Braintree District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is named after the town of Braintree, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Halstead and Witham and surrounding rural areas.
The neighbouring districts are Colchester, Maldon, Chelmsford, Uttlesford, South Cambridgeshire, West Suffolk, and Babergh.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of 14 districts within Essex. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]
The new district was named Braintree, after the area's largest town.[2]
| Braintree District Council | |
| Term Length: | Whole council elected every four years |
| Coa Res: | 200px |
| Logo Pic: | Braintree District Council logo.svg |
| Logo Res: | 200px |
| Foundation: | 1 April 1974 |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Leader1 Type: | Chair |
| Leader1: | Lyn Walters |
| Party1: | Conservative |
| Election1: | 22 April 2024[3] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Graham Butland |
| Party2: | Conservative |
| Election2: | 28 April 2004 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Dan Gascoyne |
| Election3: | September 2022[4] |
| Seats: | 49 councillors |
| Structure1 Res: | 260 |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Last Election1: | 4 May 2023 |
| Next Election1: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | Braintree District Council, Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree - geograph.org.uk - 1411046.jpg |
| Meeting Place: | Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, CM79HB |
Braintree District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[5]
The council has been under Conservative control since 2007.
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:[6] [7]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1976 | ||
| 1976–1979 | ||
| 1979–1995 | ||
| 1995–2003 | ||
| 2003–2007 | ||
| 2007–present | ||
The leaders of the council since 1995 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gyford[8] | 1995 | 9 Oct 2000 | ||
| Ian Pointon[9] | 9 Oct 2000 | 4 May 2003 | ||
| David Finch | 2003 | 2004 | ||
| Graham Butland[10] | 28 Apr 2004 | |||
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[11]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 3 | |||
| Total | 49 | ||
The council has its headquarters at Causeway House on Bocking End in Braintree. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981.[13]
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015, the council has comprised 49 councillors representing 26 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[14]
The wards are:[14]
See also: List of civil parishes in Essex. There are 63 civil parishes in the district. The former Braintree and Bocking Urban District, covering the town of Braintree itself, is an unparished area. The parish councils for Halstead and Witham are styled "town councils".[15]
| Escutcheon: | Gules a pale Or between two seaxes in pale points upward Argent hilts pommels and quillons Or over all a fess wavy Argent charged with a bar wavy Sable in chief a lion rampant Azure a like lion in base. |
| Crest: | On a wreath of the colours on a mount Vert in front of a garb Or a boar passant Azure crined and unguled Or supporting with the dexter fore-hoof a Maltese cross Gules. |
| Supporters: | On either side a lion Sable gorged with a riband Argent pendent therefrom by a ring a mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert and holding in the month a shuttle erect threaded Proper. |
| Badge: | A mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert. |
| Motto: | By Wisdom And Foresight. |
| Notes: | Granted 15th October 1974.[16] |