Redditch Borough Council
Redditch Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| Leadership | |
John Leach since 2025[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 27 seats |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Motto | |
| REDDITE DEO (Render to God/Redditch for God) | |
| Meeting place | |
| Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Redditch Borough Council is the local authority for Redditch, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire, England.
History
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.[3] The urban district in turn was abolished in 1974 and replaced by a non-metropolitan district covering the same area as the former urban district, but with different powers and responsibilities.[4]
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.[5]
Governance
Redditch Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2024.[9]
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
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:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carole Gandy[11][12] | Conservative | May 2008 | 21 May 2012 | |
| Bill Hartnett[12][13][14] | Labour | 21 May 2012 | 21 May 2018 | |
| Matthew Dormer[14][15][16] | Conservative | 21 May 2018 | 20 May 2024 | |
| Joe Baker[16][17] | Labour | 20 May 2024 | 11 April 2025 | |
| Sharon Harvey[1] | Labour | 19 May 2025 | ||
Composition
Following the 2024 election,[9] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025 the composition of the council was:[18][19]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 18 | |
| Conservative | 5 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Total | 27 | |
The next election is due in 2026.[19]
Premises
The council is based at Redditch Town Hall on Walter Stranz Square.[20] The foundation stone was laid in 1981.[21] It cost £7.5 million to build and it was opened in 1982.[22]
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 27 councillors representing 9 wards, with each ward electing three councillors.[23] 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
| Redditch Borough Councillors 2025[18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Ward | Councillor | |
| Conservative | Astwood Bank & Feckenham | Brandon Clayton | |
| Conservative | Astwood Bank & Feckenham | Christopher Holz | |
| Conservative | Astwood Bank & Feckenham | Craig Warhurst | |
| Independent | Batchley & Brockhill | Joe Baker | |
| Independent | 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 | |
| Independent | 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
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 19 May 2025". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Agenda item - Statutory Officer Appointments - nominations to the positions of Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service and Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer". Redditch Borough Council. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire. London. 1912. p. 223. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 21 September 2022
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Corporate Peer Challenge: Bromsgrove DC and Redditch BC (PDF). Local Government Association. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Labour takes Redditch for first time since 2018". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Redditch" in search box to see specific results.)
- ^ Townley, Alex (7 May 2008). "Tories take control after 26-year wait". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 21 May 2012". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Conservatives have taken over leadership of Redditch Borough Council". Redditch Advertiser. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 21 May 2018". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Local Elections 2024: What are the results for the Midlands?". ITV News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 20 May 2024". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ Pearson, James (14 April 2025). "Redditch council leader suspended by Labour and steps down". BBC News. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Your Councillors". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Redditch". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Main council details". Redditch Borough Council. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Facts and history of Redditch" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "New Town Development Events". Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "The Redditch (Electoral Changes) Order 2023", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2023/654, retrieved 11 February 2024