Borough of Boston

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Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox settlement The Borough of Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. The borough also includes numerous villages in the surrounding rural area including Wyberton, Sutterton, Algakirk and Hubberts Bridge. As well as Kirton, the only other town in the borough.

The borough borders South Holland to the south, North Kesteven to the west, and East Lindsey to the north. To the east, it has a coast onto the Wash.

History

The town of Boston had been incorporated as an ancient borough in 1545.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836.<ref>Municipal Corporations Act 1835</ref>

The modern borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by merging the municipal borough of Boston with Boston Rural District.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> The new district was named Boston after its only town.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> Boston's borough status passed to the enlarged district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Boston's series of mayors dating back to 1545.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The borough covers the northern part of Holland, one of the three traditional Parts of Lincolnshire. Holland had been an administrative county between 1889 and 1974.

In 2020 the council agreed to share its management and other staff with neighbouring East Lindsey District Council.<ref name=CEO/> South Holland District Council joined the partnership in 2021, which is now described as the "South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Governance

Template:Infobox legislature

File:Church of St Leodegar, Wyberton - geograph.org.uk - 4419926.jpg
Wyberton, one of the many villages in the borough

Boston Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lincolnshire County Council. Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political control

At the 2023 election, a majority of the seats were won by local party the Boston Independents. In July 2025, most of the party's members left to form a new Progressive Independent group, which subsequently formed a coalition with the 20-20 Independent group and the Conservatives to run the council, led by Dale Broughton of the Progressive Independent group, formerly deputy leader of the Boston Independents.<ref name=Waller/>

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Boston" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=gain>Template:Cite news</ref>

Party in control Years
Template:Party name with colour 1974–2007
Template:Party name with colour 2007–2011
Template:Party name with colour 2011–2015
Template:Party name with colour 2015–2019
Template:Party name with colour 2019–2020
Template:Party name with colour 2020–2023
Template:Party name with colour 2023–2025
Template:Party name with colour 2025–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Boston. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2000 have been:

Councillor Party From To
Joyce Dobson<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Party name with colour Nov 2000 2006
Mary Wright<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=race>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 18 May 2006 May 2007
Richard Austin<ref name=race/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 24 May 2007 May 2011
Peter Bedford<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 25 May 2011 15 May 2017
Michael Cooper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=15Jul2019/> Template:Party name with colour 15 May 2017 15 Jul 2019
Aaron Spencer<ref name=15Jul2019>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=3Feb2020/> Template:Party name with colour 15 Jul 2019 20 Jan 2020
Paul Skinner<ref name=3Feb2020>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 3 Feb 2020 May 2023
Anne Dorrian<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Waller/> Template:Party name with colours 22 May 2023 20 Jul 2025
Dale Broughton<ref name=Waller>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 20 Jul 2025

Composition

Following the 2023 election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2025 the composition of the council was:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party Councillors
Template:Party name with colour 20
Template:Party name with colour 5
Template:Party name with colours 3
Template:Party name with colour 1
Template:Party name with colour 1
Template:Party name with colour 1
Total 30

Fourteen of the independent councillors sit together as the "Progressive Independent" group. The Liberal Democrat, Blue Revolution councillor and five of the independent councillors sit together as the "20-20 Independent Group". The other independent does not belong to a group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The council is administered by a coalition of the Progressive Independents, 20-20 Independent group and the Conservatives. The next election is due in 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Elections

Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 30 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref name=beco>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> A map of the wards is available,<ref>Template:Cite web NB Councillors named are as of 2021</ref> as is a map showing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's final recommendations for ward boundaries, October 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The wards, and their numbers of councillors, are:<ref name=beco /> Template:Div col

  • Coastal (2)
  • Fenside (2)
  • Fishtoft (3)
  • Five Villages (2)
  • Kirton and Frampton (3)
  • Old Leake and Wrangle (2)
  • Skirbeck (3)
  • St Thomas' (1)
  • Staniland (2)
  • Station (1)
  • Swineshead and Holland Fen (2)
  • Trinity (2)
  • West (1)
  • Witham (2)
  • Wyberton (2)

Template:Div col end

Premises

The council is based at the Municipal Buildings on West Street in Boston.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The building was built in 1902 for the old borough council to the designs of architect James Rowell.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Parishes

File:Kirton Town Hall (geograph 5568606).jpg
Kirton, the only other town of the borough

Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, the exception being the pre-1974 municipal borough of Boston, which is an unparished area. The parishes are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

2016 EU referendum

Template:See also On 23 June 2016 the Borough of Boston voted in the UK-wide Referendum on membership of the European Union (EU) under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015. In a turnout of 77%, over 75% voted to leave the EU, the highest leave majority of the 382 UK voting areas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The local MP Matt Warman, a Conservative, had campaigned for a "Remain" vote.<ref name="thespectatorwhichtorympsbackbrexit">Template:Cite news</ref>

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016
Borough of Boston
Choice Votes %
Leave the European Union 22,974 75.56%
Remain a member of the European Union 7,430 24.44%
Valid votes 30,404 99.96%
Invalid or blank votes 12 0.04%
Total votes 30,416 100.00%
Registered voters and turnout 39,963 77.27%
Borough of Boston referendum result (without spoiled ballots):
Leave:
22,974 (75.6%) 		Remain:
7,430 (24.4%)
▲
File:Crop of brassica near Swineshead, Lincolnshire - geograph.org.uk - 4224584.jpg
Swineshead, one of the many villages of the borough

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Boston.

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=Template:AmboxTemplate:Main other }}

Individuals

Military Units

Arms

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References

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