Redditch Borough Council

Redditch Borough Council is the local authority for Redditch, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire, England.

Redditch Borough Council
Leadership
Salman Akbar,
Conservative
since 22 May 2023[1]
Matthew Dormer,
Conservative
since 21 May 2018[2]
Chief Executive (interim)
Sue Hanley
since 2023[3]
Structure
Seats27 seats
Political groups
Administration (21)
  Labour (21)
Other parties (6)
  Conservative (5)
  Green (1)
Elections
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Motto
REDDITE DEO (Render to God/Redditch for God)
Meeting place
Redditch Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH
Website
www.redditchbc.gov.uk
2023 local election results in Redditch

History edit

The town of Redditch was made a local government district in 1858, governed by a local board. Such districts were renamed urban districts in 1894.[4] The urban district council in turn was abolished in 1974 and replaced by a non-metropolitan district council covering the same area as the former urban district, but with different powers and responsibilities.[5]

Redditch district was awarded borough status on 15 May 1980, changing the council's name to Redditch Borough Council and allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[6]

Governance edit

Redditch Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council.[7] Feckenham is a civil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough; the rest of the borough is an unparished area.[8]

Since 2008 the council has developed shared working arrangements with neighbouring Bromsgrove District Council, with the two organisations sharing a chief executive, management team and other staff.[9]

Political control edit

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2024.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[10]

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1983
Labour 1983–2002
No overall control 2002–2004
Labour 2004–2006
No overall control 2006–2008
Conservative 2008–2012
Labour 2012–2018
Conservative 2018–2024
Labour 2024–present

Leadership edit

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Redditch. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2008 have been:[11]

Councillor Party From To
Carol Gandy Conservative pre-2008 21 May 2012
Bill Hartnett Labour 21 May 2012 21 May 2018
Matthew Dormer Conservative 21 May 2018

Composition edit

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[12]

Party Councillors
Labour 21
Conservative 5
Green 1
Total 27

Premises edit

The council is based at Redditch Town Hall on Walter Stranz Square.[13] The foundation stone was laid in 1981.[14] It cost £7.5 million to build and it was opened in 1982.[15]

Elections edit

Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 27 councillors representing 9 wards, with each ward electing three councillors.[16] Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time for a four-year term of office. Worcestershire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.

Councillors edit

Redditch Borough Councillors 2024[17]
Party Ward Councillor
Conservative Astwood Bank & Feckenham Brandon Clayton
Conservative Astwood Bank & Feckenham Christopher Holz
Conservative Astwood Bank & Feckenham Craig Warhurst
Labour Batchley & Brockhill Joe Baker
Labour Batchley & Brockhill Wanda King
Labour Batchley & Brockhill Sachin Mathur
Labour Central William Boyd
Labour Central Sharon Harvey
Labour Central Gary Slim
Labour Greenlands & Lakeside Juma Begum
Labour Greenlands & Lakeside Andrew Fry
Labour Greenlands & Lakeside Joanna Kane
Labour Headless Cross & Oakenshaw Juliet Barker Smith
Labour Headless Cross & Oakenshaw Ian Woodall
Labour Headless Cross & Oakenshaw David Munro
Labour Matchborough & Woodrow James Fardoe
Labour Matchborough & Woodrow Jane Spilsbury
Labour Matchborough & Woodrow Paul Wren
Labour North Bill Hartnett
Labour North Sid Khan
Labour North Monica Stringfellow
Green Webheath & Callow Hill Claire Davies
Conservative Webheath & Callow Hill Matthew Dormer
Conservative Webheath & Callow Hill Gemma Monaco
Labour Winyates Alan Mason
Labour Winyates Rita Rogers
Labour Winyates Jen Snape

References edit

  1. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2023". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2018" (PDF). Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Council minutes, 19 July 2023". Bromsgrove District Council. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire. London. 1912. p. 223. Retrieved 21 September 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 21 September 2022
  6. ^ Bulletins of Change of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas, 1980–1982 (PDF). London: Department for the Environment. 1982. p. 17. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  9. ^ Corporate Peer Challenge: Bromsgrove DC and Redditch BC (PDF). Local Government Association. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Council minutes". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Labour takes Redditch for first time since 2018". BBC News.
  13. ^ "Main council details". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Facts and history of Redditch" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  15. ^ "New Town Development Events". Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  16. ^ "The Redditch (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/654, retrieved 11 February 2024
  17. ^ "Your Councillors". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.