Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The executive of the council is the directly elected mayor of Bedford. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.
Bedford Borough Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Unitary authority |
| Leadership | |
Elected Mayor | |
Speaker | Wendy Rider, Liberal Democrat since 17 May 2023 |
Laura Church since October 2021 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 47 (46 councillors plus mayor) |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Executive mayor elected every four years Whole council elected every four years |
| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Borough Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AP | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The council was founded in 1974 as Bedford District Council, being renamed North Bedfordshire Borough Council in 1975. In 1992 it changed its name again to become Bedford Borough Council. Until 2009 it was a lower-tier district council, with county-level services provided by Bedfordshire County Council. On 1 April 2009, the Bedfordshire County Council ceased to exist, at which point Bedford Borough Council became a unitary authority.