.2%
1991 294,723+0.1%
2001 295,560+0.3%
2011 309,392+4.7%
2021 329,991+6.7%
Source: A Vision of Britain through time

In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 8,944. This rose slowly throughout the nineteenth century, as the district became built up; reaching 17,192 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived, the rate of population growth increased. The population peaked in the 1970s, when industry began to relocate from London.

The most recent 2021 United Kingdom census the borough showed a total population of 329,991, up from 309,392 in 2011.[6] All major religions are represented, but of those stating a choice, 48.3% described themselves as Christian down from 60.7% in 2011.[7]

In 2001, of the population, 43.47% were in full-time employment and 11.06% in part-time employment – compared to a London average of 42.64% and 8.62%, respectively. Residents were predominantly owner-occupiers, with 32.53% owning their house outright, and a further 42.73% owning with a mortgage. Only 1.42% were in local authority housing, with a further 12.74% renting from a housing association, or other registered social landlord.[8]

A study in 2017 showed that Bromley had the second lowest poverty rate (15%) of any London borough.[9]

The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Bromley.

Ethnicity

Ethnic Group Year
1981 estimations[10] 1991[11] 2001[12] 2011[13] 2021[14]
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 280,764 96.4% 277,028 95.3% 270,666 91.59% 260,870 84.32% 252,295 76.5%
White: British – – – –255,61886.49%239,47877.40% 219,493 66.5%
White: Irish – – – –4,6521.57%4,4631.44% 4,954 1.5%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – –––5800.19% 578 0.2%
White: Roma – – – – – – – – 551 0.2%
White: Other – – – –10,3963.52%16,3495.28% 26,719 8.1%
Asian or Asian British: Total – – 6,746 2.32%9,3493.16%16,0675.19% 27,307 8.1%
Asian or Asian British: Indian – – 3,126 1.1%4,4581.51%6,2152.01% 12,326 3.7%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani – – 379 0.1%6910.23%1,0140.33% 1,784 0.5%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi – – 436 0.2%8680.29%1,2650.41% 1,748 0.5%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese – – 1,160 0.4%1,7990.61%2,7680.89% 5,075 1.5%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian – – 1,645 0.6%1,5330.52%4,8051.55% 6,374 1.9%
Black or Black British: Total – – 4,548 1.56%8,6142.91%18,6866.04% 25,149 7.6%
Black or Black British: African – – 990 3,3731.14%9,8193.17% 13,193 4.0%
Black or Black British: Caribbean – – 2,562 4,6371.57%6,6092.14% 8,169 2.5%
Black or Black British: Other Black – – 996 6040.20%2,2580.73% 3,787 1.1%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total – – – –5,5161.87%10,8973.52% 17,740 5.3%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – – –1,8870.64%3,8971.26% 5,489 1.7%
Mixed: White and Black African – – – –5770.20%1,3350.43% 2,431 0.7%
Mixed: White and Asian – – – –1,7160.58%3,0160.97% 4,747 1.4%
Mixed: Other Mixed – – – –1,3360.45%2,6490.86% 5,073 1.5%
Other: Total – – 2,287 0.78%1,3870.47%2,8720.93% 7,500 2.3%
Other: Arab – – – –––8700.28% 1,203 0.4%
Other: Any other ethnic group – – 2,287 0.78%1,3870.47%2,0020.65% 6,297 1.9%
Ethnic minority: Total 10,477 3.6% 13,581 4.7%24,8668.41%48,52215.68% 77,696 23.5%
Total 291,241 100% 290,609 100%295,532100.00%309,392100.00% 329,991 100%

Religion

The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Bromley according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.

Religion 2001[15] 2011[16] 2021[17]
Number % Number % Number %
Holds religious beliefs 224,673 76.0 204,895 66.2 185,730 56.3
Christian 212,871 72.0 187,656 60.7 159,452 48.3
Muslim 4,926 1.7 7,841 2.5 10,876 3.3
Sikh 600 0.2 736 0.2 1,068 0.3
Hindu 3,350 1.1 4,987 1.6 9,644 2.9
Buddhist 953 0.3 1,580 0.5 2,100 0.6
Jewish 1,098 0.4 957 0.3 966 0.3
Other religion 875 0.3 1,138 0.4 1,704 0.5
No religion 48,279 16.3 80,303 26.0 122,943 37.3
Religion not stated 22,580 7.7 24,194 7.8 21,238 6.4
Total population 295,532 100.0 309,392 100.0 329,991 100.0

Education

Transport

Bromley is one of only six London Boroughs[18] not to have at least one London Underground station within its boundaries. However, the borough has many railway stations served by London Overground, Thameslink, Southeastern and Southern. The borough also has several stops on the Tramlink network.

Stations operated by London Overground (all are also served by Southern):

National Rail stations:

Tramlink stops:

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: driving a car or van, 27.4% of all residents aged 16–74; train, 5.1%; bus, minibus or coach, 5.1%; on foot, 4.3%; work mainly at or from home, 4.0%; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 2.3%; passenger in a car or van, 1.5%.[19]

Sport, leisure and culture

The Borough has several sporting clubs:

The borough is also home to an extensive libraries service, containing 14 branches,[20] currently operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited under their trademark Better on behalf of Bromley council.

The Beckenham Comedy Cabaret,[21] a monthly comedy cabaret event, hosted and run by Jody Kamali, has been running in the heart of Beckenham since 2015, usually on the last Friday evening of the month.

The Bromley Times and Bromley News Shopper publish local news in the borough.

London Fire Brigade

London Fire Brigade has four fire stations within the London Borough of Bromley. The borough is the largest in the city: about 150 km2. With just one pumping appliance, Orpington has one of the largest areas to cover in London, measuring 46.7 km2. In 2006/2007, Orpington attended 1,308 incidents. There is also a high volume pump at the station. Beckenham, Bromley and Biggin Hill cover the rest of the borough with four pumping appliances and a hose layer.[22]

In 2006/2007 just under 4000 incidents were attended in the borough. Noticeably, compared to 2005/2006 there was an 11% decrease in special service calls (road traffic collisions, chemical incidents, flooding etc.).[22]

Twin towns

Bromley is twinned with:

Notable residents

The locations a number of notable residents over the years have been lived have been recognised with blue plaques these residents include:[23]

See also

References

References
  1. ↑ "London Green Belt Council".
  2. ↑ "Land Area and Population Density, Ward and Borough – London Datastore".
  3. ↑ "Capital Growth: Facts and figures about food growing and farming in and around London". www.capitalgrowth.org. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Bromley, London Borough of (9 June 2022). "London Borough of Bromley online information Council and democracy". cds.bromley.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Greater London Council Election results: Bromley". United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Bromley Local Authority 2021 Census Area Profile". Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Bromley Local Authority 2021 Census Area Profile". Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Key Figures for 2001 Census: Census Area Statistics: Bromley Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine accessed 25 February 2009
  9. ↑ "London's Poverty Profile". Trust for London. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement". Commission for Racial Equality: Table 2.2. 1985.
  11. ↑ "1991 census – theme tables". NOMIS. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "KS006 - Ethnic group". NOMIS. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Ethnic Group by measures". NOMIS. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011". www.nomisweb.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "Religion - 2021 census". Office of National Statistics. 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  18. ↑ Six London boroughs (Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Kingston, Lewisham and Sutton) are not served by the Underground. The London Borough of Hackney has two stations on its border.
  19. ↑ "2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013. Percentages are of all residents aged 16-74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey’s longest part by distance.
  20. ↑ "Libraries". London Borough of Bromley.
  21. ↑ "Beckenham Comedy Cabaret". Facebook page for Beckenham Comedy Cabaret.
  22. 1 2 "London Fire Brigade - Bromley Profile" (PDF). London Fire Brigade. 9 August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "Blue plaques in Bromley". www.bromley.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  24. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Alexander Muirhead blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  25. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins black plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  26. ↑ Plaques, Open. "David Bowie gold plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  27. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Enid Blyton blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  28. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Ewan MacColl blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  29. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Frank Bourne blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  30. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Harold Bride blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  31. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Heddle Nash black plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  32. ↑ Plaques, Open. "H. G. Wells blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  33. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Ira Aldridge blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  34. ↑ Plaques, Open. "John Pennington Harman blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  35. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Joseph Paxton blue plaque". openplaques.org.
  36. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Ted Willis blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  37. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Margaret McMillan and Rachel McMillan blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  38. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Richmal Crompton green plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  39. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Geraint Evans blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  40. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Malcolm Campbell blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  41. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Thomas Crapper blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  42. ↑ Plaques, Open. "W. G. Grace blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  43. ↑ Plaques, Open. "Walter De La Mare blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
Notes
  1. ↑ As a borough, the alternative legal form of address, as shown, in most leases granted by it and in older Law Reports is The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Bromley

51°20′N 0°05′E / 51.333°N 0.083°E / 51.333; 0.083

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