South Bedfordshire

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South Bedfordshire
Non-metropolitan district
Watling House.jpg
District Council Offices, High Street North, Dunstable
BedfordshireSouth.png
Shown within Bedfordshire non-metropolitan county
Area
  1974124,423 acres (503.52 km2) [1]
Population
  197394,750 [1]
  1992110,110 [2]
  2007118,200
History
  Origin Municipal Borough of Dunstable
Leighton-Linslade Urban District
Luton Rural District
  Created1 April 1974
  Abolished31 March 2009
  Succeeded by Central Bedfordshire
ONS code09UE
GovernmentSouth Bedfordshire District Council
   HQ Dunstable
   Motto By Truth and Diligence
S Beds-arms.png
S Beds logo.png
Subdivisions
  Type Civil parishes

South Bedfordshire was a local government district in Bedfordshire, in the East of England, from 1974 to 2009. Its main towns were Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.

Contents

Creation

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 as part of a general reorganisation of local authorities in England and Wales carried out under the Local Government Act 1972. South Bedfordshire was formed by the amalgamation of three former districts which were all abolished at the same time: [3]

Premises

The council initially used the former Dunstable Borough Council offices at Grove House in Dunstable as its headquarters, but also continued to use the former Leighton-Linslade offices at the White House in Leighton Buzzard and the former Luton Rural District Council offices on Sundon Road in Houghton Regis. A new headquarters for the council was built in 1989 on the site of the former Dunstable North railway station, called the District Council Offices. [4] [5] [6] Following the council's abolition in 2009 the building was used as a secondary office by Central Bedfordshire Council, being renamed as Watling House.

Civil parishes

The district comprised the following civil parishes: [7]

Elections and political control

The first election to South Bedfordshire District Council took place on 7 June 1973, with the 45 councillors elected forming a shadow authority until 1 April 1974. [1] Following ward boundary changes, the number of councillors was increased to 53, with an election of the whole council held in 1976. The council resolved to hold elections by thirds thereafter. Councillors had a four-year term of office, and one third of the council was elected in three years out of four. Elections to Bedfordshire County Council took place in years that there were none to the district council. In 2002 the wards were again redrawn, and the size of the council was reduced to 50 members. [7] An election of the whole council was held on the new boundaries. [7] The electoral cycle continued by thirds in later years. The elections due to take place in May 2008 were cancelled, with councillors staying in office until the abolition of the council in 2009. [8]

The first council elected was under no overall control, with the Conservative Party having the largest number of councillors. [9] The party dominated the council for most of its existence, gaining a majority in 1976 which they held until 1995. [10] [11] In 1996 they were supplanted by the Labour Party as the largest grouping on the council, in a year that saw a strong vote against the unpopular Conservative government of John Major. [12] In 1999 the Liberal Democrats briefly became the largest group on the council, which remained under no overall control. [13] The Conservatives staged a recovery in 2000, taking 10 seats from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and again gaining a plurality of councillors. [14] They subsequently regained their majority, which they held until the council's abolition.

YearConservativeLabourLiberal/
Liberal Democrat
IndependentOtherControl
1973 [9] 1713870No overall control
1976 [10] 405620Conservative gain from no overall control
1978 [15] 379520Conservative hold
1979 [16] 379610Conservative hold
1980 [17] 3511700Conservative hold
1982 [18] 3411620Conservative hold
1983 [19] 3810410Conservative hold
1984 [20] 419120Conservative hold
1986 [21] 3710510Conservative hold
1987 [22] 398420Conservative hold
1988 [23] 398420Conservative hold
1990 [24] 379520Conservative hold
1991 [25] 3411620Conservative hold
1992 [26] 379601 vacancyConservative hold
1994 [27] 359720Conservative hold
1995 [11] 2415112Ratepayers 1Conservative loss to no overall control
1996 [12] 15241130No overall control
1998 [28] 13211330No overall control
1999 [13] 16151930No overall control
2000 [14] 2671730No overall control
2002 [29] 2871500Conservative hold
2003 [30] 3161300Conservative hold
2004 [31] 3441200Conservative hold
2006 [32] 3541100Conservative hold
2007 [33] 3441110Conservative hold

† New ward boundaries

Coat of arms

On 27 November 1976 South Bedfordshire District Council was granted armorial bearings by the College of Arms. The arms combined elements from the devices of the three merged councils, and were blazoned as follows:

Or a pile gules over all a single-arched bridge throughout argent masoned sable the keystone charged with an ear of wheat between on the pile three sickles proper all within a bordure engrailed sable; and for a Crest on a wreath of the colours out of a mural crown argent masoned sable in front of a demi-Bull three cog-wheels in fesse Or; and for a Badge or Device: Upon a roundel embattled gules irradiated with rays of the sun a demi-bull rampant couped Or. [34]

The gold and red colouring was derived from the arms of the Bedfordshire County Council. The triangular "pile" and black engrailed border around the shield came from the device of Dunstable Borough Council, itself based on the arms of Dunstable Priory. The bridge across the centre of the shield was from the arms of Leighton Linslade UDC, and the sickles from those of Luton RDC. The crest above the shield was a gold bull, one of the supporters of the county council arms. The motto of Leighton-Linslade, "By Truth and Dilgence" was adopted. [34]

Abolition

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. On 6 March 2008 it was announced that South Bedfordshire would merge with Mid Bedfordshire to form a new unitary authority called Central Bedfordshire. The new council was formed on 1 April 2009. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Bedfordshire District</span> Local government district in England

Mid Bedfordshire was a local government district in Bedfordshire, England, from 1974 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bedfordshire</span> History of Bedfordshire County in England

Bedfordshire is an English ceremonial county which lies between approximately 25 miles and 55 miles north of central London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil parishes in Bedfordshire</span> List of places

A civil parish is a country subdivision, forming the lowest unit of local government in England. There are 125 civil parishes in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, most of the county being parished: Luton is completely unparished; Central Bedfordshire is entirely parished. At the 2001 census, there were 312,301 people living in the 125 parishes, which accounted for 55.2 per cent of the county's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

South West Bedfordshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. As with all constituencies of the UK Parliament, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Rural District</span> History of Bedfordshire

Luton Rural District was a local authority in Bedfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It covered an area which almost surrounded but did not include the towns of Luton and Dunstable.

Luton was a constituency including the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1885 to 1974, elected by the first past the post system.

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

Stanbridge is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire which lies 3 miles (5 km) east of Leighton Buzzard. It also borders the Bedfordshire villages of Hockliffe, Eggington, Tilsworth, Totternhoe and Billington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950–1983

South Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Borough Council</span> Local council of Luton, England

Luton Borough Council is the local authority of Luton, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Luton is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county and district council combined. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunstable</span> Market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England

Dunstable is a market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north. Dunstable is the fourth largest town in Bedfordshire and along with Houghton Regis forms the westernmost part of the Luton/Dunstable urban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bedfordshire</span> District in England

Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created in 2009.

Mark Anthony Gaius Versallion is a British politician, businessman, and officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He was the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Stretford and Urmston from 2007 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2011 was Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Forum of the Conservative Party. Since 2011 he has been a member of Central Bedfordshire unitary authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bedfordshire Council</span>

Central Bedfordshire Council is the local authority for the Central Bedfordshire unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created in 2009 covering the area of the former Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire districts, and also took over the functions of the abolished Bedfordshire County Council in that area. The council is based at Chicksands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton to Dunstable Busway</span>

The Luton-Dunstable Busway is a guided busway system in Bedfordshire, England, which connects the towns of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Luton with Luton Airport. It was built on the route of a disused railway track and opened in September 2013. The busway runs parallel to the A505 and A5065 for 13.4 kilometres (8.3 mi), of which 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) is guided track with a maximum speed of 50 mph. It is claimed to be the second longest busway in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Central Bedfordshire Council election</span>

The 2011 Central Bedfordshire Council electionfor the Central Bedfordshire Council were held on 5 May 2011, along with other United Kingdom local elections. The whole council was up for election following boundary changes, with each successful candidate serving a four-year term of office, expiring in 2015.

Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard is a proposed constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, it will first be contested at the next general election.

References

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  2. OPCS Key Population and Statistics 1992
  3. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70
  4. London Gazette, 7 October 1988, page 11295 - still gives three separate office addresses.
  5. London Gazette, 18 May 1989, page 5937 - gives Grove House address.
  6. London Gazette, 12 October 1989, page 11718 - gives combined office address.
  7. 1 2 3 "The District of South Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2001". Office of Public Sector Information. 2001. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  8. "Elections". South Bedfordshire District Council. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  9. 1 2 "Final poll result may lie with Independents". The Times . 8 June 1973.
  10. 1 2 "Heavy Labour losses in district polls". The Times . 8 May 1976.
  11. 1 2 "Complete list of results from Thursday's council elections". The Times . 6 May 1995. p. 10.
  12. 1 2 "Complete list of results". The Times . 4 May 1996. p. 8.
  13. 1 2 "How Britain voted: Council Election Results". The Independent . 8 May 1999. p. 12.
  14. 1 2 "Election Results". The Times . 6 May 2000. p. 10.
  15. "Power shift in only eight of 80 councils outside London". The Times . 6 May 1978. p. 3.
  16. Whitaker's Almanack 1980. London: Joseph Whitaker. 1980. ISBN   0-85021-114-X.
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  18. "Conservative candidates hold ground as Alliance bandwagon falters". The Times . 7 May 1982. p. 2.
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  25. "Complete round-up of results from Thursday's local council elections". The Times . 4 May 1991.
  26. "Local election results 1992". The Times . 9 May 1992. p. 9.
  27. "Non Metropolitan Districts". The Times . 7 May 1994. p. 9.
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  29. "Election Results". The Times . 4 May 2002. p. 16.
  30. "English councils: Non-metropolitan districts". The Times . 3 May 2003. p. 47.
  31. "Elections 2004: Results at a glance". The Guardian . 12 June 2004. p. 10.
  32. "Local elections 2006: Results in full". The Guardian . 6 May 2006. p. 20.
  33. "Results: Election 2007". The Times . 5 May 2007. p. 83.
  34. 1 2 "South Bedfordshire District Council". Civic Heraldry of England and Wales. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  35. 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

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