Borough of Broxbourne
Non-metropolitan district, Borough
Broxbourne shown within Hertfordshire
Broxbourne shown within Hertfordshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast of England
Non-metropolitan countyHertfordshire
StatusNon-metropolitan district, Borough
Admin HQCheshunt
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyBroxbourne Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet (Conservative)
 • MPsCharles Walker
Area
 • Total19.86 sq mi (51.43 km2)
 • Rank242nd (of 296)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total99,138
 • Rank246th (of 296)
 • Density5,000/sq mi (1,900/km2)
 • Ethnicity
92.7% White
2.7% Black
2.2% S.Asian
1.6% Mixed
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code26UB (ONS)
E07000095 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTL358021

The Borough of Broxbourne is a local government district with borough status in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Cheshunt. Other settlements in the borough include Broxbourne, Hoddesdon and Waltham Cross. The eastern boundary of the district is the River Lea. The borough covers 20 square miles (52 km2) in south east Hertfordshire, and had an estimated population of 99,000 in 2021.

Much of the borough lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt which surrounds London. The western side of the borough is largely rural with extensive areas of woodland, whilst the eastern part, particularly between the A10 road and the River Lea, is generally urban. Most of the built-up parts of Broxbourne fall within the Greater London Urban Area. The Lee Valley Park lies on the borough's eastern boundary.

The borough is twinned with the Sicilian city of Sutera.

History

The borough of Broxbourne was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of two districts, which were both abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named Broxbourne after the old village of that name at the centre of the area. The village had been administratively part of Hoddesdon Urban District since 1935.[2][3] The name Broxbourne means "badger's stream", a fact referenced in the council's logo of a badger.[4] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[5]

Governance

Broxbourne Borough Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Paul Seeby,
Conservative
since 17 May 2022
Lewis Cocking,
Conservative
since 14 May 2019[6]
Jeff Stack
since December 2013[7]
Structure
Seats30
Political groups
Administration (27)
  Conservatives (27)

Opposition (3)

  Labour (3)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
2 May 2024
Meeting place
Borough Offices, Bishop's College, Churchgate, Cheshunt, EN8 9XQ
Website
www.broxbourne.gov.uk

Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including Broxbourne Borough Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services.[8]

Political control

The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. The Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council since 1974:[9]

Party in controlYears
Conservative1974–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Broxbourne, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1983 have been:[10]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Michael Janes Conservative19831989
Gerald Game Conservative19891995
Don Smith[11] Conservative19952001
Liz Clayton Conservative20012005
Ken Ayling Conservative20052010
Paul Mason Conservative201025 May 2014
Mark Mills-Bishop Conservative3 Jun 201414 May 2019
Lewis Cocking Conservative14 May 2019

Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was as follows:[12]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative27
Labour3
Total30

The next elections are due to be held in 2024.

Premises

The council is based at Bishops' College on Churchgate in Cheshunt. The building had been a college for training clergy and comprised an early eighteenth century house to which substantial extensions had been added in 1810 and 1871.[13] The college closed in 1968 and the vacant building was bought in 1972 by Cheshunt Urban District Council.[14] The building then passed to Broxbourne Borough Council on local government reorganisation in 1974. The council added a large modern extension in 1986, which was formally opened on 10 December 1986 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.[15]

Elections

Since the last ward boundary changes in 2012 the council has comprised 30 councillors, with the borough being divided into 10 wards each electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, electing one councillor from each ward each time. Elections to Hertfordshire County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[16]

Wards

The borough's wards are:[16]

  • Hoddesdon North
  • Hoddesdon Town & Rye Park
  • Broxbourne & Hoddesdon South
  • Wormley & Turnford
  • Rosedale & Bury Green
  • Goffs Oak
  • Cheshunt North
  • Cheshunt South & Theobalds
  • Flamstead End
  • Waltham Cross

Arms

Coat of arms of Borough of Broxbourne
Notes
Granted 4 December 1974.[17]
Crest
On a wreath Argent and Gules a demi badger Proper holding in the paws a cross formy Or.
Escutcheon
Per pale wavy Ermine and Gules on a chevron Or between in dexter chief a rose Gules slipped and leaved dimidiated with a thistle slipped Proper in sinister chief an oak tree eradicated Proper fructed Or and in base a Catherine wheel Sable a chevron couped per pale wavy Gules and Ermine.
Motto
Cor Unum Via Una (One Heart One Way)

Business

The main industrial areas of the borough are around Waltham Cross and the Essex Road area of Hoddesdon.[18]

Park Plaza at Waltham Cross is home to the world's largest printing plant, which produces publications for News International including The Sun, The Times and The Sun on Sunday (formerly the News of the World). Employing 200 people on a 23-acre (93,000 m2) site to produce 86,000 newspapers per hour on each of its twelve printing presses (a total capacity of over 1,000,000 newspapers per hour),[19] the plant cost £350 million and replaced the News International press in Wapping.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 12 May 2023
  2. ↑ "Broxbourne Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 12 May 2023
  4. ↑ "Broxbourne". Survey of English Place-Names. The English Place-Name Society. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "Council minutes, 14 May 2019". Broxbourne Borough Council. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Burton, Michael (31 October 2013). "Acting chief executive to be made permanent". LocalGov. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 3 March 2023
  9. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Council minutes". Broxbourne Borough Council. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "Commemorative benches". Cheshunt and Waltham Mercury. 28 February 1997. p. 21. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Broxbourne election result". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  13. ↑ Historic England. "Bishops College, Churchgate (Grade II) (1100579)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Blatchley, Nicholas (8 April 2022). "Bishops College, Cheshunt". Herts Memories. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "Duke opens Bishops College". Hoddesdon and Broxbourne Mercury. 12 December 1986. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  16. 1 2 "The Borough of Broxbourne (Electoral Changes) Order 2012", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2012/159, retrieved 12 May 2023
  17. ↑ "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "Ambition Broxboure: Economic development strategy and action plan 2021-2025". Broxbourne Borough Council. May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "News International unveils 'biggest printing plant in the world', Press Gazette, 14 March 2008". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  20. ↑ "World's biggest print plant opens". BBC News. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
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