# Stevenage Borough Council > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stevenage_Borough_Council > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stevenage_Borough_Council.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenage_Borough_Council > Source revision: 1356884902 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Local authority for Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England [51°54′00″N 0°12′11″W / 51.900°N 0.203°W / 51.900; -0.203](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Stevenage_Borough_Council¶ms=51.9_N_0.203_W_region:GB_scale:50000) Stevenage Borough Council Type Type Non-metropolitan district Leadership Mayor Lloyd Briscoe, Labour Co-op since 22 May 2026 Leader Richard Henry, Labour Co-op since 1 January 2023 Chief executive Tom Pike since April 2025[1] Structure Seats 39 councillors[2] Political groups Administration (21) Labour Co-op (19) Labour (2) Other parties (18) Reform (10) Liberal Democrats (6) Conservative (1) Independent (1) Elections Voting system First past the post Last election 7 May 2026 Meeting place Daneshill House, Danestrete, Stevenage, SG1 1HN Website www.stevenage.gov.uk **Stevenage Borough Council** is the [local authority](/source/Local_authority) for [Stevenage](/source/Stevenage), a [local government district](/source/Non-metropolitan_district) with [borough status](/source/Borough_status_in_the_United_Kingdom) in [Hertfordshire](/source/Hertfordshire), England. The council has been under [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) majority control since 1974, and joint [Co-operative Party](/source/Co-operative_Party) control since 2026. It is based at Daneshill House on Danestrete. ## History Stevenage's first elected council was a [local board](/source/Local_board_of_health) established in 1873, prior to which the town had been administered by the parish [vestry](/source/Vestry).[3] Such local boards were converted into [urban district councils](/source/Urban_district_(England_and_Wales)) in 1894. The [Local Government Act 1972](/source/Local_Government_Act_1972) reconstituted Stevenage Urban District as a [non-metropolitan district](/source/Non-metropolitan_district) with effect from 1 April 1974.[4] The district was awarded [borough status](/source/Borough_status_in_the_United_Kingdom) on the same date, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[5] ## Governance Stevenage Borough Council provides [district-level](/source/Non-metropolitan_district) services. [County-level](/source/Non-metropolitan_county) functions are provided by [Hertfordshire County Council](/source/Hertfordshire_County_Council). There are no [civil parishes](/source/Civil_parish) in the borough. ### Political control The first elections to the borough council as reformed under the Local Government Act 1972 were held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. The [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) has held a majority of the seats on the council since 1974:[6] Party in control Years Labour 1974–2026 Labour Co-op 2026–present ### Leadership The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Stevenage, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the [leader of the council](/source/Leader_of_the_council). The leaders since 1974 have been: Councillor Party From To Brian Hall[7][8] Labour 1974 23 May 2006 Sharon Taylor[9][10] Labour 23 May 2006 31 Dec 2022 Richard Henry[10] Labour Co-op 1 Jan 2023 present ### Composition Following the [2026 council elections](/source/2026_Stevenage_Borough_Council_election).[11][12][13] Party Councillors Labour Co-op 19 Labour 2 Reform 10 Liberal Democrats 6 Conservative 1 Independent 1 Total 39 ## Elections Main article: [Stevenage Borough Council elections](/source/Stevenage_Borough_Council_elections) Since the last ward boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 39 [councillors](/source/Councillor), with the borough being divided into 13 [wards](/source/Wards_and_electoral_divisions_of_the_United_Kingdom) each electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, electing one councillor from each ward each time to serve a four-year term of office. [Hertfordshire County Council elections](/source/Hertfordshire_County_Council_elections) are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[14] The wards are: - Almond Hill - Bandley Hill and Poplars - [Bedwell](/source/Bedwell%2C_Hertfordshire) - [Chells](/source/Chells) - Longmeadow - Manor - Martins Wood - [Old Town](/source/Old_Town%2C_Stevenage) - Roebuck - St Nicholas - [Shephall](/source/Shephall) - [Symonds Green](/source/Symonds_Green) - Woodfield ## Premises The council is based at Daneshill House on Danestrete in the town centre. The building was built in 1961 for the development corporation which oversaw the development of Stevenage as a [New Town](/source/New_Towns_in_the_United_Kingdom) between 1946 and 1980. The building was bought by the council in 1980 when the development corporation was wound up.[15] ## Arms Coat of arms of Stevenage Borough Council Notes Originally granted to Stevenage Urban District Council on 10 March 1958. Crest Out of a crown palisado Or a demi hart Proper its sinister fore leg resting upon a cogwheel Gold. Escutcheon Argent on a mount in base point Vert an oak tree eradicated Proper fructed Or transfixed with a sword in bend sinister point downward also Proper hilt and pommel also Or and over all a fess Gules charged with six mullets of six points Gold. Motto The Heart Of A Town Lies In Its People.[16] Other elements Vert doubled Argent mantling ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Tom Pike appointed new Chief Executive Officer"](https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/news-and-events/news/tom-pike-appointed-new-chief-executive-officer). *Stevenage Borough Council*. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Political Makeup"](https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/political-makeup). Stevenage Borough Council. Retrieved 18 May 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["No. 24022"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24022/page/4434). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 3 October 1873. p. 4434. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Stevenage Urban District"](https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10089657). *A Vision of Britain through Time*. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 9 May 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["District Councils and Boroughs"](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145). *[Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)](/source/Hansard)*. 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-electionscentre_6-0)** ["Compositions Calculator"](https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html). *The Elections Centre*. University of Exeter. Retrieved 5 March 2025. (Put "Stevenage" in search box to see specific results.) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hall1_7-0)** ["End of an era"](https://www.thecomet.net/news/end-of-an-era-7663660). *The Comet*. 25 May 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hall2_8-0)** ["Mayors of Stevenage from 1974"](https://www.stevenage.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/mayor-of-stevenage/past-mayors-of-stevenage). *Stevenage Borough Council*. Retrieved 7 June 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Council minutes, 23 May 2006"](https://democracy.stevenage.gov.uk/celistdocuments.aspx?MID=1184&DF=23%2f05%2f2006&A=1&R=0&F=embed$Minutes$.htm). *Stevenage Borough Council*. Retrieved 29 March 2025. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-14Dec2022_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-14Dec2022_10-1) ["Council minutes, 14 December 2022"](https://democracy.stevenage.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=150&MId=5418). *Stevenage Borough Council*. Retrieved 29 March 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-YourCouncillors20May26_11-0)** ["Your Councillors"](https://web.archive.org/web/20260519232337/https://democracy.stevenage.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1). *Stevenage Borough Council*. 19 May 2026. Archived from [the original](https://democracy.stevenage.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx) on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Mountney, Dan (8 May 2026). ["Stevenage local elections results 2026"](https://www.thecomet.net/news/26088858.stevenage-local-elections-results-2026/). *The Comet*. Retrieved 19 May 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** McEvoy, Louise (18 May 2026). ["Stevenage councillor quits Labour over 'issues not receiving attention'"](https://www.thecomet.net/news/26117696.sarah-mead-stevenage-borough-council-labour-party-member-quits/). *The Comet*. Retrieved 19 May 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["The Stevenage (Electoral Changes) Order 2023"](https://legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/653/made), *[legislation.gov.uk](/source/Legislation.gov.uk)*, [The National Archives](/source/The_National_Archives_(United_Kingdom)), SI 2023/653, retrieved 24 May 2023 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Cole, Emily; Harwood, Elain (2020). [*The New Town Centre, Stevenage, Hertfordshire: Architecture and Significance*](https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/8209/TheNewTownCentreStevenageHertfordshire_ArchitectureandSignificance). Historic England. pp. 118, 150. Retrieved 4 December 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["East of England Region"](http://civicheraldry.co.uk/east_of_england.html). Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 9 March 2021. v t e Local authorities in Hertfordshire County council Hertfordshire District councils Broxbourne Dacorum East Hertfordshire Hertsmere North Hertfordshire St Albans Stevenage Three Rivers Watford Welwyn Hatfield --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stevenage Borough Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenage_Borough_Council) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenage_Borough_Council?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.