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.
Borough of Broxbourne | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Eleanor Cross in Waltham Cross | |
 Broxbourne shown within Hertfordshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | East of England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Hertfordshire |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district, Borough |
| Admin HQ | Cheshunt |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | Broxbourne Borough Council |
| • MPs | Lewis Cocking |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19.86 sq mi (51.43 km2) |
| • Rank | 242nd (of 296) |
| Population (2022) | |
| • Total | 99,103 |
| • Rank | 247th (of 296) |
| • Density | 5,000/sq mi (1,900/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ONS code | 26UB (ONS) E07000095 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | TL358021 |
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.
History
editThe 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:[2]
- Cheshunt Urban District
- Hoddesdon Urban District
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.[3][4] The name Broxbourne means "badger's stream", a fact referenced in the council's logo of a badger.[5] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[6]
Governance
editBroxbourne Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Jeff Stack since December 2013[8] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 30 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Borough Offices, Bishop's College, Churchgate, Cheshunt, EN8 9XQ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
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.[9]
Political control
editThe 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:[10]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–present | |
Leadership
editThe 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:[11]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Janes | Conservative | 1983 | 1989 | |
| Gerald Game | Conservative | 1989 | 1995 | |
| Don Smith[12] | Conservative | 1995 | 2001 | |
| Liz Clayton | Conservative | 2001 | 2005 | |
| Ken Ayling | Conservative | 2005 | 2010 | |
| Paul Mason | Conservative | 2010 | 25 May 2014 | |
| Mark Mills-Bishop | Conservative | 3 Jun 2014 | 14 May 2019 | |
| Lewis Cocking | Conservative | 14 May 2019 | 7 May 2024 | |
| Mark Mills-Bishop | Conservative | 14 May 2024 | ||
Composition
editFollowing the 2024 election the composition of the council was as follows:[13]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 27 | |
| Labour | 3 | |
| Total | 30 | |
The next election is due in 2026.
Premises
editThe 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.[14] The college closed in 1968 and the vacant building was bought in 1972 by Cheshunt Urban District Council.[15] 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.[16]
Elections
editSince 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.[17]
Wards
editThe borough's wards are:[17]
- 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
edit
|
Business
editThe main industrial areas of the borough are around Waltham Cross and the Essex Road area of Hoddesdon.[19]
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),[20] the plant cost £350 million and replaced the News International press in Wapping.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Broxbourne Local Authority (E07000095)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 12 May 2023
- ^ "Broxbourne Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 12 May 2023
- ^ "Broxbourne". Survey of English Place-Names. The English Place-Name Society. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Annual Council Meeting, 14 May 2024". Broxbourne Borough Council. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Burton, Michael (31 October 2013). "Acting chief executive to be made permanent". LocalGov. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 3 March 2023
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes". Broxbourne Borough Council. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Commemorative benches". Cheshunt and Waltham Mercury. 28 February 1997. p. 21. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Local elections 2024: full council results for England". The Guardian.
- ^ Historic England. "Bishops College, Churchgate (Grade II) (1100579)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Blatchley, Nicholas (8 April 2022). "Bishops College, Cheshunt". Herts Memories. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Duke opens Bishops College". Hoddesdon and Broxbourne Mercury. 12 December 1986. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ a b "The Borough of Broxbourne (Electoral Changes) Order 2012", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2012/159, retrieved 12 May 2023
- ^ "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Ambition Broxboure: Economic development strategy and action plan 2021-2025". Broxbourne Borough Council. May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "World's biggest print plant opens". BBC News. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
External links
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