Rochford District
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox settlement 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 Template:Rws to Template:Rws. 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:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
Governance
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.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=administration20May2025/> 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.<ref name=administration24May2024/>
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:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Rochford" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 1974–1976 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1976–1990 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1990–1994 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1994–1998 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1998–2002 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2002–2023 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2023–present | |
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Cutmore<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 2004 | May 2019 | |
| Mike Steptoe<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | May 2019 | 9 Jul 2020 | |
| Simon Wootton<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 9 Jul 2020 | May 2023 | |
| John Mason<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 23 May 2023 | May 2024 | |
| James Newport<ref name=administration24May2024>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 21 May 2024 | May 2025 | |
| Danielle Belton<ref name=administration20May2025>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 20 May 2025 | ||
Composition
Following the 2024 election,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 12 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 10 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 8 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 8 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1 | |
| Total | 39 | |
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.<ref name=administration20May2025/> The Green councillor and five of the independents form the Non-Aligned group. The other four independents form the Associated Independents group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next election is due in May 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Elections
Template:Also 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.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
Premises
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Parishes
The district is divided into 14 civil parishes. The parish council for Rayleigh takes the style "town council".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Ashingdon
- Barling Magna
- Canewdon
- Foulness
- Great Wakering
- Hawkwell
- Hockley
- Hullbridge
- Paglesham
- Rawreth
- Rayleigh (town)
- Rochford
- Stambridge
- Sutton