Rochford District

Rochford District
Non-metropolitan district
Rochford, the administrative centre and one of the towns of the district
Rochford shown within Essex
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East of England
Non-metropolitan county	Essex
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Rochford
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Rochford District Council
• Leadership	Alternative - Sec. 31 (No overall control)
•  MPs	Bayo Alaba Mark Francois
Area
• Total	65.44 sq mi (169.49 km2)
• Rank	156th (of 296)
Population  (2024)
• Total	89,815
• Rank	270th (of 296)
• Density	1,372.5/sq mi (529.91/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
•  Ethnic groups	List 95.9% White 1.7% Mixed 1.4% Asian 0.7% Black 0.3% other
Religion (2021) [1]
•  Religion	List 47.6% Christianity 44.9% no religion 7% other 0.5% Islam
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	22UL (ONS) E07000075 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TQ876904

Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after one of its main settlements, Rochford, where the council is based. The largest town in the district is Rayleigh. Other places in the district include Hockley, Ashingdon, Great Wakering, Canewdon and Hullbridge.

The district borders Maldon District to the north, the City of Chelmsford to the north-west, the Borough of Basildon to the west, the Borough of Castle Point to the south-west, and the City of Southend-on-Sea to the south. To the east, it has a stretch of coast at Foulness Island.

Most of the built-up areas are in the western part of the district, along the railway line from Shenfield to Southend Victoria. Southend Airport straddles the district's border with the City of Southend-on-Sea. The eastern part of the district is more sparsely populated.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts, which were abolished at the same time: ^{[2] [3]}

• Rayleigh Urban District
• Rochford Rural District

Governance

Rochford District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Chair	Jo McPherson, Independent since 20 May 2025 [4]
Leader	Danielle Belton, Conservative since 20 May 2025
Chief Executive	Jonathan Stephenson since 1 August 2021 [5]
Structure
Seats	39 councillors
Political groups	Administration (21)   Conservative (10)   Rochford Residents (8)   Independent (3) Other parties (18)   Independent (9)   Liberal Democrats (8)   Green (1)
Elections
Last election	2 May 2024
Next election	7 May 2026
Meeting place
Civic Suite, 2 Hockley Road, Rayleigh, SS6 8EB
Website
www.rochford.gov.uk

Rochford District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. The district is also entirely covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. ^[6]

Rayleigh, one of the towns of the district and its largest settlement

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2023. ^[7] A coalition of the Conservatives, Rochford District Residents and the Rochford and Foulness Wakering Independents group formed in May 2025 to run the council, with Conservative councillor Danielle Belton serving as leader of the council. ^[8] Between the 2024 election and the new coalition forming in 2025, the council had been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and independents. ^[9]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: ^[10]

Party in control		Years
	No overall control	1974–1976
	Conservative	1976–1990
	No overall control	1990–1994
	Liberal Democrats	1994–1998
	No overall control	1998–2002
	Conservative	2002–2023
	No overall control	2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Terry Cutmore [11]		Conservative	2004	May 2019
Mike Steptoe [12]		Conservative	May 2019	9 Jul 2020
Simon Wootton [13] [14]		Conservative	9 Jul 2020	May 2023
John Mason [15]		Rochford District Residents	23 May 2023	May 2024
James Newport [9] [16]		Liberal Democrats	21 May 2024	May 2025
Danielle Belton [8]		Conservative	20 May 2025

Composition

Following the 2024 election, ^[17] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party		Councillors
	Independent	12
	Conservative	10
	Liberal Democrats	8
	Rochford District Residents	8
	Green	1
Total		39

Three of the independent councillors sit together as the Rochford and Foulness Wakering Independents group, which forms the council's administration with the Conservatives and local party the Rochford District Residents. ^[8] The Green councillor and five of the independents form the Non-Aligned group. The other four independents form the Associated Independents group. ^[18] The next election is due in May 2026. ^[19]

Elections

See also: Rochford District Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four for a third of the council at a time. Elections to Essex County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections. ^[20]

Premises

Council's headquarters: Council Offices, South Street, Rochford, SS4 1BW

The council has its main offices on South Street in Rochford. When the council was created it inherited the former Rochford Rural District Council's offices at Roche House, 7 South Street, Rochford and the former Rayleigh Urban District Council's offices at Barringtons, 2 Hockley Road, Rayleigh. Both buildings were converted houses. The council acquired other properties along South Street in Rochford and combined them with Roche House to form the council's headquarters. ^[21]

The civic suite wing of Barringtons in Rayleigh, including the council chamber, was retained by the council and serves as the council's main meeting place. It closed in 2020 but reopened in 2024 after a period of uncertainty about its future. ^{[22] [23] [24]}

Parishes

Hawkwell, one of the villages of the district

The district is divided into 14 civil parishes. The parish council for Rayleigh takes the style "town council". ^{[25] [26]}

• Ashingdon
• Barling Magna
• Canewdon
• Foulness
• Great Wakering
• Hawkwell
• Hockley
• Hullbridge
• Paglesham
• Rawreth
• Rayleigh (town)
• Rochford
• Stambridge
• Sutton

Arms

Coat of arms of Rochford District

Notes Granted 8 March 1975. Crest Issuant from an ancient crown Or a mount Vert thereon in front of a representation of Rayleigh windmill Proper a seaxe fesswise Proper. Escutcheon Chequy of twelve Or a rose Gules barbed and seeded proper charged with a like rose Argent barbed and seeded Proper and Gules a garb Or. Supporters On the dexter side a bull [guardant] Sable armed unguled and winged Or and sinister a wyvern Vert. Motto Our Heritage Our Future. [27] Badge A roundel barry dancetty of six Gules and Or a pale wavy Argent charged with two pallets wavy Azure.

References

1. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Rochford Local Authority (E07000075)". 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 31 May 2023
3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
4. "Councillor Jo McPherson named Rochford District Council's new Chairman". Rochford District Council. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
5. Ferris, Mick (29 July 2021). "Joint chief executive appointed to oversee Brentwood and Rochford councils". Yellow Advertiser. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
6. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
7. Dedman, Simon (24 February 2023). "Tories lose control of council after three quit". BBC News. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
8. "New Council administration appointed at Rochford District Council". Rochford District Council. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
9. "New administration appointed at Rochford District Council". Rochford District Council. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
10. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Rochford" in search box to see specific results.)
11. Whitehouse, Ellis (2 April 2020). "Former Rochford Council leader Terry Cutmore dies". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
12. Emes, Toby (13 July 2020). "Mike Steptoe says he's been forced out as leader of Rochford Council". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
13. "New Leader of Rochford District Council appointed". Hockley Parish Council. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
14. Howeson, Louise (8 May 2023). "Rochford local elections 2023: Tories lose control". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
15. "New council administration appointed". Rochford District Council. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
16. Spriggs, Peter (21 May 2025). "Rochford Council taken over by Conservative-led coalition". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
17. Lee, Matt (3 May 2024). "Essex local elections 2024: Rochford results in full as council remains in political limbo". Essex Live. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
18. "Your councillors by party". Rochford District Council. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
19. "Rochford". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
20. "The Rochford (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2015/1860, retrieved 8 June 2023
21. "Rochford Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan". Rochford District Council. April 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
22. Emes, Toby (12 October 2021). "Protest held over plans to build on Civic Suite, Rayleigh". Southend Echo. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
23. "Council's Rayleigh reception moves to Mill Arts and Events Centre". Rochford District Council. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
24. "Rochford Council evening meetings returning to the council chamber at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh". Rochford District Council. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
25. "Parish and Town Council Clerks". Rochford District Council. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
26. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
27. "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

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