Borough of Charnwood

Last updated

Charnwood
Borough and non-metropolitan district
Loughborough Carillon.jpg
Loughborough Carillon
Charnwood UK locator map.svg
Shown within Leicestershire
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region East Midlands
Administrative county Leicestershire
Admin. HQ Loughborough
Government
 • TypeCharnwood Borough Council
 •  MPs: Edward Argar,
Jane Hunt
Area
 • Total108 sq mi (279 km2)
 • Rank 127th
Population
 (2022)
 • Total184,748
 • Rank Ranked 110th
 • Density1,700/sq mi (660/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 •  Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 •  Religion
List
Time zone UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code 31UC (ONS)
E07000130 (GSS)

Charnwood is a local government district with borough status in the north of Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, much of which lies within the borough. Towns in the borough include Loughborough (where the council is based), Shepshed and Syston. Villages in the borough include Barrow upon Soar, Birstall, Hathern, Mountsorrel, Quorn, Rothley, Sileby and Woodhouse Eaves.

Contents

The neighbouring districts are Melton, Harborough, Leicester, Blaby, Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire and Rushcliffe.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: [2]

Prior to the new district coming into being there was some debate as to what name it should take, with alternatives considered including "Loughborough and Soar Valley", "Greater Loughborough" and "Soar Valley". [3] A committee of the three outgoing councils chose Soar Valley as its preferred option but was overruled by the government, which went instead for the committee's second choice of Charnwood, after the Charnwood Forest which covers the western part of the district. [4] [5] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [6]

The symbol of Charnwood Borough Council is the fox, which is also the symbol used by Leicestershire County Council. Charnwood contains the village of Quorn, which gives its name to one of the country's oldest fox hunting packs, the Quorn Hunt, which was established in 1696 and moved to Quorn in 1753. [7]

Governance

Charnwood Borough Council
Charnwood Borough Council logo.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Julie Bradshaw,
Labour
since 13 May 2024 [8]
Jewel Miah,
Labour
since 22 May 2023
Rob Mitchell
since 2019 [9]
Structure
Seats52 councillors
Charnwood Borough Council 2023.svg
Political groups
Administration (20)
  Labour (20)
Supported by (8)
  Green (8)
Other parties (24)
  Conservative (23)
  Independent (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Last election
 4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Charnwood Council Offices.jpg
Council Offices, Southfield Road, Loughborough, LE11 2TX
Website
www.charnwood.gov.uk

Charnwood Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Leicestershire County Council. Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. [10] [11]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a Labour minority administration with support from the Greens. [12] The Leader of the Council is Jewel Miah.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows: [13] [14]

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1995
Labour 1995–1999
No overall control 1999–2007
Conservative 2007–2023
No overall control 2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Charnwood. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been: [15]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
David Slater [16] Conservative 20106 Nov 2017
Jonathan Morgan [17] Conservative 6 Nov 20177 May 2023
Jewel Miah Labour 22 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was: [18] [19]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative 23
Labour 20
Green 8
Independent 1
Total52

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 52 councillors, representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. [20]

There are three Parliamentary constituencies covering the district. Mid Leicestershire is represented by the Conservative Peter Bedford MP. Loughborough is represented by the Labour's Jeevun Sandher. Melton and Syston is represented by the Conservative Edward Argar MP.

Premises

Loughborough Town Hall, used for full council meetings. Town Hall - Market Place (geograph 2938168).jpg
Loughborough Town Hall, used for full council meetings.

The council is based at the Council Offices on Southfield Road in Loughborough. The older part of the building was an early 19th century house called Southfields. [21] The house was acquired by the old Loughborough Town Council during the Second World War and after the war was converted to be additional offices supplementing those at Loughborough Town Hall. [22] A large extension was added to Southfields in 1990 allowing it to become Charnwood's main offices. [23] Loughborough Town Hall is still used for full council meetings of Charnwood Borough Council. [24]

Geography

To the south it borders the City of Leicester, about 20 km away from Loughborough. There is a moderately urbanised A6 corridor between the two population centres and close to the River Soar, including Quorn, Barrow-on-Soar, Mountsorrel, Birstall, Sileby, Thurmaston, Syston, Queniborough and East Goscote.

To the south of the borough, Birstall, Queniborough, Thurmaston and Syston form part of the Leicester Urban Area, while Quorn and Shepshed (the second-largest town in the district), amongst others, might be considered to be part of a Loughborough urban agglomeration.

The highest point is Beacon Hill (248m/814 ft) to the north of the Charnwood Forest 'area of natural beauty' extending WN-west into the National Forest.

Demography

Charnwood is the largest borough by population in Leicestershire, [25] and has the largest school population as well.

Population growth in Charnwood
Year195119611971198119912001201120212031
Population89,980103,282127,046132,170141,759153,428166,100183,971207,000
Census [26] Nomis [27] ONS Projections [28]

Media

The area is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central with television signals received from the Waltham transmitter. [29]

Radio stations for the area are:

Parishes

Most of the borough is covered by civil parishes. Most of the pre-1974 borough of Loughborough is an unparished area. The parish councils for Shepshed and Syston have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". The parishes of Barkby and Barkby Thorpe share a grouped parish council, as do Burton on the Wolds, Cotes and Prestwold. The small parishes of Beeby, Hamilton Lea, Stonebow Village, Swithland, Ulverscroft and Wanlip have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. [32]

Freedom of the Borough

The following people, military units, and organisations and groups have received the Freedom of the Borough of Charnwood.

Individuals

[33]

Military Units

Organisations and Groups

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quorn, Leicestershire</span> Village in Leicestershire, England

Quorn is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, near the university town of Loughborough. Its name was shortened from Quorndon in 1889, to avoid postal difficulties owing to its similarity to the name of another village, Quarndon, in neighbouring Derbyshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Central Railway (heritage railway)</span> Heritage railway based in Loughborough, England

The Great Central Railway (GCR) is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England, named after the company that originally built this stretch of railway. It runs for 8.25 miles (13.28 km) between the town of Loughborough and a new terminus in the north of Leicester. It has period signalling, locomotives and rolling stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soar Valley</span>

The Soar Valley in Leicester- and Nottinghamshire, England is the basin of the River Soar, which rises south of Leicester and flows north through Charnwood before meeting the River Trent at Trent Lock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thurmaston</span> Village in Leicestershire, England

Thurmaston is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, located within the Borough of Charnwood. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 9,668.

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

Mountsorrel is a village in Leicestershire on the River Soar, just south of Loughborough with a population in 2001 of 6,662 inhabitants, increasing to 8,223 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivanhoe line</span>

The Ivanhoe line was the local passenger service operated on the Midland Main Line between Leicester and Loughborough between 1993, when three intermediate stations were re-opened, and June 2005, when the separate Leicester–Loughborough service was withdrawn. Intermediate stations on the route are now served by East Midlands Railway's hourly service between Leicester, Nottingham and Lincoln.

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

Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charnwood (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997-2024

Charnwood was a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament from 1997 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loughborough (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Loughborough is a constituency in Leicestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jeevun Sandher of the Labour Party. The constituency is a considered a bellwether, as it has reflected the national result at every general election since February 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow upon Soar</span> Village in Leicestershire, England

Barrow upon Soar is a large village in northern Leicestershire, in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough, with a population at the 2011 census of 5,856.

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

Sileby is a former industrial village and civil parish in the Soar Valley in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is located between Leicester and Loughborough. The village is close to Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Seagrave and Cossington. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 7,835, rising to 8,959 at the 2021 census.

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

Barkby is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated north-east of Leicester, and only a short way from Leicester's urban sprawl in Thurmaston and Syston. Nearby villages are Beeby and Barkby Thorpe. Barkby Brook is the main watercourse which flows through Barkby. The parish has a population of around 300.

Charnwood Borough Council elections are held every four years. Charnwood Borough Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 52 councillors, representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors.

The Leicestershire Senior League is a football competition based in Leicestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Barkby</span> Church in United Kingdom

St Mary's Church, Barkby is the Church of England Parish Church for Barkby, Leicestershire, England. The church mostly dates from the 13th century. It was Grade I listed in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melton and Syston (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2024 onwards

Melton and Syston is a county constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. It was first contested at the 2024 general election. The seat is currently represented by Edward Argar of the Conservative Party.

References

  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Charnwood Local Authority (E07000130)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
  3. ↑ "Tussle over new name". Nottingham Evening Post. 2 February 1973. p. 7. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Shocks for new councils over names". Leicester Mercury. 27 March 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 22 August 2022
  6. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "History". Quorn Hunt. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Record breaking swimmer appointed new Mayor of Charnwood". Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Metcalf, Sam (22 July 2019). "Council set to name new chief executive". The Business Desk. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  11. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "New Leader of Charnwood Borough Council is elected". Charnwood Borough Council. 22 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Charnwood". BBC News Online . Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "Council minutes". Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Rush, Andy (30 April 2018). "Tributes paid after former council leader David Slater passes away". Loughborough Echo. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  17. ↑ Coleman, Liam (2 November 2017). "New leader of Charnwood Borough Council chosen". Loughborough Echo. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  19. ↑ "Charnwood result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News.
  20. ↑ "The Charnwood (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2022/809, retrieved 29 October 2023
  21. ↑ "Southfields: Locally listed building". Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "No. 38848". The London Gazette . 24 February 1950. p. 976.
  23. ↑ "New Year opening for prestigious new offices". Loughborough Echo. 4 January 1991. p. 55. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "Council agenda, 4 September 2023". Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  25. ↑ excluding the City of Leicester part of Ceremonial Leicestershire
  26. ↑ Vision of Britain through time
  27. ↑ "2021 Census Profile - Nomis". Nomis. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  28. ↑ ONS population projections 2014 base / projections uplifted by '21-1050/'31-1,400 given underestimation at 2016 - 1,100/
  29. ↑ "Full Freeview on the Waltham (Leicestershire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  30. ↑ "Fosse FM" . Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  31. ↑ "Carillon Wellbeing Radio" . Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  32. ↑ "Charnwood Borough". UK Local Councils. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  33. ↑ "Freedom of the Borough". Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  34. ↑ "FREEDOM OF ENTRY – ROYAL ANGLIAN REGIMENT" (PDF). www.charnwood.gov.uk. 4 September 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  35. ↑ Watkins, Amy (15 April 2010). "TA is given freedom of the borough". The Loughborough Echo. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  36. ↑ "Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Charnwood" (PDF). www.charnwood.gov.uk. 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  37. ↑ "LCFC Granted Freedom Of The Borough Of Charnwood". Leicester City Football Club. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  38. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Charnwood Borough Council (14 September 2021). "Extraordinary Council – Conferment of Freedom of the Borough to Leicester City Football Club)" – via YouTube.

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