Borough of Wellingborough explained

Borough of Wellingborough
Type:Non-metropolitan district and borough
Blank Emblem Type:Coat of Arms of the City Council
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:Ceremonial county
Subdivision Name3:Northamptonshire
Seat Type:Admin. HQ
Seat:Wellingborough
Government Type:Borough Council of Wellingborough
Leader Title:Leadership
Leader Name:Alternative - Sec.31
Leader Title1:Executive:
Leader Title2:MPs
Leader Name2:Gen Kitchen
Leader Title3:Leader of the Council
Leader Name3:Cllr. Martin Griffiths
Established Title:Founded
Population As Of:2019
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:Greenwich Mean Time
Utc Offset:+0
Timezone Dst:British Summer Time
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcode
Blank Name:ISO 3166-2
Blank1 Name:ONS code
Blank1 Info:34UH (ONS)
E07000156 (GSS)
Blank2 Name:OS grid reference
Blank3 Name:NUTS 3
Blank4 Name:Ethnicity
Blank4 Info:90.8% White
4.5% S.Asian
2.5% Afro-Caribbean
Website:wellingborough.gov.uk

The Borough of Wellingborough was a non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England, from 1974 to 2021. It was named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also included surrounding rural areas.

The local council preferred to call itself the "Borough Council of Wellingborough" rather than the more usual form "Wellingborough Borough Council".

The borough covered almost the same area as the Wellingborough constituency. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the borough of Wellingborough with Wellingborough Rural District.

The borough bordered the districts of South Northamptonshire, Northampton, Kettering, Daventry and East Northamptonshire, as well as Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, and Bedford in Bedfordshire.

Abolition and replacement

In March 2018, following suspension of the County Council arising from its becoming insolvent, due to financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all district and borough councils in the county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county.[1] These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire, whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts. These new authorities came into being on 1 April 2021.[2] Elections for the new authorities were due to be held on 7 May 2020, but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

Concurrent with these changes, the unparished area of Wellingborough was established as a civil parish and gained a Town Council.[4]

Settlements and parishes

Other than Wellingborough itself the borough included:

Political control

See Wellingborough Borough Council elections

Arms

Escutcheon:Per pale Gules and Or five roundels barry wavy of six those on the dexter Or and Gules and those on the sinister Gules and Or the centre roundel Or and Gules per pale counter-changed.
Crest:On a wreath of the colours in front of an annulet embattled on the outer edge per pale Gules and Sable a Garb Or.
Supporters:On the dexter side a bull guardant Sable armed and supporting an abbatical crozier Or with veil Proper and on the sinister side a lion guardant Or armed and langued Gules supporting with the front paw a currier's shave Proper.
Badge:A roundel barry wavy of six Gules and Or ensigned with a mural crown also Or with flames issuant Proper.
Motto:Forward Together[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Northamptonshire County Council: statement . 27 March 2018 . 13 June 2018.
  2. Web site: Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved . BBC News . 18 August 2020 . 14 May 2019.
  3. Web site: AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament . Northampton Chronicle . 18 August 2020 . 14 February 2020.
  4. Web site: Wellingborough Town Council information sessions . Borough Council of Wellingborough . 18 August 2020.
  5. Web site: East Midlands . Civic Heraldry of England . 8 March 2021.