Braintree District

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: • 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. Witham was originally planned to be in Maldon district, it was later decided to place it in Braintree district. ==Governance==

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. 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: Leadership The leaders of the council since 1995 have been: Composition Following the 2023 election, and a subsequent change of allegiance in February 2025, the composition of the council was: The Greens and seven of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Green Group". The next election is due in 2027. ==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. Wards The wards are: • 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==

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". ==Arms==

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