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82-662: The town of Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, England was administered as a Local Government District from 1892 to 1894 and an Urban District from 1894 to 1974. Prior to 1892 the town had formed part of the Biggleswade Rural Sanitary District , which had been created under the Public Health Acts of 1872 and 1875 covering the same area as the Biggleswade Poor Law Union . On 22 February 1892

164-484: A Christian identity or any other religion. Results on sexual orientation and gender identity questions were released on 6 January 2023. Similarly to the religion question, this question was voluntary but was answered by 92.5% of the population of England and Wales. 89.4% of the population described themselves as straight or heterosexual , 1.5% described themselves as "Gay or lesbian", 1.3% as " Bisexual " and 0.3% were described as having "[an]other sexual orientation" (with

246-725: A Local Government District was established for the town, covering the whole parish of Biggleswade, removing it from the Biggleswade Rural Sanitary District. The first meeting of the new Local Board was held at Biggleswade Town Hall on 22 April 1892. The first chairman was Charles Samuel Lindsell. Under the Local Government Act 1894 , Local Government Districts became Urban Districts from 31 December 1894. The Urban District Council first met under its new title on 16 January 1895, with Charles Lindsell continuing to serve as chairman. He had also been appointed chairman of

328-477: A base-rich, loamy texture of sand, silt and clay particles. Fertility is high. The underlying geology of the Ivel Valley is alluvial. The town centre stands largely on river gravel, with smaller areas of green and brown sands and sandstones, and glacial gravel. Boulder clay dominates the outlying southern and eastern parts. Landscape Biggleswade Common is an area of grassland that extends northwards along

410-590: A brewery in 1764. Wells and Winch built a new brewery in 1901 in Church Street. Greene King owned it from 1961 until October 1997. The site is now taken by an Asda supermarket. The Morton and Kinman owned Vulcan Foundry off Foundry Lane and Saffron Road made the iron work for the Ivel Navigation bridges at Blunham , Mill Lane and Holme in 1823. From 1862, coachbuilder Maythorn had a factory on Market Square/Station Road. New premises were built in 1925. After

492-628: A decennial census, instead using the Rolling Electronic Census Project to produce regular census reports. The Isle of Man also undertook a full census in 2021 (having held an interim census in 2016). Initial results, released in June 2022, showed the recorded population of England and Wales to be 59,597,300 (56,489,800 in England and 3,107,500 in Wales), a rise of 6.3% or 3.5 million people over

574-751: A four-year term for the Biggleswade East (two members) and Biggleswade West (three members) wards. Biggleswade was a UK parliamentary constituency from 1885 to 1918. The town was then in Mid Bedfordshire until 1997. Now in North Bedfordshire , the elected member is Richard Fuller of the Conservative Party . The area around Biggleswade is thought to have been inhabited from about 10,000 BC . Arrowheads believed to be from this time have been found. Sherds of late Neolithic pottery from

656-684: A new Magistrates' Court opened in Biggleswade. From March 1928 onwards the council held its meetings at this new Court House at 4 Saffron Road. The council's administrative office functions were carried out at 2 London Road, which was the office of the solicitor who acted as clerk to both the Biggleswade Urban District and the Biggleswade Rural District. In 1952 the council purchased a large seventeenth-century house called Stratton House at 1 The Baulk. The council's staff moved into

738-512: A precept agreed with Central Bedfordshire Council. Council meetings since 2006 have been held in a council chamber in the former magistrates' court in Saffron Road. Central Bedfordshire Council is responsible for Biggleswade's social care homes, public library (Chestnut Avenue), roads, refuse, Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre (managed on its behalf by SLL), non-academy schools, social services and planning. Five shire councillors are elected to serve

820-619: A question as to a person's sex may only properly be answered by reference to the sex stated on that person's birth certificate or GRC ". An appeal by Fair Play for Women was refused by the Inner House of the Court of Session. The UK Statistics Authority has the responsibility for coordinating the census arrangements across the United Kingdom through the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which

902-502: A significant amount of employment. The town centre is designated a conservation area . Biggleswade lies about 40 miles (60 km) north of Central London and 20 miles (30 km) west-south-west of Cambridge . Biggleswade civil parish includes the nearby hamlet of Holme . From Biggleswade station on the East Coast Main Line trains take about 45 minutes to reach London. The A1 , Britain's Great North Road, bypasses

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984-460: A single Peterborough ware Mortlake bowl were found in a pit excavated south of Biggleswade Hospital. A Neolithic cursus and five associated ring ditches south of Furzenhall Farm show as crop markings on aerial images. Archaeological excavations in 2001 discovered a late Bronze Age pit to the north of the water tower on Topler's Hill. Iron Age pottery and a bead together with charred cereal grains of wheat and barley have been found in pits to

1066-678: Is a legal requirement to complete the 2011 census questionnaire, under the terms of the Census Act 1920. As at 21 March 2021 everyone who had lived or intended to live in the country for three months or more was required to complete a questionnaire. Failure to return a completed questionnaire could lead to a fine and criminal record. In Scotland, the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2019 made provisions for voluntary questions about transgender status and sexual orientation to be asked. The Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019 makes

1148-426: Is already recognised in some countries. A gender marker on a British passport can be changed in a less formal procedure than acquiring a legally enforceable gender recognition certificate . In March 2021, Fair Play for Women, a campaign group against self-identification, applied for judicial review in England and Wales and argued that such incidental self-identification should not be allowed in census-taking. In

1230-471: Is also responsible for the census in England and Wales. The 2011 UK census was the first decennial census in the United Kingdom to include the option of completing the census documentation online. Across the UK between 15 and 19% of census forms were submitted online. The UK Statistics Authority proposed that the 2021 census should be conducted predominantly online (with support provided for those unable to complete

1312-558: Is for the United Kingdom Government and Parliament to determine the arrangements for census-taking in England and Wales. Parallel legislative procedures will be required in the devolved administrations of Scotland and Northern Ireland. It would be late 2015 at the earliest before regulations were made. Subject to this legislation being passed the census would be conducted on the same day in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure coherence and consistency. There

1394-466: Is in the cathedral. King John (1196–1216) granted a charter to hold a market. The medieval parish Church of St Andrew contains a monumental brass of John Rudying featuring a figure of Death. Stratton Park Moated Enclosure lies to the south of the town off Dunton Lane. On 16 June 1785 a fire started at the Crown Inn and spread rapidly through neighbouring streets, destroying nearly one-third of

1476-571: Is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Bichelesuuade/Pichelsuuade: Ralph de l'Isle. 2 mills . Domesday records 27 heads of household in Stratton vill , but only 20 in Biggleswade. However, Biggleswade had overtaken Stratton by 1309. In 1132, Henry I granted the manor of Biggleswade to Bishop Alexander the Magnificent of Lincoln , to help endow Lincoln Cathedral . A prebendal stall of Biggleswade

1558-782: The Domesday Book has been the home of Jordans Cereals since 1893. The company also has a unit on Stratton Business Park. Franklin's Mill in Mill Lane closed in 1945 following a fire. The mill building was restored and used as a warehouse before being converted into flats in 1982. Bedfordshire's tallest windmill, at 70 ft (21m), stood in Hitchin Street from 1858 until 1967. Books, diaries, binders and sketch pads were made by Adams & Harrison which moved from Clerkenwell, London to Havelock Road in 1933. The factory closed in 1987 and gave way to housing in Reynolds Close. A major employer

1640-578: The Freedom of Information Act showed that the Equality and Human Rights Commission put "extreme external pressure" on Scottish civil servants including chief statistician Roger Halliday to amend their initial proposals. In December 2021, Fair Play for Women applied for a judicial review in Scotland. Lord Sandison dismissed the case on 17 February 2022 stating that there was "no general rule or principle of law that

1722-679: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in England and Wales, by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) in Northern Ireland, and by the National Records of Scotland in Scotland. These were the first British censuses for which most of the data was gathered online. Two of them went ahead despite the COVID-19 pandemic , in part because the information obtained would assist government and public understanding of

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1804-519: The River Ivel , 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Bedford . Its population was 16,551 in the 2011 United Kingdom census , This figure increased by 36% to 22,541 at the time of the 2021 United Kingdom census . Evidence of settlement in the area goes back to the Neolithic period, but it is likely that the town as such was founded by Anglo-Saxons . A gold Anglo-Saxon coin was found on a footpath beside

1886-713: The University of Oxford , complained about what he perceived to be anomalies in the data on the 0.5% who identified as transgender, when disaggregated by local authority and other factors. He questioned whether the ONS had adequately tested the gender identity question with respondents for whom English is a second language. Biggs said that according to his analysis of the data, overall, people from an immigrant background, who do not speak English as their first language, were found to be five times more likely to be recorded as transgender and 1 in 67 Muslims were recorded as transgender, which he said

1968-430: The 2011 census. This included whether collection methods were still fit for purpose in a rapidly changing society and whether census outputs, based on a survey conducted every ten years, would continue to meet the increasingly demanding needs of public and private sector users. Emerging technological developments were seen as providing alternative and improved data gathering opportunities. These concerns and opportunities led

2050-589: The A1 road and the River Ivel. In 2001 a gold coin bearing the name Coenwulf was found at Biggleswade on a footpath beside the River Ivel . The 4.33 g (0.15 oz) mancus , worth about 30 silver pennies, is only the eighth known gold coin dating to the mid to late Anglo-Saxon period. Its inscription, "DE VICO LVNDONIAE", shows it was minted in London. Initially sold to American collector Allan Davisson for £230,000 at auction;

2132-699: The British Government subsequently put in place a temporary export ban in the hope of saving it for the nation. The British Museum bought the coin in February 2006 for £357,832, with the help of funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the British Museum Friends . At the time, it was the most expensive British coin purchased. Biggleswade parish consisted of three settlements: Biggleswade, Holme and Stratton. Biggleswade

2214-460: The Climate Census campaign group suggested writing in 'Climate concerned' in response to the religion question, to demand climate action from the government. The Office for National Statistics published an online guidance titled What is your Sex for the 2021 census. The guidance provided that a respondent should answer according to official documents such as their passport. Self-identification

2296-497: The Fen Reeves of Biggleswade Common, as a working common grazed by horses and cattle. There is a wind farm of ten turbines to the south of the town. A solar power farm is located to the north of Shortmead House. River Ivel The Environment Agency has a monitoring station at Biggleswade. The normal level of the River Ivel at Biggleswade is between 0.12 metres (5 in) and 0.27 metres (1 ft). The highest level recorded

2378-575: The Government saw the dual-running decennial national census with administrative data gathering option as a transitional approach and asked the National Statistician to ensure sufficient research is undertaken both prior to and after the 2021 census to find and validate alternative methods to replace the traditional national census and intermediate surveying approach. Under the Census Act 1920 , it

2460-473: The Orchard Community Centre. Planning applications referred from Central Bedfordshire Council are considered and objections can be raised. Biggleswade divides into three electoral wards: Ivel for the north, Holme for the south-west, and Stratton for the south-east. Voters elect five councillors per ward, for four-year terms. They in turn elect annually a Town Mayor . Town Council funds come from

2542-432: The River Ivel in 2001. The British Museum bought the coin in February 2006 and at the time, it was the most expensive British coin purchased. A charter to hold a market was granted by King John in the 13th-century. In 1785 a great fire devastated the town. The Great North Road passed through until a bypass was completed in 1961. A railway station was opened in 1850. From the 1930s to the late 1990s, manufacturing provided

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2624-530: The Saxon word for ford . Variant spellings include Bykeleswad in 1396, Bykleswade in 15th-century law records, and Bickleswade on a 17th-century ivory seal now in the British Museum. Wells and pits dating from the early 7th century and a quantity of later Maxey ware have been excavated at Stratton. Evidence of an Anglo-Saxon ringwork and bailey castle was discovered by aerial photography in 1954 between

2706-463: The Skinner Report into methodology work and has proposed three research strands to determine the 'optimum blend' of online census, administrative data and surveying methods for the 2021 census and indeed subsequent censuses. The UK Statistics Authority has commissioned research strands as part of a census transformation programme which was due to report by 2017 relating to the 2021 census operation,

2788-562: The Town Hall in September 1926. From October 1926 to February 1928 the council's meetings were held at the Masonic Rooms (also known as St Andrew's Rooms) on St Andrew's Street. The old Town Hall was sold by its owners, initially becoming a petrol station. The council did investigate whether it could purchase the building, but concluded that the estimated £4,000 cost was too high. In October 1927

2870-481: The UK Government to question if a supplementary or wholly alternative approach to the traditional 10-yearly census was required; more frequent, possibly annual, small-scale surveys could be employed instead. In 2011, The Beyond 2011 Programme was established to look at alternatives to the traditional census approach. The UK Statistics Authority coordinated the project which was also undertaken by its counterparts in

2952-475: The absence of opposition or intervention from any interested party, the judge ordered an interim revision of the guidance. The government conceded and accepted the order. The ONS withdrew from the High Court proceedings. Some academics criticised what they said was the ONS's confusion between the concepts of sex and gender identity. Other academics supported the design of the census questions, for example, on

3034-434: The building later that year, and a new council chamber was created there, being officially opened in February 1953. Stratton House remained the council's offices and meeting place until the council was abolished in 1974. The former gardens of Stratton House were used to provide a variety of other public buildings for the town, including a new library, fire station, ambulance station and police houses. Biggleswade Urban District

3116-851: The canal was abandoned by Act of Parliament. Through the 19th century Biggleswade was a staging post for coaches. Destinations included London , Leeds , York and Boston, Lincolnshire . The Great Northern Railway opened a station in 1850. Eastern National operated local bus services until 1952, followed by United Counties . A bus depot in Shortmead Street until 1989 was replaced by Millers Court retirement apartments. Stagecoach took over in November 1987 and relocated its depot in Hitchin Street. Private bus operators based in Biggleswade included Charles Cook Travel (1947–1997) and Fairway Coaches (1973–1997). From about 1780, Brigham House, 93 High Street, (now George Hay, Chartered Accountants) housed

3198-638: The census in Scotland . A rehearsal was conducted on 7 October 2019 and closed for returns on 7 November 2019 in three local authority areas: parts of Glasgow City , Dumfries and Galloway and Na h-Eileanan Siar . The census was scheduled to take place on 21 March 2021, but was delayed in July 2020 by the Scottish Government because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government has come under criticism for

3280-400: The census in Northern Ireland. The NISRA has published a report reviewing the 2011 census and other online-orientated censuses abroad and identified the importance of such things as pre-census publicity, the use of a unique internet code or ePin, and a coordinated promotion and follow up process during the census completion period. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) is responsible for

3362-449: The census online), and then securely managing, capturing and digitising the responses was awarded to Leidos Innovations UK . The contract was estimated to be worth around £65.1m. The parent company of Leidos Innovations UK, Leidos (an American defence, aviation, information technology, and biomedical research company), merged with Lockheed Martin's IT sector in August 2016. Lockheed Martin UK

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3444-646: The census online), supplemented by the use of administrative and survey data and improve annual statistics between censuses. For the census in 2021 the proposed target for online completion has been set to at least 65%. Research has been under way since 2011 to design a new census methodology which maximises the success of an online approach. Research commissioned by the Beyond 2011 programme identified that there were risks associated with over-reliance on administrative data drawn from governmental department sources due to process changes, such as benefits and welfare payments and

3526-652: The devolved administrations of Scotland and Northern Ireland . In 2014, the UK Statistics Authority announced the recommendation from the Beyond 2011 Programme that there should be a decennial-style 2021 census in England and Wales, which in contrast with earlier censuses, would be conducted predominantly through online completion of census forms, supplemented by the further use of administrative and survey data. Existing census gathering methods would be used only as an alternative, where online methods are not feasible. A parallel announcement for Scotland's 2021 census

3608-510: The eastern bank of the River Ivel from the Shortmead Street bridge. It continues clockwise, crossing Potton Road at the town's eastern boundary to a section known locally as the Pastures . Its 300 acres (120 ha) make it the largest area of common land in Bedfordshire. It has loamy and sandy soils with naturally high groundwater and a peaty surface. It is run by an association of rights owners called

3690-525: The firm renamed Ether, then Pye Connectors and finally Flexicon, until closure in 1990. The Empire (originally The Cinema Palace) in Hitchin Street operated from 1913 to 1958. The building was converted into a factory making electrical connectors but was demolished in 1994 and the site is now occupied by housing in Empire Way. The 700-seat Regal Cinema in Station Road opened in 1936; after closure in 1976, it

3772-552: The firm's demise in 1931, the factory and offices were utilised by NURO to make photographic film from 1935 to 1938; the NAAFI as a warehouse from 1940 to 1958 and Delaney Gallay and Gloster Saro, to make heat-insulation materials for aircraft, including Concorde . The building was demolished in 1987 to make way for shops and a car park. The Ivel Cycle Works in Shortmead Street, founded by Dan Albone in 1881, made bicycles, motorbikes and light tractors until 1922. Holme Mills, listed in

3854-459: The ground that the transgender population is very small. In Scotland, similar pieces of guidance have been published since the previous census in 2011. The Scottish Parliament also sought to amend the census Act in 2019 to clarify the meaning of sex in that legislation to include gender identity. The plan was abandoned and changes were instead made in subordinate legislation. In August 2021, National Records of Scotland issued guidelines regarding

3936-484: The lack of investigation into the options for using administrative data and encouraged the UK Government to reassure the public about privacy concerns. The Minister for the Cabinet Office welcomed the recommendations for a predominantly online 2021 census for England and Wales supplemented by the use of governmental and other administrative data in a letter to the National Statistician in July 2014. He made clear that

4018-615: The most common being pansexual , asexual and queer ). The remaining 7.5% did not answer. 0.5% answered 'No' to the census question 'Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?' Alice Sullivan, professor of sociology at University College London , reported that in the 16 to 24 age group, 1% answered 'No' to the question. She said that females were more likely than males to answer 'No' in that age group, whereas in other age groups females were more likely to answer 'Yes'. In April 2023, when more granular data became available, Michael Biggs, professor of sociology at

4100-411: The necessity to include full access to statistical data as part as proposed legislation affecting administrative programmes. Issues identified also included the accuracy of administrative data sets for geographical areas below that of local authorities, problems associated with estimation and the use of address registers. ONS on behalf of the UK Statistics Authority has taken on board the recommendations of

4182-591: The new Biggleswade Rural District Council the previous week, as well as serving as the chairman of the Board of Guardians. Until 1926 the council held its meetings at the Town Hall at 36 High Street, Biggleswade, which had been built in 1844 and occupies a prominent position in the town centre overlooking the Market Place. This building was privately owned but rented out to the council and other public bodies for meetings and other functions. The council held its last meeting at

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4264-569: The north of the town. In Roman times, a loop road known as the White Way passed through Biggleswade (possibly along the course of the present-day Drove Road), linking with Ermine Way at Godmanchester . There is evidence for a probable Romano-Celtic temple and aligned enclosures straddling a tributary of the River Ivel at the north-east corner of Biggleswade Common. In the 5th century AD, Saxon invaders settled. The name Biggleswade may derive from Biceil, an Anglo-Saxon personal name, and Waed,

4346-573: The number 260,000 of transgender people was "hugely overstated". In September 2024, the OSR removed official accreditation of the gender identity statistics, classifying them instead as official statistics in development. Results for Northern Ireland were published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in Spring 2023. National Records of Scotland published the first results on 14 September 2023. The results showed that Scotland's population

4428-505: The old Magistrates' Court building at 4 Saffron Road, which had closed as a court in 1999. In so doing, it moved to the building which had been its predecessor's meeting place over fifty years earlier. Details of the archives here [1] . Biggleswade Biggleswade ( / ˈ b ɪ ɡ əl z w eɪ d / BIG -əlz-wayd ) is a market town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire , England. It lies on

4510-665: The pandemic's impact. The census-taking in Scotland was postponed, and took place in 2022 because of the pandemic. The censuses in 2021 and 2022 follows on from Beyond 2011 , a project by the UK Statistics Authority to assess the value, cost, and alternatives to a census in 2021. The project recommended a census in 2021, and amongst other organisations, suggested it be run online. Initial results for England and Wales were released on 28 June 2022. Results for Scotland were expected to be released in March 2023; however this deadline

4592-555: The parish workhouse. The premises were closed following the completion of The Union Workhouse at London Road in 1836. The Biggleswade Poor Law Union was officially formed on 14 April 1835 and covered 25 parishes. The Union workhouse ceased operation in 1930. The London Road building was renamed The Limes and provided accommodation for the aged, infirm and vagrants. It was used as an old people's home until its closure in 1969 and demolished in 1972. In 1868, The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland's entry for Biggleswade describes

4674-442: The previous decade. This was the largest population ever recorded through a census in England and Wales, and the overall population of the United Kingdom was estimated to be 67 million. The census also showed that the population of the two countries, aged 65 and over, had surpassed the number of children aged 15 and under for the first time, with 11.1 million people aged 65 and over compared with 10.4 million aged under 15. Results of

4756-420: The question on religion were published on 29 November 2022. The question was voluntary but was answered by 94.0% of the population of England and Wales. 46.2% of the population described themselves as " Christian ", 6.5% as " Muslim ", and 1.7% as " Hindu ". 37.2% of the population asserted that they had "no religion". In Wales, there were more people declaring that they had "no religion" (47%) than those affirming

4838-418: The repair of the bridge, and from 1372 tolls were authorised under the pontage system. The Great North Road became a turnpike road in 1725 (from Biggleswade to Alconbury Hill) and in 1730 (from Stevenage to Biggleswade). In 1796 the medieval bridge in Shortmead Street was rebuilt with sandstone from Sandy . It had three rounded arches. A metal " Meccano "-type bridge was erected alongside in 1939. In 1948

4920-410: The same provision for England and Wales. The sexual orientation question would also be asked in Northern Ireland. The campaign 'If you're not religious, say so!' by Humanists UK aimed to change the wording of the census question on religion. This campaign encouraged non-religious people to tick 'no religion' in order to create a more accurate portrayal of religiousness in the UK. Another campaign by

5002-505: The sex question in the 2022 Scottish census. The guidance states that "If you are transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate. You do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)". The UK Statistics Authority wrote to National Records of Scotland to question the guidelines. In November 2021, the Murray Blackburn Mackenzie (MBM) policy collective claimed that documents obtained via

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5084-586: The shape of population statistics in 2021, and the shape of population statistics beyond 2021 in the lead up to 2031. A work programme running until 2024, comprising eight phases, was developed by ONS. Alongside this programme trials of statistics generation using administrative data were planned starting from the autumn of 2015 and running through to 2021 with the aim of ranging across the breadth, detail and accuracy of census outputs. The contract for preparing, dispatching up to 16 million paper questionnaire packs (for anyone who did not want to, or could not access

5166-514: The stone bridge was demolished and replaced with a second "Meccano" or Callender-Hamilton bridge as it was formally known. The town was bypassed by the A1 trunk road in 1961. The current bridge dates from 1999. The River Ivel was made navigable to Biggleswade Mill in 1758 from its confluence with the River Ouse at Tempsford ; and extended to Shefford in 1823. Timber and coal were transported. In 1876

5248-404: The surrounding district as "fertile, and the inhabitants... chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in market gardening" while "many of the female inhabitants are employed in lace-making and the manufacture of straw-plait." Though much of the vegetable trade has ended, Bedfordshire Growers on Potton Road still supplies supermarkets with UK-grown potatoes and onions. Samuel Wells established

5330-683: The town before acquiring Stratton House in 1952. The Urban District Council was abolished in 1974 when most of its functions were subsumed into Mid Bedfordshire District Council under the Local Government Act 1972 , the remainder passing to the newly formed Biggleswade Town Council. In 2009, the District and County Councils were replaced by the Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority . Biggleswade Town Council's responsibilities include car parks, allotment gardens, cemeteries ( Drove Road and Stratton Way), play and recreation areas and

5412-578: The town from 1938 to 1991. Smart and Brown made precision lathes in London Road from 1946 until 1980. Felix established a Potton Road factory in 1949; it closed in the 1970s and its place is now taken by housing in Mountbatten Drive. Ribbon cables and printed circuit board connectors for computers were made in the converted Empire Cinema on Hitchin Street by Electro Methods from 1959; ownership changes saw

5494-450: The town. A national appeal raised funds for 332 people who lost their homes and others who lost their livelihoods. The Great Fire is among the historical scenes shown in a Millennium stained-glass window in St Andrew's Church. A medieval bridge carrying the Great North Road over the River Ivel at Biggleswade is first documented in the early 13th century. In 1302 Bishop Dalderby of Lincoln gave indulgences to all those contributing to

5576-434: The town; its old course is numbered A6001. The B1040 road leads north to Potton and St. Ives and the B659 south to Langford and Henlow . Elevation The town centre is about 28 m (92 ft) above sea level. The land rises to 78 m (256 ft) at the parish's southern boundary near the water tower on Topler's Hill. Soil and geology The area's soil is mostly freely draining and slightly acid, but with

5658-465: The way the census has been conducted, with some news outlets describing the results as being "botched" due to record low turnout rates and failing to meet the set target return rate of 94%. Initial turnout rates for the census in Scotland concluded with 79% return rate; an additional round of extension to filling out the census was granted to encourage returns, raising the return rate percentage to 89%. The return rate for comparison in England and Wales

5740-418: Was "not plausible". The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), which oversees the ONS, began an examination of Biggs' concerns about the statistics, including the reported result that 262,000 identify as transgender in England and Wales. Biggs said: "I'm 99 per cent sure that misinterpretation has had a significant impact in inflating the numbers." The ONS said that "while the question on gender identity

5822-433: Was 1.14 metres (4 ft) reached on Wednesday 11 February 2009. Biggleswade was a constituent part of and gave its name to one of the Hundreds of Bedfordshire from Anglo-Saxon times until the 19th century. From 1892 the town was governed by a Local Board , which became Biggleswade Urban District under the Local Government Act 1894 . This council met at Biggleswade Town Hall until 1926, then shared other premises in

5904-486: Was 3.5% compared to 4.4% for England. 2021 United Kingdom census The 2021 United Kingdom census is the 23rd official census of the United Kingdom . Beginning in 1801, they have been recorded every 10 years. The 2021 censuses of England , Wales , and Northern Ireland took place on 21 March 2021, and the census of Scotland took place 364 days later on 20 March 2022. The censuses were administered by

5986-411: Was 5,436,600, the highest figure on record but a slower rate of population growth, 2.7% since 2011, than the previous growth of 4.6%. They will publish further results from Scotland's 2022 census from spring 2024 onwards. The first results, on 21 May 2024, will be population estimates at output areas, as well as topical data about Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion. It is expected that

6068-498: Was 97%. However national statistician Ian Diamond has said that despite not meeting the target, the census could still provide "really good data". The additional round of extension cost the Scottish Government an additional £6m, and £148m in total. Although it is a Crown Dependency , and not part of the United Kingdom, Jersey carried out a census on the same day as the 2021 UK census. Guernsey no longer carries out

6150-540: Was Cincinnati Milacron, on a site between Dells Lane and the railway. The company, then named Weatherley Oilgear Ltd, came to Biggleswade in 1939; it made broaching machines . The factory was demolished in the mid-1980s and the site is now home to the "Poets" estate (Tennyson Avenue, Chaucer Drive, Dickens Court and Bunyan Drive). Off Hitchin Street, the roads Berkeley Close and Kayser Court are named after Berkeley , who made caravans and sports cars from 1947 to 1960 and Kayser Bondor, who made lingerie and nightdresses in

6232-474: Was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , merging with other districts to form the new Mid Bedfordshire District . The area now forms part of Central Bedfordshire . A successor parish was created for the town, with its council taking the name Biggleswade Town Council. The new town council set up its offices at 1 Chestnut Avenue (one of the police houses behind Stratton House), being based there between 1977 and 2006. The Town Council then moved to

6314-420: Was awarded the contract for the census in 2011. Adecco UK was contracted by ONS to recruit, train and administer the pay for the 30,000 temporary ONS workers who would be working as field staff for the 2021 census. The general style of the questionnaire was similar to that of the 2011 census , although there were some new questions for 2021: An advertising campaign (made under contract by M&C Saatchi )

6396-589: Was converted into a bingo hall. At the 2011 census date the population of Biggleswade was 16,551, of which 93.4% were born in the United Kingdom. 91.8% of residents were white British compared to 79.8% for England. As to religious affiliation; 59.9% put Christianity and 1.9% other religions, while 38.2% had no religion or did not say. In 2011 the five largest employment sectors for Biggleswade residents were: wholesale, retail and vehicle repairs at 18%, manufacturing at 13%, construction at 10%, human health and social work at 10% and education at 9%. The unemployment rate

6478-432: Was launched under the slogan of "it's about us" at the start of 2021. Television adverts tried to show a diverse range of people in various locations in England and Wales in front of a purple fabric screen, with a cover version of The Zombies ' " This Will Be Our Year ", performed by Jose McGill & The Vagaband, featuring as the advert soundtrack. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) undertakes

6560-563: Was made by the National Records for Scotland. The ONS Director, Population and Demography Statistics was reported as saying that an estimated 60–65% of household returns would be completed online. In April 2014, the British House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) concluded in its report Too soon to scrap the Census , that the 2021 census should go ahead. It had reservations over

6642-464: Was missed without explanation and in August 2023 National Records of Scotland announced that the initial results were to be released 14 September 2023. After the 2011 census , both the UK coalition government and the main opposition party, Labour , expressed concerns about the rising costs of the decadal census. There were also concerns about the value of continuing with the traditional approach adopted for

6724-588: Was tested thoroughly, it is possible that individual responses were affected by different interpretations of the question." In September 2023, reporting initial findings of the OSR investigation, its head Ed Humpherson wrote of the ONS team responsible for "quality assurance": "with more time to look at all combinations of variables, for example looking at gender identity and ethnicity, it may have identified areas for additional probing and analysis." Humpherson added, "The communication of uncertainty should be strengthened". An anonymous government source said they believed

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