Braintree District

Braintree District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is named after the town of Braintree, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Halstead and Witham and surrounding rural areas.

Braintree District
Non-metropolitan district
Braintree. the administrative centre of the district and one of the three towns
Braintree shown within Essex
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	East of England
Non-metropolitan county	Essex
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Braintree
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Braintree District Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Conservative)
• MPs	James Cleverly Priti Patel
Area
• Total	236.18 sq mi (611.71 km2)
• Rank	58th (of 296)
Population  (2022)
• Total	157,681
• Rank	131st (of 296)
• Density	670/sq mi (260/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
• Ethnic groups	List 94.7% White 1.9% Mixed 1.7% Asian 1.2% Black 0.5% other
Religion (2021) [1]
• Religion	List 47.1% Christianity 45% no religion 7.2% other 0.7% Islam
Time zone	UTC0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code	22UC (ONS) E07000067 (GSS)
OS grid reference	TL7522

The neighbouring districts are Colchester, Maldon, Chelmsford, Uttlesford, South Cambridgeshire, West Suffolk, and Babergh.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of 14 districts within Essex. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:^[2]

• Braintree and Bocking Urban District
• Braintree Rural District
• Halstead Rural District
• Halstead Urban District
• Witham Urban District

The new district was named Braintree, after the area's largest town.^[3]

Governance

Braintree District Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
History
Founded	1 April 1974
Leadership
Chair	Justin Wrench, Conservative since 28 April 2025[4]
Leader	Graham Butland, Conservative since 28 April 2004
Chief Executive	Dan Gascoyne since September 2022[5]
Structure
Seats	49 councillors
Political groups	Administration (25)   Conservative (26) Opposition (24)   Labour (9)   Independent (8)   Green (4)   Halstead RA (3)
Length of term	Whole council elected every four years
Elections
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, CM7 9HB
Website
www.braintree.gov.uk

Braintree District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.^[6]

Political control

The council has been under Conservative control since 2007.

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:^[7][8]

Party in control		Years
	No overall control	1974–1976
	Conservative	1976–1979
	No overall control	1979–1995
	Labour	1995–2003
	No overall control	2003–2007
	Conservative	2007–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1995 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
John Gyford[9]		Labour	1995	9 Oct 2000
Ian Pointon[10]		Labour	9 Oct 2000	May 2003
David Finch[11]		Conservative	21 May 2003	28 Apr 2004
Graham Butland[12][13]		Conservative	28 Apr 2004

Composition

Following the 2023 election,^[14] and a subsequent change of allegiance in February 2025, the composition of the council was:^[15]

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	25
	Labour	9
	Independent	8
	Green	4
	Halstead Residents	3
Total		49

The Greens and seven of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Green Group".^[16] The next election is due in 2027.^[15]

Premises

The council has its headquarters at Causeway House on Bocking End in Braintree. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981.^[17]

Halstead, one of the three towns of the district

Witham, one of the three towns of the district

Elections

See also: Braintree District Council elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015, the council has comprised 49 councillors representing 26 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[18]

Wards

The wards are:^[18]

• Bocking Blackwater
• Bocking North
• Bocking South
• Braintree Central & Beckers Green
• Braintree South
• Braintree West
• Bumpstead
• Coggeshall
• Gosfield & Greenstead Green
• Great Notley & Black Notley
• Halstead St Andrew's
• Halstead Trinity
• Hatfield Peverel & Terling
• Hedingham
• Kelvedon & Feering
• Rayne
• Silver End and Cressing
• Stour Valley North
• Stour Valley South
• The Colnes
• Three Fields
• Witham Central
• Witham North
• Witham South
• Witham West
• Yeldham

Towns and parishes

Further information: List of civil parishes in Essex

There are 63 civil parishes in the district. The former Braintree and Bocking Urban District, covering the town of Braintree itself, is an unparished area. The parish councils for Halstead and Witham are styled "town councils".^[19]

Arms

Coat of arms of Braintree District

Notes Granted 15 October 1974.[20] Crest On a wreath of the colours on a mount Vert in front of a garb Or a boar passant Azure crined and unguled Or supporting with the dexter fore-hoof a Maltese cross Gules. Escutcheon Gules a pale Or between two seaxes in pale points upward Argent hilts pommels and quillons Or over all a fess wavy Argent charged with a bar wavy Sable in chief a lion rampant Azure a like lion in base. Supporters On either side a lion Sable gorged with a riband Argent pendent therefrom by a ring a mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert and holding in the month a shuttle erect threaded Proper. Motto By Wisdom And Foresight. Badge A mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert.