27-602: The City of Chelmsford ( / ˈ tʃ ɛ l m z f ə r d / ) is a local government district with borough and city status in Essex , England. It is named after its main settlement, Chelmsford , which is also the county town of Essex. As well as the settlement of Chelmsford itself, the district also includes the surrounding rural area and the town of South Woodham Ferrers . The neighbouring districts are Uttlesford , Braintree , Maldon , Rochford , Basildon , Brentwood and Epping Forest . Chelmsford's first elected council
54-440: A large integrated bus network provided primarily by First Essex which connects the city to towns and villages across the county. Other smaller operators also provide services, such as Stephensons of Essex and Arriva Essex. There are 29 civil parishes in the district. The former Chelmsford Municipal Borough is an unparished area , directly administered by Chelmsford City Council. The parish council for South Woodham Ferrers takes
81-604: A rail/sea/rail international service owned by also stops at Chelmsford, on its route between London and the Netherlands , via North Sea ferries. There are several primary routes within the borough. One of these, the A12 , is also a trunk road and runs from London and the M25 , centrally in a north-easterly direction through the borough bypassing the city of Chelmsford onwards to Suffolk and Norfolk . Two other significant primary routes are
108-576: A two-tier arrangement. Non-metropolitan districts with borough status are known as boroughs , able to appoint a mayor and refer to itself as a borough council. Some shire counties now have no sub divisions so are a single Non-metropolitan district such as Cornwall. Typically a district will consist of a market town and its more rural hinterland. However districts are diverse with some being mostly urban such as Dartford, and others more polycentric such as Thurrock. Non-metropolitan districts are subdivisions of English non-metropolitan counties which have
135-461: A two-tier structure of local government. Two-tier non-metropolitan counties have a county council and several districts, each with a borough or district council. In these cases local government functions are divided between county and district councils, to the level where they can be practised most efficiently: Many districts have borough status , which means the local council is called a borough council instead of district council and gives them
162-503: A unitary authority or those that transferred from one county to another, including those that changed name. Nor does it include unitary authorities that have been abolished ( Bournemouth and Poole ). River Can The River Can is a river in Essex , England . Chelmsford is centred on the confluence of the Can and the River Chelmer . The Can enters Chelmsford from the west, joining
189-455: Is based at Chelmsford Civic Centre on Duke Street in Chelmsford. The building was purpose-built for the former borough council and was opened in 1935. Since the last full review of boundaries in 2003 the council has comprised 57 councillors elected from 24 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. The district has two major centres,
216-517: Is in the north west of the district. The River Wid flows from the south of the borough through Widford towards the centre past Writtle to join the River Can between Writtle and Chelmsford. The River Crouch flows along the part of the southeastern border below South Woodham Ferrers. Hanningfield Reservoir , a Site of Special Scientific Interest , is located in the south of the borough. The rail links, both national and international, which run through
243-457: Is largely ceremonial in Chelmsford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 2003 have been: Following the 2023 election and subsequent changes of allegiance in November 2023, the composition of the council was: Three of the independent politicians sit together as the "Chelmsford Independents Group". The next election is due in 2027. The council
270-602: The A130 which runs north-south across Essex and the A414 , which begins as a primary route in Chelmsford but its terminus us Maldon in Essex. The A414 then runs west through Essex, meets the M11 and then its path continues into Hertfordshire via Harlow . Various other A- and B-Roads connect the borough, especially the city of Chelmsford to the rest of the county and beyond. There is, additionally,
297-584: The District Councils' Network , special interest group which sits within the Local Government Association . The network's purpose is to "act as an informed and representative advocate for districts to government and other national bodies, based on their unique position to deliver for local people." This is a list of two-tier non-metropolitan counties and their districts. All unitary authorities are also non-metropolitan districts, which, with
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#1733085703470324-556: The Freedom of the City of Chelmsford. 51°44′07″N 0°28′45″E / 51.73528°N 0.47917°E / 51.73528; 0.47917 Non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts , or colloquially " shire districts ", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially shire counties ) in
351-490: The Local Government Act 1972 , covering two former districts which were abolished at the same time: The new district was named Chelmsford after its main town. The new council was initially called "Chelmsford District Council". Charter trustees were established for the area of the former municipal borough so as to allow the town to continue to have a mayor. The new district was granted borough status in 1977, changing
378-585: The Bruce is said to have married his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh in 1302, has English Royal connections, with King John building a hunting lodge there in 1211. Much of the site now lies within the grounds of Writtle College , the internationally famous centre for horticulture and agriculture. A few miles away is the village of Pleshey , where stand the ruins of a once important castle mentioned in William Shakespeare 's play Richard II . The entire circuit of
405-576: The Chelmer to the east of the city center. From the confluence, the Can becomes part of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation . The River Wid also meets the Can in the same area. In about 1100, the River Can was bridged, restoring a former Roman road . This led to the growth of Chelmsford around the site of the bridge. 51°43′48″N 0°28′45″E / 51.73006°N 0.47918°E / 51.73006; 0.47918 This Essex location article
432-449: The areas for Wales and England had been enacted separately and there were no Welsh metropolitan areas, the term 'non-metropolitan district' does not apply to Wales. A similar system existed in Scotland , which in 1975 was divided into regions and districts, this was also abolished in 1996 and replaced with a fully unitary system . In England most of the district councils are represented by
459-561: The borough, are all operated by Greater Anglia . Two national rail services operate. The Great Eastern Main Line runs through the centre, stopping at Chelmsford railway station . Services via Chelmsford operate between London Liverpool Street and Ipswich , Clacton , Harwich , Braintree or Norwich . The Crouch Valley Line also runs through the far south-east tip of the borough, stopping at South Woodham Ferrers , running services between Wickford and Southminster . The Amsterdam Express ,
486-442: The castle walls can still be traced in the village streets. American tourists often visit the village of Springfield, Essex , the origin of " Springfield " as a popular place name, first giving its name to the important City of Springfield, Massachusetts , and subsequently Springfield, Illinois , the state capital of Illinois , and Springfield, Missouri , among numerous others. The following people and military units have received
513-519: The district are also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. The council has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since the 2019 election . 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: The role of mayor
540-487: The exception of those of Berkshire , are coterminous with non-metropolitan counties. For a full list of districts of all types including unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs , see Districts of England . This is a list of former two-tier districts in England which have been abolished, by local government reorganisations such as the 2009 structural changes to local government in England . It does not include districts that still exist after becoming
567-545: The name of the council to "Chelmsford Borough Council" and allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor instead, with the charter trustees then being disbanded. On 1 June 2012 the district was granted city status to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II , and the council therefore changed its name to "Chelmsford City Council". Chelmsford City Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council . Parts of
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#1733085703470594-499: The principal settlement Chelmsford in the centre and the town of South Woodham Ferrers to the south east. The remainder of the district is predominantly rural, with many villages and hamlets. The River Chelmer flows into the district near North End and flows to Chelmsford where the River Can converges with it at the city centre. The River Chelmer then flows out of the district between Boreham and Little Baddow. The River Can's source
621-565: The right to appoint a mayor . Borough status is granted by royal charter and, in many cases, continues a style enjoyed by a predecessor authority, which can date back centuries. Some districts such as Oxford or Exeter have city status , granted by letters patent , but this does not give the local council any extra powers other than the right to call itself a city council . By 1899, England had been divided at district level into rural districts , urban districts , municipal boroughs , county boroughs and metropolitan boroughs . This system
648-638: The style "Town Council", whilst the parish of Mashbury has a parish meeting rather than a parish council due to its small population. Educational establishments in the borough include: Henry VIII 's former Palace of Beaulieu is situated in Boreham , now occupied by the New Hall School . Also located in the borough include the RHS Garden, Hyde Hall at Rettendon, and numerous open spaces in Chelmsford, including Admirals and Central Parks. Writtle , where Robert
675-526: The two-tier structure, but reforms in the 1990s and 2009 reduced their number to 192. A further 55 non-metropolitan districts are now unitary authorities, which combine the functions of county and borough/district councils. In Wales , an almost identical two-tier system of local government existed between 1974 and 1996 (see Districts of Wales ). In 1996, this was abolished and replaced with an entirely unitary system of local government, with one level of local government responsible for all local services. Since
702-538: Was a local board of health established in 1850. This replaced a body of improvement commissioners which had previously administered the town under the Chelmsford Improvement Act 1789 ( 29 Geo. 3 . c. 44). The local board in turn was replaced by the Chelmsford Corporation in 1888 when the town was incorporated to become a municipal borough . The current district was formed on 1 April 1974 under
729-611: Was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and the Local Government Act 1972 . Non-metropolitan districts were created by this act in 1974 when England outside Greater London was divided into metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan counties. Metropolitan counties were sub-divided into metropolitan districts and the non-metropolitan counties were sub-divided into non-metropolitan districts. The metropolitan districts had more powers than their non-metropolitan counterparts. Initially, there were 296 non-metropolitan districts in
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