Redditch Borough Council
{{Short description|Local authority in Worcestershire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Redditch Borough Council
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| transcription_name =
| legislature =
| coa_pic =
| coa_res =
| coa_alt =
| coa_caption =
| logo_pic = Redditch Borough Council.svg
| logo_res = 250px
| logo_alt =
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| house_type =
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| jurisdiction =
| houses =
| term_limits =
| foundation =
| leader1_type = Mayor
| leader1 = Joanna Kane
| party1 =
Labour
| leader2_type = Leader
| leader2 = Sharon Harvey
| party2 =
Labour
| election2 = 19 May 2025
| leader3_type = Chief Executive
| leader3 = John Leach
| party3 =
| seats = 27 seats
| structure1 = Redditch Borough Council composition.svg
| structure1_res = 220
| structure1_alt = Redditch Borough Council composition
| political_groups1 =
;Administration (18)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (18)
;Other parties (9)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (5)}}
: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} Green (1)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (3)
| committees1 =
| joint_committees =
| term_length =
| voting_system1 =
| last_election1 = 2 May 2024
| next_election1 = 7 May 2026
| motto = REDDITE DEO (Render to God/Redditch for God)
| session_room = Redditch Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 3859367.jpg
| session_res =
| session_alt =
| meeting_place = Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98{{nbsp}}8AH
| website = {{URL|www.redditchbc.gov.uk}}
| constitution =
| footnotes =
}}
Redditch Borough Council is the local authority for Redditch, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Worcestershire, England.
History
The town of Redditch was made a local government district in 1858, governed by a local board. Such districts were renamed urban districts in 1894.{{cite book |title=Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire |date=1912 |location=London |page=223 |url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/79036 |access-date=21 September 2022}} The urban district in turn was abolished in 1974 and replaced by a non-metropolitan district covering the same area as the former urban district, but with different powers and responsibilities.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|accessdate=21 September 2022}}
Redditch district was awarded borough status on 15 May 1980, changing the council's name to Redditch Borough Council and allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.{{cite book |title=Bulletins of Change of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas, 1980–1982 |date=1982 |publisher=Department for the Environment |location=London |page=17 |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221201180331mp_/https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lgbce/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/11373/bulletin80-82.pdf |access-date=11 February 2024}}
Governance
Redditch Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Worcestershire County Council.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}} Feckenham is a civil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough; the rest of the borough is an unparished area.{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=9 January 2023}}
Since 2008, the council has developed shared working arrangements with neighbouring Bromsgrove District Council, with the two organisations sharing a chief executive, management team and other staff.{{cite book |title=Corporate Peer Challenge: Bromsgrove DC and Redditch BC |date=2018 |publisher=Local Government Association |page=1 |url=https://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/media/3669226/corporate-peer-challenge.pdf |access-date=10 February 2024}}
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2024.{{cite news |title=Labour takes Redditch for first time since 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxe9gy8y0k2o |access-date=21 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=3 May 2024}}
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Redditch" in search box to see specific results.)
| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2|Party in control | Years |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1974–1976 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | 1976–1983 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1983–2002 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2002–2004 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 2004–2006 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2006–2008 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | 2008–2012 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 2012–2018 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | 2018–2024 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 2024–present |
=Leadership=
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Redditch. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2008 have been:
=Composition=
Following the 2024 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025 the composition of the council was:{{cite web|title=Your Councillors|url=https://moderngovwebpublic.redditchbc.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx |publisher=Redditch Borough Council|accessdate=9 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Redditch |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=redditch |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=4 July 2025}}
| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party ! Councillors |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| align=center|18 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| align=center|5 |
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| align=center|1 |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent}}
| align=center|3 |
| colspan=2|Total
! align=center|27 |
|---|
Premises
The council is based at Redditch Town Hall on Walter Stranz Square.{{cite web |title=Main council details |url=https://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/contacts/main-council-details.aspx |website=Redditch Borough Council |access-date=11 February 2024}} The foundation stone was laid in 1981.{{cite web|url= http://hip.rvmha.info/HIP-NEW/HIP-NEW-09.pdf|title=Facts and history of Redditch|access-date=8 February 2021}} It cost £7.5 million to build and it was opened in 1982.{{cite web|url=http://tl.rvmha.info/rvm-on-line-tl-nt-index.html|title=New Town Development Events|access-date=8 February 2021}}
Elections
{{see also|Redditch Borough Council elections}}
Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 27 councillors representing 9 wards, with each ward electing three councillors.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Redditch (Electoral Changes) Order 2023|year=2023|number=654|access-date=11 February 2024}} Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time for a four-year term of office. Worcestershire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.
=Councillors=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| colspan="2"|Party
! style="text-align:center;"|Ward ! style="width: 130px"|Councillor |
|---|
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Astwood Bank & Feckenham | style="text-align:center;"|Brandon Clayton |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Astwood Bank & Feckenham | style="text-align:center;"|Christopher Holz |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Astwood Bank & Feckenham | style="text-align:center;"|Craig Warhurst |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Batchley & Brockhill | style="text-align:center;"|Joe Baker |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Batchley & Brockhill | style="text-align:center;"|Wanda King |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Batchley & Brockhill | style="text-align:center;"|Sachin Mathur |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Central | style="text-align:center;"|William Boyd |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Central | style="text-align:center;"|Sharon Harvey |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Central | style="text-align:center;"|Gary Slim |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Greenlands & Lakeside | style="text-align:center;"|Juma Begum |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Greenlands & Lakeside | style="text-align:center;"|Andrew Fry |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Greenlands & Lakeside | style="text-align:center;"|Joanna Kane |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Headless Cross & Oakenshaw | style="text-align:center;"|Juliet Barker Smith |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Headless Cross & Oakenshaw | style="text-align:center;"|Ian Woodall |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Headless Cross & Oakenshaw | style="text-align:center;"|David Munro |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Matchborough & Woodrow | style="text-align:center;"|James Fardoe |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Matchborough & Woodrow | style="text-align:center;"|Jane Spilsbury |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Matchborough & Woodrow | style="text-align:center;"|Paul Wren |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|North | style="text-align:center;"|Bill Hartnett |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent}}
| style="text-align:center;"|North | style="text-align:center;"|Sid Khan |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|North | style="text-align:center;"|Monica Stringfellow |
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Webheath & Callow Hill | style="text-align:center;"|Claire Davies |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Webheath & Callow Hill | style="text-align:center;"|Matthew Dormer |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Webheath & Callow Hill | style="text-align:center;"|Gemma Monaco |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Winyates | style="text-align:center;"|Alan Mason |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Winyates | style="text-align:center;"|Rita Rogers |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Winyates | style="text-align:center;"|Jen Snape |
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |