Central Bedfordshire

Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire District Councils on 1 April 2009.[1] With a budget of £500m the unitary council provides over a hundred services to a quarter of a million people, and is responsible for schools, social services, rubbish collection, roads, planning, leisure centres, libraries, care homes and more.[2][3]

Central Bedfordshire
Unitary Authority
Shown within Bedfordshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast of England
Ceremonial countyBedfordshire
Founded1 April 2009
Admin. HQChicksands
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • BodyCentral Bedfordshire Council
 • Leadership:Leader & Cabinet
 • Executive:Conservative
 • MPs:Richard Fuller (C)
Nadine Dorries (C)
Andrew Selous (C)
Area
 • Total276.3 sq mi (715.7 km2)
Area rank53rd
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total288,648
 • RankRanked 46th
 • Density1,000/sq mi (400/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code00KC (ONS)
E06000056 (GSS)
Ethnicity97.3% White
Websitecentralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Council's current composition
Main article: Central Bedfordshire Council
Party Councillors
Conservatives 41
Independents 13
Liberal Democrats 3
Labour 1
UK Independence Party 1
Total: 59
Source: Political Control

Administrative history

The county council of Bedfordshire was abolished on 1 April 2009. The term of office of councillors of Bedfordshire County Council and of Mid and South Bedfordshire District Councils ended on 1 April 2009. A new county and a new district, both from that date to be known as Central Bedfordshire, were created for the same area as the existing districts of Mid and South Bedfordshire. A new district council, the Central Bedfordshire Council, was created for the new district and became the sole principal authority for the district. There was to be no county council for the new county.[4]

In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government considered reorganising Bedfordshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. The four proposals considered were:

  • Proposal 1, Abolish the three districts within the county and create a Bedfordshire County unitary authority. (Luton would remain a separate unitary authority.)
  • Proposal 2, Create two unitary authorities: one based on Bedford Borough and one as Central Bedfordshire, combining Mid and South Bedfordshire Districts.
  • Proposal 3, Create two unitary authorities: one a combination of Bedford Borough and Mid Beds District and the other of Luton Borough and South Beds District.
  • Proposal 4, Form an "enhanced two-tier" authority, with the four local councils under the control of the county council, but with different responsibilities.[5][6]

On 6 March 2008 the DCLG, under Labour Party Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, decided to implement Proposal 2. This meant that from 1 April 2009 there would be three unitary authorities in Bedfordshire: Bedford, Luton and Central Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire County Council challenged this decision in the High Court but on 4 April 2008 it was announced the Judicial Review had failed and the County Council would not appeal.[7][8][9][10] Subsequently, a shadow council for Central Bedfordshire was formed from all the members of Mid and South Bedfordshire councils, as well as all Bedfordshire County Council members from the Central Bedfordshire area. The inaugural meeting of the shadow council was held on 10 April 2008. A shadow Executive for the council was formed consisting of four members of each council, led by the former leader of Mid Bedfordshire District Council.[11]

Elections

Central Bedfordshire Council is made up of 59 Councillors.

Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Independent Control
2009[12][13] 54 0 11 1 Conservative
2011[14]

[15]

 49 1 5 4 Conservative
2015[16] 53 2 1 3 Conservative

Since 2011 the Council has been led by James Jamieson with a Cabinet of seven portfolio holders:

  • Corporate Services (finance)
  • Children's Services
  • Social Care, Health and Housing
  • Regeneration
  • Community Services
  • Partnerships
  • External affairs

Towns and villages
Map of wards within Central Bedfordshire

The Central Bedfordshire area is a mix of rural and small market towns and villages. It includes the following towns and villages.

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Welcome to Central Bedfordshire Council". Centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  4. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/907/note/made Archived 5 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine - The Bedfordshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008
  5. Bedfordshire County Council Archived 7 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine – The proposal
  6. Communities and Local Government Archived 19 September 2012 at the UK Government Web Archive – Proposals for future unitary structures: Stakeholder consultation
  7. Bedfordshire County Council: High Court backs two unitary authorities for Bedfordshire Archived 16 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "County Council Fails in Legal Challenge To Unitary Status". Bedford.gov.uk. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  9. Unitary solution confirmed for Bedfordshire – New flagship unitary councils approved for Cheshire – Corporate – Communities and Local Government Archived 22 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "County council to be abolished in shake-up". Bedford Today. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  11. http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/First-steps-towards-creating-Central.3968817.jp First steps towards creating Central Beds Council – Bedford Today (10/04/08)
  12. "Central Bedfordshire Council: Election results by party, 4 June 2009". Centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. 4 June 2009. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  13. "Election 2009 | Central Bedfordshire council". BBC News. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  14. "Central Bedfordshire Council: Election results". Centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  15. "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Central Bedfordshire". BBC News. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  16. "Central Bedfordshire Council: Election results". Centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
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