Central Bedfordshire Council is the local authority for Central Bedfordshire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It has been under no overall control since 2023, being run by an independent-led administration. The council is based at Chicksands.

History

Local government in Bedfordshire was reorganised with effect from 1 April 2009. The borough of Luton had already been made a unitary authority independent from the county council in 1997. The changes in 2009 divided the rest of the county into two unitary authorities: Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. The new Central Bedfordshire covered the combined area of the two former districts of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire. Central Bedfordshire Council also took over the functions of the abolished Bedfordshire County Council within the area. Central Bedfordshire is legally both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county, but there is no separate county council; instead the district council performs both district and county functions, making it a unitary authority. Central Bedfordshire remains part of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire for the purposes of lieutenancy.

Political control

The council went under no overall control at the 2023 election, having previously had a Conservative majority. An independent-led administration - the first in a unitary authority in English local government history - subsequently formed with independent councillor Adam Zerny being appointed leader of the council at the Annual Council and Extraordinary General Purposes Committee, held on 25 May 2023. Political control of the council since its creation in 2009 has been as follows:

Leadership

The first leader of the council was Tricia Turner, who had been the last leader of Mid Bedfordshire District Council. The leaders of the council since 2009 have been:

Composition

Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in June 2023, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council inherited offices at Priory House (built 2006) in Chicksands, just outside the town of Shefford, from Mid Bedfordshire District Council, and the South Bedfordshire District Council offices (built 1989) in Dunstable. Priory House became the new council's headquarters. The South Bedfordshire offices were renamed Watling House and served as additional offices for the council until being closed in 2022.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council comprises 63 councillors, elected from 31 wards. Elections are held every four years.