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Bexley London Borough Council

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Bexley London Borough Council
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms
Logo
Council logo
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
History
Founded1 April 1965
Leadership
Lisa-Jane Moore,
Conservative
since 27 May 2026[1]
David Leaf,
Conservative
since 5 November 2025
Paul Thorogood
since 23 October 2023[2]
Structure
Seats45 councillors
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Conservative (28)
Other parties (17)
  Labour (9)
  Reform UK (7)
  Independent (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Plurality-at-large
Last election
7 May 2026
Next election
2030
Meeting place
Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, DA6 7AT
Website
www.bexley.gov.uk

Bexley London Borough Council, also known as Bexley Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Bexley in Greater London, England. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2006. It is based at Bexley Civic Offices in the Bexleyheath area of the borough.

History

[edit]

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.[8]

The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Bexley".[9] Prior to 2007 the council branded itself "Bexley Council", which name is still commonly used for it.[10][11]

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.[12]

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.[13]

Powers and functions

[edit]

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.[14] 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.[15]

Political control

[edit]

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:[16][17]

Party in controlYears
Labour1965–1968
Conservative1968–1971
Labour1971–1974
Conservative1974–1994
No overall control1994–1998
Conservative1998–2002
Labour2002–2006
Conservative2006–present

Leadership

[edit]

Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Bexley. The leaders since 1965 have been:[18]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Jim WellbelovedLabour19651966
Peter MaxwellLabour19661968
Frederick BrearleyConservative19681971
Peter MaxwellLabour19711974
Julian TremayneConservative19741977
Len Newton[19]Conservative19771994
Donna BriantLabour19941996
Kathryn SmithLabour19961998
Mike SlaughterConservative19982002
Chris Ball[20][21]Labour27 May 2002May 2006
Ian Clement[22][23]Conservative24 May 20065 May 2008
Teresa O'Neill[24][25]Conservative14 May 20085 Nov 2025
David Leaf[25] Conservative 5 Nov 2025

Mayoralty

[edit]

The Mayor of Bexley is a ceremonial position representing Bexley at various events and chairing council meetings and the Civic Recognition Panel.[26]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Marjorie Barron[27]Labour19651966
Ken J SmithLabour19661967
John W Schuch[a]LabourMay 1967November 1967
Frieda K SchuchLabourNovember 1967May 1968
Jamieson-HarveyConservative19681969
Norman AntenbringConservative19691970
Raymond PopeConservative19701971
Ken J Smith[b]Labour19711972
Beatrice Scott[28] Labour 1972 1973
Alf Turner Labour 1973 1974
John D Minett Conservative 1974 1975
Fred Brearley Conservative 1975 1976
Agnes E F Orange[c] Conservative 1976 1977
William Flint Conservative 1977 1978
Charles E Packer Conservative 1978 1979
Frank Pearson-Sellars Conservative 1979 1980
James Holden[29] Conservative 1980 1981
Brian Sams[d] Conservative 1981 1982
David Todd-Dunning Conservative 1982 1983
John B Raggett Conservative 1983 1984
Dennis C Bale Conservative 1984 1985
Ronald J Passey Conservative 1985 1986
Joan Stewart Conservative 1986 1987
Stan Carter Conservative 1987 1988
John N Harrington[30] Conservative 1988 1989
Malcolm Ketley Conservative 1989 1990
Graham R Holland Conservative 1990 1991
Alfred W Catterall Conservative 1991 1992
Colin L Tandy Conservative 1992 1993
Alfred Charlton Conservative 1993 1994
Raymond Allen Labour 1994 1995
Colin Wright Liberal Democrats 1995 1996
Ron Brierly[31] Labour 1996 1997
Rita Sams[d] Conservative 1997 1998
Chris Ball Labour 1998 1999
Linda Bailey Conservative 1999 2000
John Wilkinson Conservative 2000 2001
Aileen Beckwith Conservative 2001 2002
Ann Lucas Labour 2002 2003
Denis Daniels Labour 2003 2004
John Eastaugh[32] Labour 2004 2005
John Shepheard Labour 2005 2006
Brian Beckwith Conservative 2006 2007
Nigel Betts Conservative 2007 2008
Nick O'HareConservative20082009
Bernard Clewes MBEConservative20092010
Val ClarkConservative20102011
Ray Sams[33][d]Conservative20112012
Alan Downing[34] Conservative 2012 2013
Sharon Massey[35] Conservative 2013 2014
Howard Marriner[36] Conservative 2014 2015
Sybil Camsey[37] Conservative 2015 2016
Eileen Pallen Conservative 2016 2017
Peter Reader Conservative 2017 2018
Brian Bishop Conservative 2018 2019
Geraldine Lucia-Harris Conservative 2019 2020
James Hunt[38][39][e] Conservative 2020 2022
Nick O'Hare[40][f] Conservative 2022 2023
Andy Dourmoush[41] Conservative 2023 2024
Sue Gower[42] Conservative 2024 2025
Christine Catterall[43] Conservative 2025 2026
Lisa-Jane Moore Conservative 2026
  1. ↑ Died in office.
  2. ↑ Second term, previously serving from 2008 to 2009.
  3. ↑ Was a serving alderman at time of election.
  4. 1 2 3 Brian Sams (1981–1982) is the brother of Ray Sams (2011–2012) and the husband of Rita Sams (1997–1998).
  5. ↑ Served two consecutive terms.
  6. ↑ Second term, previously serving from 2008 to 2009.

Composition

[edit]

Following the 2026 election and subsequent changes up to June 2026, the composition of the council was:[44]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative28
Labour9
Reform7
Independent1
Total45

The next election is due in May 2030.[45]

Elections

[edit]

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.[46]

Wards

[edit]

The wards of Bexley and the number of seats:[47]

  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)

Premises

[edit]

The council is based at the Civic Offices on Watling Street in Bexleyheath.[48] The building was completed in 1989 as the headquarters of Woolwich Building Society. The council moved into the building in 2014.[49]

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.[50] 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.[51]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Bennett, Robyn (4 June 2026). "Councillor Lisa-Jane Moore becomes Mayor of Bexley". London Now. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Senior Council Officers". Bexley Council. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Annual Report of the Local Government Board. 1881. p. 494. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Kelly's Directory of Kent. 1913. pp. 72, 75. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Local Government Act 1894", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1894 c. 73, retrieved 12 April 2024
  6. ↑ "Bexley Urban District / Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
  8. 1 2 Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
  9. ↑ "Inter Authority Agreement for the Local London Partnership Programme" (PDF). Havering Council. 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "Bexley Council". Archived from the original on 4 January 2007.
  11. ↑ "London Borough of Bexley". Archived from the original on 24 December 2007.
  12. ↑ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  13. ↑ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0714648590.
  14. ↑ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Bexley" in search box to see specific results.)
  17. ↑ "Harrow". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  18. ↑ "London Boroughs Political Almanac: London Borough of Bexley". London Councils. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Len Newton RIP: The man who changed the face of Bexley Council". Bexleyheath and Crayford Conservative Association. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  20. ↑ "Council minutes, 27 May 2002". London Borough of Bexley. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  21. ↑ "Labour crushed in Bexley". News Shopper. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  22. ↑ "Council minutes, 24 May 2006". London Borough of Bexley. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  23. ↑ Piper, Linda (6 May 2008). "Council leader takes deputy mayor role". News Shopper. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "Council minutes, 14 May 2008". London Borough of Bexley. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  25. 1 2 Smith, J. (12 October 2025). "Bexley Council gains a new leader in November". Murky Depths. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Role of the Mayor | London Borough of Bexley". www.bexley.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "1965-1972". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  28. ↑ "1972-1980". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. ↑ "1980-1988". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  30. ↑ "1988-1996". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  31. ↑ "1996-2004". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  32. ↑ "2004-Present day". www.bexley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Civic Offices, Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA6 7LB, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  33. ↑ "BEXLEY: Council elects new mayor and cabinet". News Shopper. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  34. ↑ "Mayor of Bexley celebrates pupil achievements at award ceremony". News Shopper. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "All-female Mayoral Team for Bexley". News Shopper. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "New Bexley mayor is 'overwhelmed by the honour'". News Shopper. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "Former Barnehurst head teacher, Sybil Camsey, appointed as Bexley mayor". News Shopper. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "New Bexley Mayor James Hunt pays tribute to ICU worker wife following election". News Shopper. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Current Mayor | London Borough of Bexley". www.bexley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "Cllr Nick O'Hare elected as Bexley mayor for the second time". News Shopper. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Current Mayor | London Borough of Bexley". www.bexley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  42. ↑ "New Mayor of Bexley pledges to raise money for counselling charity". News Shopper. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "Bexley's current Mayor | London Borough of Bexley". www.bexley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 April 2026. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  44. ↑ Coyle, Simon (7 May 2026). "Bexley local election results 2026 in full". Manchester Evening News.
  45. ↑ "Bexley". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  46. ↑ "The London Borough of Bexley (Electoral Changes) Order 2017", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2017/481, retrieved 2 May 2024
  47. ↑ legislation.gov.uk - The London Borough of Bexley (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. Retrieved on 13 March 2019.
  48. ↑ "Contact us". Bexley Council. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  49. ↑ Wood, Heloise (12 May 2014). "Bexley Council moves offices to old Woolwich building in Watling Street". News Shopper. Retrieved 2 May 2004.
  50. ↑ Municipal Year Book. London: Municipal Journal. 1976. pp. 576–578.
  51. ↑ "Bexleyheath Civic Offices Planning Brief" (PDF). Bexley Council. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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