# Braintree District

Braintree District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is named after the town of Braintree, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Halstead and Witham and surrounding rural areas.
The neighbouring districts are Colchester, Maldon, Chelmsford, Uttlesford, South Cambridgeshire, West Suffolk, and Babergh.

## History

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.

## 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:
| Party in control | Years |
| No overall control | 1974–1976 |
| Conservative | 1976–1979 |
| No overall control | 1979–1995 |
| Labour | 1995–2003 |
| No overall control | 2003–2007 |
| Conservative | 2007–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1995 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| John Gyford | Labour | 1995 | 9 Oct 2000 |
| Ian Pointon | Labour | 9 Oct 2000 | 4 May 2003 |
| David Finch | Conservative | 2003 | 2004 |
| Graham Butland | Conservative | 28 Apr 2004 | |

### Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 26 |
| | Labour | 9 |
| | Independent | 7 |
| | Green | 4 |
| | Halstead Residents | 3 |
| Total | Total | 49 |
The Greens and independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Green Group". The next election is due in 2027.

### Premises

The council has its headquarters at Causeway House on Bocking End in Braintree. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981.

## 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

Coat of arms of Braintree District :
* NotesGranted 15 October 1974.
* CrestOn a wreath of the colours on a mount Vert in front of a garb Or a boar passant Azure crined and unguled Or supporting with the dexter fore-hoof a Maltese cross Gules.
* EscutcheonGules a pale Or between two seaxes in pale points upward Argent hilts pommels and quillons Or over all a fess wavy Argent charged with a bar wavy Sable in chief a lion rampant Azure a like lion in base.
* SupportersOn either side a lion Sable gorged with a riband Argent pendent therefrom by a ring a mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert and holding in the month a shuttle erect threaded Proper.
* MottoBy Wisdom And Foresight.
* BadgeA mullet Argent surmounted of a pentagon Or fimbriated and charged with a fleur-de-Lys Vert.