| Borough of Boston | |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Coat of Arms |
| Mapsize: | frameless |
| Subdivision Type: | Sovereign state |
| Subdivision Name: | United Kingdom |
| Subdivision Type1: | Constituent country |
| Subdivision Name1: | England |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | East Midlands |
| Subdivision Type3: | Administrative county |
| Subdivision Name3: | Lincolnshire |
| Seat Type: | Admin. HQ |
| Seat: | Boston |
| Government Type: | Boston Borough Council |
| Leader Title2: | MP |
| Leader Name2: | Matt Warman |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Area Rank: | |
| Population Total: | 64,637 |
| Population Rank: | Ranked |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Greenwich Mean Time |
| Utc Offset: | +0 |
| Timezone Dst: | British Summer Time |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +1 |
| Postal Code Type: | Precode |
| Blank Name: | ISO 3166-2 |
| Blank1 Name: | ONS code |
| Blank1 Info: | 32UB (ONS) E07000136 (GSS) |
| Blank2 Name: | OS grid reference |
| Blank3 Name: | NUTS 3 |
| Demographics Type1: | Ethnicity (2021) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Ethnic groups |
| Demographics Type2: | Religion (2021) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Religion |
The Borough of Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. The borough also includes numerous villages and towns in the surrounding rural area including Kirton, Wyberton, Sutterton, Algakirk and Hubberts Bridge.
The borough borders South Holland to the south, North Kesteven to the west, and East Lindsey to the north. To the east, it has a coast onto the Wash.
The town of Boston had been incorporated as an ancient borough in 1545.[1] It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836.[2]
The modern borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by merging the municipal borough of Boston with Boston Rural District.[3] The new district was named Boston after its only town.[4] Boston's borough status passed to the enlarged district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Boston's series of mayors dating back to 1545.[5] The borough covers the northern part of Holland, one of the three traditional Parts of Lincolnshire. Holland had been an administrative county between 1889 and 1974.
In 2020 the council agreed to share its management and other staff with neighbouring East Lindsey District Council. South Holland District Council joined the partnership in 2021, which is now described as the "South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership".[6]
| Boston Borough Council | |
| Logo Pic: | Boston Borough Council logo.svg |
| Logo Res: | 150px |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Leader1: | Helen Staples |
| Election1: | 20 May 2024[7] |
| Leader2: | Anne Dorrian |
| Election2: | 22 May 2023 |
| Leader3: | Robert Barlow |
| Election3: | 1 July 2020[8] |
| Members: | 30 councillors |
| Structure1 Res: | 200px |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Next Election2: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | West Street, Boston (geograph 3779697).jpg |
| Meeting Place: | Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, PE218QR |
Boston Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lincolnshire County Council. Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[9] [10]
Since the 2023 election the council has been under the control of local party the Boston Independents.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[11] [12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–2007 | ||
| 2007–2011 | ||
| 2011–2015 | ||
| 2015–2019 | ||
| 2019–2020 | ||
| 2020–2023 | ||
| 2023–present | ||
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Boston. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2006 have been:[13]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyce Dobson | 2006 | |||
| Mary Wright | 18 May 2006 | 6 May 2007 | ||
| Richard Austin | 24 May 2007 | 25 May 2011 | ||
| Peter Bedford | 25 May 2011 | 15 May 2017 | ||
| Michael Cooper | 15 May 2017 | 15 Jul 2019 | ||
| Aaron Spencer | 15 Jul 2019 | 20 Jan 2020 | ||
| Paul Skinner | 3 Feb 2020 | 7 May 2023 | ||
| Anne Dorrian | 22 May 2023 | |||
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[14]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 1 | |||
| Total | 30 | ||
The Liberal Democrat and three of the independent councillors sit together as the "20-20 Independent Group".[15] The next election is due in 2027.[16]
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 30 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[17] A map of the wards is available,[18] as is a map showing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's final recommendations for ward boundaries, October 2012.[19]
The wards, and their numbers of councillors, are:
The council is based at the Municipal Buildings on West Street in Boston.[20] The building was built in 1902 for the old borough council to the designs of architect James Rowell.[21]
Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, the exception being the pre-1974 municipal borough of Boston, which is an unparished area. The parishes are:[22]
See also: Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. On 23 June 2016 the Borough of Boston voted in the UK-wide Referendum on membership of the European Union (EU) under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015. In a turnout of 77%, over 75% voted to leave the EU, the highest leave majority of the 382 UK voting areas.[23] The local MP Matt Warman, a Conservative, had campaigned for a "Remain" vote.[24]
| United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 Borough of Boston | ||||
| Choice | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave the European Union | 22,974 | 75.56% | ||
| Remain a member of the European Union | 7,430 | 24.44% | ||
| Valid votes | 30,404 | 99.96% | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 12 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 30,416 | 100.00% | ||
| Registered voters and turnout | 39,963 | 77.27% | ||
| Leave: 22,974 (75.6%) | Remain: 7,430 (24.4%) |
| ▲ |
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Boston.
| Escutcheon: | Or on a chevron Azure three coronets each composed of crosses paty and fleurs-de-lys Or on a chief Sable a garb between two pairs of windmill sails also Or. |
| Crest: | On a wreath of the colours a demi-lion Or holding between the forepaws a woolsack Proper charged with a ram couchant Or. |
| Supporters: | On either side a mermaid Proper crined and finned Or upon a compartment of waves barry wavy Azure and Argent. |
| Motto: | Serve With Amnity[31] |