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Rochford District

Rochford District
FieldValue
timezoneGMT
utc_offset0
timezone_DSTBST
utc_offset_DST+1
settlement_typeNon-metropolitan district
subdivision_typeSovereign state
subdivision_type1Constituent country
subdivision_type2Region
subdivision_type3Non-metropolitan county
subdivision_type4Status
subdivision_type5Admin HQ
subdivision_nameUnited Kingdom
subdivision_name1England
subdivision_name4Non-metropolitan district
government_typeNon-metropolitan district council
leader_titleLeadership
leader_title1MPs
established_title1Incorporated
population_density_km2auto
blank1_nameONS code
blank2_nameOS grid reference
official_nameRochford District
image_skylineAerial View of Rochford - geograph.org.uk - 2176414.jpg
imagesize240px
image_captionRochford, the administrative centre and one of the towns of the district
image_mapRochford UK locator map.svg
mapsize150px
map_captionRochford shown within Essex
subdivision_name2East of England
subdivision_name3Essex
subdivision_name5Rochford
established_date11 April 1974
governing_bodyRochford District Council
leader_party
leader_nameAlternative - Sec. 31
leader_name1Bayo Alaba
Mark Francois
area_total_km2169.49
area_rank(of )
population_total
population_as_of
population_rank(of )
demographics_type1Ethnicity (2021)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Ethnic groups
demographics_type2Religion (2021)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Religion
blank1_info22UL (ONS)
E07000075 (GSS)
blank2_info

Mark Francois | 95.9% White | 1.7% Mixed | 1.4% Asian | 0.7% Black | 0.3% other | 47.6% Christianity | 44.9% no religion | 7% other | 0.5% Islam E07000075 (GSS) Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after one of its main settlements, Rochford, where the council is based. The largest town in the district is Rayleigh. Other places in the district include Hockley, Ashingdon, Great Wakering, Canewdon and Hullbridge.

The district borders Maldon District to the north, the City of Chelmsford to the north-west, the Borough of Basildon to the west, the Borough of Castle Point to the south-west, and the City of Southend-on-Sea to the south. To the east, it has a stretch of coast at Foulness Island.

Most of the built-up areas are in the western part of the district, along the railway line from to . Southend Airport straddles the district's border with the City of Southend-on-Sea. The eastern part of the district is more sparsely populated.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts, which were abolished at the same time:

  • Rayleigh Urban District
  • Rochford Rural District

Governance

Independent Conservative : : : ;Other parties (18) : : :

Rochford District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. The district is also entirely covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Rayleigh]], one of the towns of the district and its largest settlement

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2023. A coalition of the Conservatives, Rochford District Residents and the Rochford and Foulness Wakering Independents group formed in May 2025 to run the council, with Conservative councillor Danielle Belton serving as leader of the council. Between the 2024 election and the new coalition forming in 2025, the council had been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and independents.

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:

Party in controlYears
1974–1976
1976–1990
1990–1994
1994–1998
1998–2002
2002–2023
2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Terry Cutmore2004May 2019
Mike SteptoeMay 20199 Jul 2020
Simon Wootton9 Jul 2020May 2023
John Mason23 May 2023May 2024
title=New administration appointed at Rochford District Councilurl=https://www.rochford.gov.uk/new-administration-appointed-at-rochford-district-councilwebsite=Rochford District Councilaccess-date=4 July 2024date=24 May 2024}}21 May 2024May 2025
title=New Council administration appointed at Rochford District Councilurl=https://www.rochford.gov.uk/new-council-administration-appointed-at-rochford-district-councilwebsite=Rochford District Councilaccess-date=30 May 2025date=20 May 2025}}20 May 2025

Composition

Following the 2024 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

PartyCouncillorsTotal39
12
10
8
8
1

Three of the independent councillors sit together as the Rochford and Foulness Wakering Independents group, which forms the council's administration with the Conservatives and local party the Rochford District Residents. The next election is due in May 2026.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four for a third of the council at a time. Elections to Essex County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections.

Premises

Council's headquarters: Council Offices, South Street, Rochford, SS4{{nbsp}}1BW

The council has its main offices on South Street in Rochford. When the council was created it inherited the former Rochford Rural District Council's offices at Roche House, 7 South Street, Rochford and the former Rayleigh Urban District Council's offices at Barringtons, 2 Hockley Road, Rayleigh. Both buildings were converted houses. The council acquired other properties along South Street in Rochford and combined them with Roche House to form the council's headquarters.

The civic suite wing of Barringtons in Rayleigh, including the council chamber, was retained by the council and serves as the council's main meeting place. It closed in 2020 but reopened in 2024 after a period of uncertainty about its future.

Parishes

[[Hawkwell]], one of the villages of the district

The district is divided into 14 civil parishes. The parish council for Rayleigh takes the style "town council".

  • Ashingdon
  • Barling Magna
  • Canewdon
  • Foulness
  • Great Wakering
  • Hawkwell
  • Hockley
  • Hullbridge
  • Paglesham
  • Rawreth
  • Rayleigh (town)
  • Rochford
  • Stambridge
  • Sutton

Arms

References

References

  1. "Rochford Local Authority".
  2. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
  3. {{cite legislation UK. (1973)
  4. (21 May 2025). "Councillor Jo McPherson named Rochford District Council's new Chairman".
  5. (29 July 2021). "Joint chief executive appointed to oversee Brentwood and Rochford councils". Yellow Advertiser.
  6. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
  7. (24 February 2023). "Tories lose control of council after three quit". BBC News.
  8. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
  9. (2 April 2020). "Former Rochford Council leader Terry Cutmore dies". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo.
  10. (13 July 2020). "Mike Steptoe says he's been forced out as leader of Rochford Council". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo.
  11. (10 July 2020). "New Leader of Rochford District Council appointed".
  12. (8 May 2023). "Rochford local elections 2023: Tories lose control". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo.
  13. (24 May 2023). "New council administration appointed".
  14. (24 May 2024). "New administration appointed at Rochford District Council".
  15. (21 May 2025). "Rochford Council taken over by Conservative-led coalition". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo.
  16. (20 May 2025). "New Council administration appointed at Rochford District Council".
  17. (3 May 2024). "Essex local elections 2024: Rochford results in full as council remains in political limbo". Essex Live.
  18. "Your councillors by party".
  19. "Rochford". Thorncliffe.
  20. {{cite legislation UK. (2015)
  21. (April 2006). "Rochford Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan".
  22. (12 October 2021). "Protest held over plans to build on Civic Suite, Rayleigh". Southend Echo.
  23. "Council's Rayleigh reception moves to Mill Arts and Events Centre".
  24. (17 September 2024). "Rochford Council evening meetings returning to the council chamber at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh".
  25. "Parish and Town Council Clerks".
  26. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
  27. "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

rochford-district non-metropolitan-districts-of-essex
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