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Rochford District

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Rochford District
Non-metropolitan district
Rochford, the administrative centre and one of the towns of the district
Rochford, the administrative centre and one of the towns of the district
Rochford shown within Essex
Rochford shown within Essex
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast of England
Non-metropolitan countyEssex
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQRochford
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyRochford District Council
 • LeadershipAlternative - Sec. 31 (No overall control)
 • MPsBayo Alaba
Mark Francois
Area
 • Total
65.44 sq mi (169.49 km2)
 • Rank156th (of 296)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
89,815
 • Rank270th (of 296)
 • Density1,372.5/sq mi (529.91/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code22UL (ONS)
E07000075 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTQ876904

Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after one of its main settlements, Rochford, where the council is based. The largest town in the district is Rayleigh. Other places in the district include Hockley, Ashingdon, Great Wakering, Canewdon and Hullbridge.

The district borders Maldon District to the north, the City of Chelmsford to the north-west, the Borough of Basildon to the west, the Borough of Castle Point to the south-west, and the City of Southend-on-Sea to the south. To the east, it has a stretch of coast at Foulness Island.

Most of the built-up areas are in the western part of the district, along the railway line from Shenfield to Southend Victoria. Southend Airport straddles the district's border with the City of Southend-on-Sea. The eastern part of the district is more sparsely populated.

History

[edit]

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts, which were abolished at the same time:[2][3]

On 25 March 2026, it was announced that Rochford would be abolished in April 2028, along with all other local authorities in Essex. The government plans create a new South East Essex unitary authority area covering the current Castle Point, Southend-on-Sea and Rochford, commencing the transition period in 2027.[4]

Governance

[edit]
Rochford District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Simon Wootton,
Conservative
since 19 May 2026[5]
Adi Malviya,
Reform UK
since 19 May 2026
Jonathan Stephenson
since 1 August 2021[6]
Structure
Seats39 councillors
Graph of the party split among 39 seats.
Political groups
Administration (12)
    Reform (12)
Other parties (27)
    Conservative (8)
    Liberal Democrats (5)
    Rochford Resident (4)
    Independent (10)
Elections
Last election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Civic Suite, 2 Hockley Road, Rayleigh, SS6 8EB
Website
www.rochford.gov.uk

Rochford District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. The district is also entirely covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]

Rayleigh, one of the towns of the district and its largest settlement

Political control

[edit]

The council has been under no overall control since 2023. Following the 2026 election, Reform UK became the largest party on the council and formed a minority administration to run the council.[8]

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:[9]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–1990
No overall control1990–1994
Liberal Democrats1994–1998
No overall control1998–2002
Conservative2002–2023
No overall control2023–present

Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Terry Cutmore[10]Conservative2004May 2019
Mike Steptoe[11]ConservativeMay 20199 Jul 2020
Simon Wootton[12][13]Conservative9 Jul 2020May 2023
John Mason[14]Rochford District Residents23 May 2023May 2024
James Newport[15][16]Liberal Democrats21 May 2024May 2025
Danielle Belton[17][18]Conservative20 May 2025May 2026
Adi Malviya[8]Reform19 May 2026

Composition

[edit]

Following the 2026 election and a subsequent by-election in June 2026, the composition of the council was:[19][20]

Party Councillors
Reform12
Independent10
Conservative8
Liberal Democrats5
Rochford Resident4
Total 39

The next election is nominally scheduled for May 2027,[20] but is anticipated to be cancelled under current plans for local government reform which will see Rochford District Council be abolished in 2028 and the area become part of a new South East Essex unitary authority.[4]

Elections

[edit]

Since the last boundary changes in 2016 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four for a third of the council at a time. Elections to Essex County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections.[21]

Premises

[edit]
Council's headquarters: Council Offices, South Street, Rochford, SS4 1BW

The council has its main offices on South Street in Rochford. When the council was created it inherited the former Rochford Rural District Council's offices at Roche House, 7 South Street, Rochford and the former Rayleigh Urban District Council's offices at Barringtons, 2 Hockley Road, Rayleigh. Both buildings were converted houses. The council acquired other properties along South Street in Rochford and combined them with Roche House to form the council's headquarters.[22]

The civic suite wing of Barringtons in Rayleigh, including the council chamber, was retained by the council and serves as the council's main meeting place. It closed in 2020 but reopened in 2024 after a period of uncertainty about its future.[23][24][25]

Parishes

[edit]
Hawkwell, one of the villages of the district

The district is divided into 14 civil parishes. The parish council for Rayleigh takes the style "town council".[26][27]

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of Rochford District
Notes
Granted 8 March 1975.
Crest
Issuant from an ancient crown Or a mount Vert thereon in front of a representation of Rayleigh windmill Proper a seaxe fesswise Proper.
Escutcheon
Chequy of twelve Or a rose Gules barbed and seeded proper charged with a like rose Argent barbed and seeded Proper and Gules a garb Or.
Supporters
On the dexter side a bull [guardant] Sable armed unguled and winged Or and sinister a wyvern Vert.
Motto
Our Heritage Our Future.[28]
Badge
A roundel barry dancetty of six Gules and Or a pale wavy Argent charged with two pallets wavy Azure.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Rochford Local Authority (E07000075)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. 1 2 Deadman, Simon (25 March 2026). "Government backs five-council plan for Essex". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Councillor Simon Wootton named Rochford District Council's new Chairman". Rochford Council. 21 May 2026.
  6. ↑ Ferris, Mick (29 July 2021). "Joint chief executive appointed to oversee Brentwood and Rochford councils". Yellow Advertiser. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. 1 2 Dedman, Simon (21 May 2026). "Reform to lead minority administration at Rochford". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Rochford" in search box to see specific results.)
  10. ↑ Whitehouse, Ellis (2 April 2020). "Former Rochford Council leader Terry Cutmore dies". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Emes, Toby (13 July 2020). "Mike Steptoe says he's been forced out as leader of Rochford Council". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "New Leader of Rochford District Council appointed". Hockley Parish Council. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Howeson, Louise (8 May 2023). "Rochford local elections 2023: Tories lose control". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "New council administration appointed". Rochford District Council. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "New administration appointed at Rochford District Council". Rochford District Council. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  16. ↑ Spriggs, Peter (21 May 2025). "Rochford Council taken over by Conservative-led coalition". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "New Council administration appointed at Rochford District Council". Rochford District Council. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Reform to lead with minority on south Essex council after election success". Echo. 21 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "Rochford election result - Local Elections 2026". BBC News.
  20. 1 2 "Rochford". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "The Rochford (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/1860, retrieved 8 June 2023
  22. ↑ "Rochford Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan". Rochford District Council. April 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  23. ↑ Emes, Toby (12 October 2021). "Protest held over plans to build on Civic Suite, Rayleigh". Southend Echo. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  24. ↑ "Council's Rayleigh reception moves to Mill Arts and Events Centre". Rochford District Council. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  25. ↑ "Rochford Council evening meetings returning to the council chamber at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh". Rochford District Council. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  26. ↑ "Parish and Town Council Clerks". Rochford District Council. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  28. ↑ "East of England Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

51°34′54″N 0°42′30″E / 51.5817°N 0.7082°E / 51.5817; 0.7082

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