Central Bedfordshire Council

Last updated
Central Bedfordshire Council
Central Bedfordshire Council logo.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2009
Preceded by Bedfordshire County Council
District councils
  • Mid Bedfordshire District Council
  • South Bedfordshire District Council
Leadership
Gareth Mackey,
Independent
since 25 May 2023 [1]
Adam Zerny,
Independent
since 25 May 2023
Marcel Coiffait
since November 2020 [2]
Structure
Seats63 councillors
United Kingdom Central Bedfordshire Council(1) 2023.svg
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Independent (28)
Other parties (35)
  Conservative Party (20)
  Liberal Democrats (9)
  Labour Party (5)
  Green (1)
Joint committees
 East of England Local Government Association
Elections
Last election
 4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Priory House, Chicksands.jpg
Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, SG17 5TQ
Website
www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Central Bedfordshire Council is the local authority for Central Bedfordshire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It has been under no overall control since 2023, being run by an independent-led administration. The council is based at Chicksands.

Contents

History

Local government in Bedfordshire was reorganised with effect from 1 April 2009. The borough of Luton had already been made a unitary authority independent from the county council in 1997. The changes in 2009 divided the rest of the county into two unitary authorities: Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. The new Central Bedfordshire covered the combined area of the two former districts of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire. Central Bedfordshire Council also took over the functions of the abolished Bedfordshire County Council within the area. Central Bedfordshire is legally both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county, but there is no separate county council; instead the district council performs both district and county functions, making it a unitary authority. [3] [4] Central Bedfordshire remains part of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire for the purposes of lieutenancy. [5]

Political control

The council went under no overall control at the 2023 election, having previously had a Conservative majority. An independent-led administration - the first in a unitary authority in English local government history - subsequently formed with independent councillor Adam Zerny being appointed leader of the council at the Annual Council and Extraordinary General Purposes Committee, held on 25 May 2023. [6]

Political control of the council since its creation in 2009 has been as follows: [7]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 2009–2023
No overall control 2023–present

Leadership

The first leader of the council was Tricia Turner, who had been the last leader of Mid Bedfordshire District Council. [8] The leaders of the council since 2009 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Tricia Turner [9] Conservative 18 Jun 2009May 2011
James Jamieson [10] Conservative 19 May 2011Jan 2021
Richard Wenham [11] Conservative 14 Jan 202125 May 2023
Adam Zerny Independent 25 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in June 2023, the composition of the council was: [12] [13] [14]

PartyCouncillors
Independent 28
Conservative 20
Liberal Democrats 9
Labour 5
Green 1
Total:63

The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council inherited offices at Priory House (built 2006) in Chicksands, just outside the town of Shefford, from Mid Bedfordshire District Council, and the South Bedfordshire District Council offices (built 1989) in Dunstable. Priory House became the new council's headquarters. The South Bedfordshire offices were renamed Watling House and served as additional offices for the council until being closed in 2022. [15]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council comprises 63 councillors, elected from 31 wards. Elections are held every four years. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedfordshire</span> County of England

Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton (225,262), and Bedford is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ampthill</span> Town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England

Ampthill is a town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It lies between Bedford and Luton. At the 2021 census it had a population of 8,825.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Albans City and District</span> Local authority district in England

St Albans, also known as the City and District of St Albans, is a local government district with city status in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in St Albans, the largest settlement in the district. The district also includes the town of Harpenden and several villages. The district borders North Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield, Hertsmere, Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum, and Central Bedfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Bedfordshire District</span> Local government district in England

Mid Bedfordshire was a local government district in Bedfordshire, England, from 1974 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bedfordshire</span> Former local government district in England

South Bedfordshire was a local government district in Bedfordshire, in the East of England, from 1974 to 2009. Its main towns were Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Hertfordshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

North Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Letchworth Garden City and the largest town is Hitchin. The district also includes the towns of Baldock and Royston and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Part of the district lies within the Chiltern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bedfordshire</span> History of Bedfordshire County in England

Bedfordshire is an English ceremonial county which lies between approximately 25 miles and 55 miles north of central London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

South West Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all constituencies of the UK Parliament, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicksands</span> Human settlement in England

Chicksands is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Campton and Chicksands in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The village is on the River Flit and close to its parish village of Campton and the town of Shefford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Borough Council</span> Local council of Luton, England

Luton Borough Council is the local authority of Luton, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Luton is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county and district council combined. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunstable</span> Market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England

Dunstable is a market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north. Dunstable is the fourth largest town in Bedfordshire and along with Houghton Regis forms the westernmost part of the Luton/Dunstable urban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bedfordshire</span> Unitary authority area in Bedfordshire, England

Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created in 2009.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telford and Wrekin Council</span> English unitary authority council in the West Midlands

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton and Hove City Council</span> Local authority for Brighton and Hove

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Borough Council elections</span>

Luton Borough Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Luton in Bedfordshire, England. Until 1 April 1997 it was a non-metropolitan district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckinghamshire Council</span> Local authority of Buckinghamshire, England

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The town of Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England was governed as an ancient borough between the twelfth century and the sixteenth century. The town’s borough status was effectively lost after 1541, following the English Reformation. Urban local government returned to the town in 1863 with the establishment of a local board. The following year borough status was restored to the town when it was made a municipal borough.

References

  1. ↑ Duncan, Euan (10 May 2024). "No change at the top as chairman and deputy of Central Beds Council re-elected unopposed". Biggleswade Today. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Transparency - organisation information". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Bedfordshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2008/907, retrieved 11 May 2023
  4. ↑ "About Central Bedfordshire Council | Central Bedfordshire Council". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 26 April 2023
  6. ↑ "Council meeting, 25 May 2023". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Shadow Council minutes". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 18 June 2009". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Annual Council Meeting minutes, 19 May 2011". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Council minutes, 14 January 2021". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "2023 Central Bedfordshire election results". Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Central Bedfordshire election result". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Boothroyd, David (30 June 2023). "Greens climb the cliff in Bournemouth". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Duncan, Euan (20 October 2022). "Self service access Central Bedfordshire Council services set for Dunstable library as Watling House to close". Luton Today. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Central Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2021/1051, retrieved 11 May 2023
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