Bedford (borough)

Infobox UK district
name = Borough of Bedford


status = Borough
region = East of England
admincounty = Bedfordshire
area = Ranked 104th
476.41 km²
adminhq = Bedford
onscode = 09UD
population = Ranked English district rank|ONS=09UD
English district population|ONS=09UD
English district density|ONS=09UD / km²
ethnicity = 85.5% White
8.1% S.Asian
2.9% Black
1.3% Chinese or other
2.2% Mixed [ [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=276881&c=bedford&d=13&e=13&g=423312&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1206878115514&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812 Check Browser Settings ] ]
politics =
Bedford Borough Council
http://www.bedford.gov.uk/
leadership = Mayor & Cabinet
executive = English district control|ONS=09UD
mayor = Frank Branston
(Independent)
mp = Alistair Burt (C)
Nadine Dorries (C)
Patrick Hall (L)
year = 2005

Bedford is a local government district with the status of a borough in the East of England. Its council is based at Bedford, which also serves as the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area comprising Bedford and the adjacent town of Kempston, surrounded by a rural area with many villages. Unlike most English districts, Bedford's council is led by a directly-elected mayor, currently Frank Branston, who is an independent.

The Bedford District was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the existing borough of Bedford, along with Kempston urban district and Bedford Rural District. In 1975 the district was granted a royal charter granting borough status as North Bedfordshire. The borough was renamed as Borough of Bedford in 1992. Over half of the former municipal borough of Bedford is unparished, however Brickhill is a parish, and Queens Park as well as Cauldwell & Kingsbrook elect their own urban community councils who have similar functions to parish councils. The rest of the district including Kempston is parished.

The Department for Communities and Local Government have reorganised Bedfordshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, meaning that Bedford Borough Council will become a unitary authority in 2009. This means Bedford Borough will assume responsibility in areas such as education, social services and transport. [ [http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/714230 Unitary solution confirmed for Bedfordshire - New flagship unitary councils approved for Cheshire - Corporate - Communities and Local Government ] ] [ [http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/County-council-to-be-abolished.3850489.jp County council to be abolished in shake-up - Bedford Today ] ]

Council and cabinet

As of 2007 there are 54 councillors in addition to the mayor. Following the May 2007 local elections, these are broken down as follows:

*Conservative Party: 20
*Liberal Democratic Party: 16
*Labour Party: 12
*Independents: 6 (plus the mayor)

The mayor heads a cross party cabinet with independent, Conservative and Labour members. (Lib Dems refused to work on Mayors cabinet)

Wards and civil parishes

The towns of Bedford and Kempston are divided into 13 wards, some of which are also civil parishes:
*Brickhill
*Castle
*Cauldwell
*De Parys
*Goldington
*Harpur
*Kempston East
*Kempston North
*Kempston South
*Kingsbrook
*Newnham
*Putnoe
*Queens Park

The civil parishes in the rural part of the borough are as follows:
*Biddenham, Bletsoe, Bolnhurst and Keysoe, Bromham
*Cardington, Carlton, Chellington, Clapham, Colmworth
*Dean and Shelton
*Eastcotts, Elstow
*Felmersham
*Great Barford
*Harrold
*Kempston Rural
*Knotting and Souldrop
*Little Barford, Little Staughton
*Melchbourne and Yielden, Milton Ernest
*Oakley, Odell
*Pavenham, Pertenhall, Podington
*Ravensden, Renhold, Riseley, Roxton
*Sharnbrook, Stagsden, Staploe, Stevington, Stewartby, Swineshead
*Thurleigh, Turvey
*Wilden, Willington, Wilshamstead, Wootton, Wymington

References

External links

*Official|http://www.bedford.gov.uk
* [http://www.bedford.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/BedfordBoundariesMaps Maps showing the internal boundaries of the borough]