Babergh

Babergh District
Non-metropolitan district

Babergh shown within Suffolk
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region East of England
Non-metropolitan county Suffolk
Status Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ Hadleigh
Incorporated 1 April 1974
Government
 • Type Non-metropolitan district council
 • Body Babergh District Council
 • Leadership Alternative - Sec.31 (Conservative / Liberal Democrat / Independent)
 • MPs James Cartlidge
Area
 • Total 229.8 sq mi (595.2 km2)
Area rank 72nd (of 326)
Population (mid-2014 est.)
 • Total 88,845
 • Rank 268th (of 326)
 • Density 390/sq mi (150/km2)
 • Ethnicity 98.7% White
Time zone GMT (UTC0)
 • Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)
ONS code 42UB (ONS)
E07000200 (GSS)
OS grid reference TM021429
Website www.babergh.gov.uk

Babergh (pronounced /ˈbeɪbər/, BAY-bər[1]) is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.[2]

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and Samford Rural District. The district did not have one party of councillors (nor a formal coalition of parties) exercising overall control until 2015.

Babergh has a population of roughly 85,000 and covers an area of approximately 230 square miles (600 km2).

It is named after the old Babergh hundred, referred to in the Domesday Book. The southern boundary of the district is marked almost exclusively by the River Stour, which also forms the border with Essex, and it is separated from Suffolk Coastal by the River Orwell. Primarily a rural area, Babergh contains two towns of notable size: Sudbury and the administrative centre, Hadleigh.

'Constable Country' is cognate with a large tract of Babergh: drawing visitors to the conservation area Dedham Vale and the well-preserved villages of Long Melford, Lavenham and Kersey for painting, agricultural and architectural history, produce such as fruit, vegetables, cider, cheese and meat, shops, accommodation, restaurants and tea rooms.

Politics

Elections to the district are held every 4 years, with currently 43 councillors being elected from 26 wards. From the first election in 1973 to 2015 no party had won an overall majority on the council but after the 2015 election the Conservative party gained a large majority. After this election the council is composed of the following councillors:-

Year Conservative Independent Liberal Democrat Labour Greens UKIP
2015 31 8 3 1 1 0

List of towns and civil parishes

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Babergh District Council - Summary".
  2. ↑ Estimates of Total Populations of Areas of Suffolk Suffolk County Council

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to District of Babergh.

Coordinates: 52°02′53″N 0°56′53″E / 52.048°N 0.948°E / 52.048; 0.948

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.