Bexley London Borough Council

There has been a Bexley local authority since 1880 when the parish of Bexley, which included both the village of Bexley and Bexley Heath, was made a local government district, governed by an elected local board.^[3] Such districts were converted into urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894, which saw the board replaced by an urban district council.^[4][5] Bexley Urban District was incorporated to become a municipal borough in 1935, governed by a body formally called the "Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Bexley", but generally known as the corporation, borough council or town council.^[6]

The much larger London Borough of Bexley and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964.^[7] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's four outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Bexley and Erith, and the urban district councils of Crayford and Chislehurst and Sidcup (the latter in respect of the Sidcup area only; the Chislehurst area went to the London Borough of Bromley).^[8] The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.^[9]

The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Bexley".^[10] Prior to 2007 the council branded itself "Bexley Council", which name is still commonly used for it.^[11][12]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Bexley) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Bexley has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.^[13]

Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.^[14]

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.^[15] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.^[16]

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2006.

The first election to the council was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:^[17][18]

Since the last boundary changes in 2018 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 17 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[27]

The wards of Bexley and the number of seats:^[28]

1. Barnehurst (2)
2. Belvedere (3)
3. Bexleyheath (3)
4. Blackfen & Lamorbey (3)
5. Blendon & Penhill (3)
6. Crayford (3)
7. Crook Log (3)
8. East Wickham (3)
9. Erith (2)
10. Falconwood & Welling (3)
11. Longlands (2)
12. Northumberland Heath (2)
13. Sidcup (3)
14. Slade Green & Northend (2)
15. St Mary's & St James (2)
16. Thamesmead East (3)
17. West Heath (3)

The council is based at the Civic Offices on Watling Street in Bexleyheath.^[29] The building was completed in 1989 as the headquarters of Woolwich Building Society. The council moved into the building in 2014.^[30]

When the modern council was created in 1965, its functions had been divided between the buildings inherited from its predecessors at Erith Town Hall, Crayford Town Hall, Sidcup Place, and Oak House on Broadway in Bexleyheath.^[31] Oak House was subsequently demolished and a new building called Civic Offices was built on the site, opening in 1980. The Broadway building remained the council's headquarters until 2014, and has since been redeveloped.^[32]