Ipswich Borough Council

Ipswich Borough Council, founded in 1974 after the abolition of the County Borough of Ipswich, governs the non-metropolitan district of Ipswich in Suffolk. It is the second tier of a two-tier system, fulfilling functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning, with Suffolk County Council providing county council services such as transport, education and social services.

Ipswich Borough Council
History
Founded1974
Preceded byIpswich Corporation
Leadership
Mayor of Ipswich
Lynne Mortimer, Labour Party
since May 2023
Leader of the Council
Neil MacDonald, Labour Party
Deputy Leader
Bryony Rudkin, Labour Party
Leader of the Opposition
Ian Fisher, Conservative Party
Chief Executive
Helen Pluck
Structure
Seats48[1]
Political groups
Administration (33)
  Labour (33)
Other Parties (15)
  Conservative (10)
  Suspended Conservative/Independents (2)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
Elections
Last election
5 May 2023
Meeting place

Grafton House, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DE
Website
www.ipswich.gov.uk

Politics

Between 1979 and September 2004, Ipswich Borough Council was under Labour control. The town was then governed by a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition until May 2011 when it reverted to Labour.

The borough is covered by two parliamentary constituencies: Ipswich, which covers about 75% and is represented by Conservative MP Tom Hunt, and Central Suffolk & North Ipswich, which covers the remaining 25% and is represented by Conservative MP Dan Poulter.

Bid for unitary status

In April 2006 the council initiated public discussions about the idea of turning the borough into a unitary authority[2] (Ipswich had constituted a county borough from 1889 to 1974, independent of the surrounding administrative county of East Suffolk, and this status was not restored by the Banham/Cooksey Commission in the 1990s). Ipswich, Norwich, Exeter and Oxford united to campaign for unitary authority status, hoping to use the window of opportunity presented by the October 2006 Local Government White Paper. In March 2007, it was announced that Ipswich was one of sixteen shortlisted councils[3] and on 25 July 2007, the Secretary of state announced that she was minded to implement the unitary proposal for Ipswich, but that there were 'a number of risks relating to the financial case set out in the proposal',[4] on which she invited Ipswich to undertake further work before a final decision is taken.[5] Early in December plans were thrown into doubt as the Government announced that it had 'delayed' the unitary bids for Ipswich and Exeter.[6] In July 2008 the Boundary Committee announced their preferred option was for a unitary authority covering Ipswich and the south-eastern corner of Suffolk (including Felixstowe).[7]

Areas

The Council has divided the Borough into 5 areas which each have their own committee and funding.[8]

  • Central Area: Alexandra Ward, St Margaret’s Ward and Westgate Ward
  • North East Area: Bixley Ward, Rushmere Ward and St John’s Ward
  • North West Area: Castle Hill Ward, Whitehouse Ward and Whitton Ward
  • South East Area: Gainsborough Ward, Holywells Ward and Priory Heath Ward
  • South West Area: Bridge Ward, Gipping Ward, Sprites Ward and Stoke Park Ward

Wards

The Borough consists of 16 wards, each of which is represented by three Councillors. Since boundaries were revised in 2002 these have been:

Ipswich Borough Council Wards[9]
Name Area Middle Layer Super Output Area Councillors, June 2023[10] (date elected)
Alexandra Central Ipswich 007 Adam Rae (2021)[11] John Cook (2022) Jane Riley (2023)
Bixley North East Ipswich 009 Lee Reynolds (2021) Edward Phillips (2022) Richard Pope (2023)
Bridge South West Ipswich 012 Bryony Rudkin (2021) Stephen Connolly (2022) Philip Smart (2023)
Castle Hill North West Ipswich 002 Ian Fisher (2021) Sam Murray (2022) Erion Xhaferaj (2023)
Gainsborough South East Ipswich 016 Shayne Pooley (2021) Lynne Mortimer (2022) Martin Cook (2023)
Gipping South West Ipswich 010 David Ellesmere (2021) Elizabeth Hughes (2022) Peter Gardiner (2023)
Holywells South East Ipswich 011 Philippa Gordon (2021) George Lankester (2022) Cathy Frost (2023)
Priory Heath South East Ipswich 014 Roxanne Downes (2022) Daniel Maguire (2022) Ruman Muhith (2023)
Rushmere North East Ipswich 004 Alasdair Ross (2021) Stefan Long (2022) Kelvin Cracknell (2023)
St John's North East Ipswich 008 Neil MacDonald (2021) Sophie Connolly (2022) Kanthasamy Elavalakan (2023)
St Margaret's Central Ipswich 005 Oliver Holmes (2021) Inga Lockington (2022) Timothy Lockington (2023)
Sprites South West Ipswich 013 Stephen Flood (2021) Colin Smart (2022) Jennifer Smith (2023)
Stoke Park South West Ipswich 015 Rhys Ellis (2021) Tony Blacker (2022) Nathan Wilson (2023)
Westgate Central Ipswich 006 Carole Jones (2021) Colin Kreidewolf (2022) Julian Gibbs (2023)
Whitehouse North West Ipswich 003 Tracy Grant(2021) Colin Wright (2022) Lucinda Trenchard (2023)
Whitton North West Ipswich 001 Tony Gould (2021) Christine Shaw (2022) Gary Forster (2023)

For full election results see Ipswich Borough Council elections.

Heritage assets

Ipswich Borough Council owns a substantial number of artworks which have been curated by the Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service since 2007.[12]

Arms
Coat of arms of Ipswich Borough Council
Notes
Granted 29 August 1561.[13]
Crest
On a wreath Or and Gules a demi lion Or supporting a ship Sable.
Escutcheon
Per pale Gules and Azure in the first a lion rampant Gold armed and langued Azure in the second three demi boats of the third.
Supporters
Two horses of the sea commonly called Neptune's horses maned and fined Gold.

References
  1. "Connection denied by Geolocation".
  2. Richard Atkins; David Ellesmere; Elizabeth Harsant (1 April 2006). "The case for a unitary Ipswich" (PDF). Ipswich Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 October 2008.
  3. "Town council unitary bid success". BBC News. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2007.
  4. "Decision letters for the unitary proposals". Department for Communities and Local Government. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  5. "Borough is awarded unitary status". BBC News. 25 July 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  6. "Unitary bid put on hold". Evening Star 24. 5 December 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  7. Draft proposals for unitary local government in Norfolk and Suffolk Boundary Committee
  8. "Area Committees explained". www.ipswich.gov.uk. Ipswich Borough Council. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  9. "Ipswich Boundaries". Google My Maps. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. "Your Councillors". democracy.ipswich.gov.uk. Ipswich Borough Council. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  11. Geater, Paul (2019). "Labour's Adam Rae wins by-election in Ipswich council Alexandra Ward". Ipswich Star. No. 27 September 2019. Archant Community Media Ltd.
  12. "Museum Services". www.colchester.gov.uk. hester City Council. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  13. "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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