Borough of Guildford

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}}Template:Main other{{#ifexpr:{{#invoke:ParameterCount|main|mapframe|image_map|image_map1|pushpin_map}} >2 |Template:Main other}} The Borough of Guildford is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. With around half of the borough's population, Guildford is its largest settlement and only town, and is where the council is based.

The borough includes part of the Surrey Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The neighbouring districts are Surrey Heath, Woking, Elmbridge, Reigate and Banstead, Waverley and Rushmoor.

History

The town of Guildford was an ancient borough, with its first known charter dating from 1257.<ref name=vch>Template:Cite book</ref> It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised the way many boroughs operated across the country. The borough boundaries were enlarged several times, notably in 1836, 1933 and 1954.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The modern district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

• Guildford Municipal Borough
• Guildford Rural District

Guildford's borough status transferred to the new district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Guildford's series of mayors dating back to at least the fifteenth century.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=vch/>

Governance

Guildford Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Surrey County Council.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government for their areas.<ref name=electionmaps>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The council owns significant heritage assets that include monuments such as Guildford Castle, as well museums, art collections and civic regalia.<ref name=ac>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The council has shared a chief executive with neighbouring Waverley Borough Council since 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political control of the old municipal borough council from 1836 to 1974 was as follows:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Party in control		Years
Template:Party name with colour	1836–1875
Template:Party name with colour	1875–1877
Template:Party name with colour	1877–1879
Template:Party name with colour	1879–1880
Template:Party name with colour	1880–1883
Template:Party name with colour	1883–1885
Template:Party name with colour	1885–1888
Template:Party name with colour	1888–1889
Template:Party name with colour	1889–1892
Template:Party name with colour	1892–1892
Template:Party name with colour	1892–1894
Template:Party name with colour	1894–1895
Template:Party name with colour	1895–1898
Template:Party name with colour	1898–1899
Template:Party name with colour	1899–1957
Template:Party name with colour	1957–1965
Template:Party name with colour	1965–1972
Template:Party name with colour	1972–1974

Political control of the modern borough council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} (Put "Guildford" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

Party in control		Years
Template:Party name with colour	1974–1991
Template:Party name with colour	1991–1995
Template:Party name with colour<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1995–1997
Template:Party name with colour	1997–2003
Template:Party name with colour	2003–2019
Template:Party name with colour	2019–2023
Template:Party name with colour	2023–present

Leadership

Template:Further The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Guildford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:

Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Party		Councillors
Template:Party name with colour	25
Template:Party name with colour	10
Template:Party name with colour	7
Template:Party name with colour	3
Template:Party name with colour	3
Total		48

The next election is due in 2027.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Elections

Template:See also Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Members of Parliament

Template:See also The borough straddles five parliamentary constituencies:

Constituency	Member of Parliament	Political party
Godalming and Ash	Jeremy Hunt	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Conservative
Guildford	Zöe Franklin	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |	Liberal Democrats
Surrey Heath	Al Pinkerton	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |
Woking	Will Forster	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |
Dorking and Horley	Chris Coghlan	style="color:inherit;background:Template:Party color" |

Premises

Guildhall: Used for council's annual meetings.

The council is based at Millmead House on Millmead in Guildford. The original house dates from the late seventeenth century, with extensive modern additions to the rear.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref> Prior to the local government reorganisation of 1974, the building had been the headquarters of Guildford Rural District Council.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The council's annual meeting when new mayors are appointed each May is held at Guildford Guildhall.<ref name=mayor>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Demography

Guildford has the second largest population of Surrey's eleven districts (based on census statistics, only 600 residents behind Reigate and Banstead).<ref>List of English districts by population</ref> Approximately half of the borough's population live in the town of Guildford.

Parishes

The central part of the borough, corresponding to the pre-1974 borough and covering the majority of the Guildford built-up area, is an unparished area.<ref name=electionmaps/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This area includes Bellfields, Boxgrove, Onslow Village, Park Barn, Stoughton, Westborough, and the (former) villages of Burpham, and Merrow.

The rest of the borough is covered by civil parishes:<ref>Surrey County Council Template:Webarchive</ref> Template:Columns-list

Map of Guildford Borough showing its parts: Guildford town and civil parishes which provide an additional layer of government.

Notes and references

Notes Template:Reflist References Template:Reflist

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