Borough of Boston

The Borough of Boston is a local government district with borough status in Lincolnshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Boston. The borough also includes numerous villages and towns in the surrounding rural area including Kirton, Wyberton, Sutterton, Algakirk and Hubberts Bridge.

Borough of Boston
Non-metropolitan district and borough
From left to right Top: Boston Stump and Boston town centre Middle: Kirton town hall and Algarkirk church Bottom: Sutterton church and aerial of the town centre and waterways/bridges
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Administrative county	Lincolnshire
Admin. HQ	Boston
Government
• Type	Boston Borough Council
• MP:	Richard Tice
Area
• Total	141 sq mi (364 km2)
• Rank	97th
Population  (2022)
• Total	64,637
• Rank	Ranked 285th
• Density	460/sq mi (180/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
• Ethnic groups	List 94.7% White 2% Asian 1.4% Mixed 1% other 0.7% Black
Religion (2021) [1]
• Religion	List 64% Christianity 33.4% no religion 1.5% Islam 0.4% Hinduism 0.2% Buddhism 0.4% other
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code	32UB (ONS) E07000136 (GSS)

The borough borders South Holland to the south, North Kesteven to the west, and East Lindsey to the north. To the east, it has a coast onto the Wash.

History

The town of Boston had been incorporated as an ancient borough in 1545.^[2] It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836.^[3]

The modern borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, by merging the municipal borough of Boston with Boston Rural District.^[4] The new district was named Boston after its only town.^[5] Boston's borough status passed to the enlarged district from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Boston's series of mayors dating back to 1545.^[6] The borough covers the northern part of Holland, one of the three traditional Parts of Lincolnshire. Holland had been an administrative county between 1889 and 1974.

In 2020 the council agreed to share its management and other staff with neighbouring East Lindsey District Council.^[7] South Holland District Council joined the partnership in 2021, which is now described as the "South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership".^[8]

Governance

Boston Borough Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Mayor	Helen Staples, Boston Independent since 20 May 2024[9]
Leader	Anne Dorrian, Boston Independent since 22 May 2023
Chief Executive	Robert Barlow[a] since 1 July 2020[7]
Structure
Seats	30 councillors
Political groups	Administration (18)   Boston Ind. (18) Other parties (12)   Conservative (5)   Independent (5)   Blue Revolution (1)   Liberal Democrats (1)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, PE21 8QR
Website
www.boston.gov.uk

Wyberton, one of the many villages in the borough

Boston Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lincolnshire County Council. Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.^[10][11]

Political control

Since the 2023 election the council has been under the control of local party the Boston Independents.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:^[12][13]

Party in control		Years
	No overall control	1974–2007
	Boston Bypass Independents	2007–2011
	Conservative	2011–2015
	No overall control	2015–2019
	Conservative	2019–2020
	No overall control	2020–2023
	Boston Independent	2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Boston. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2006 have been:^[14]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Joyce Dobson		Conservative		2006
Mary Wright		Conservative	18 May 2006	6 May 2007
Richard Austin		Boston Bypass Independents	24 May 2007	25 May 2011
Peter Bedford		Conservative	25 May 2011	15 May 2017
Michael Cooper		Conservative	15 May 2017	15 Jul 2019
Aaron Spencer		Conservative	15 Jul 2019	20 Jan 2020
Paul Skinner		Conservative	3 Feb 2020	7 May 2023
Anne Dorrian		Boston Independent	22 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:^[15]

Party		Councillors
	Boston Independent	18
	Conservative	5
	Independent	5
	Blue Revolution	1
	Liberal Democrats	1
Total		30

The Liberal Democrat and three of the independent councillors sit together as the "20-20 Independent Group".^[16] The next election is due in 2027.^[17]

Elections

See also: Boston Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 30 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[18] A map of the wards is available,^[19] as is a map showing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's final recommendations for ward boundaries, October 2012.^[20]

The wards, and their numbers of councillors, are:^[18]

• Coastal (2)
• Fenside (2)
• Fishtoft (3)
• Five Villages (2)
• Kirton and Frampton (3)
• Old Leake and Wrangle (2)
• Skirbeck (3)
• St Thomas' (1)
• Staniland (2)
• Station (1)
• Swineshead and Holland Fen (2)
• Trinity (2)
• West (1)
• Witham (2)
• Wyberton (2)

Premises

The council is based at the Municipal Buildings on West Street in Boston.^[21] The building was built in 1902 for the old borough council to the designs of architect James Rowell.^[22]

Parishes

Kirton, one of the many villages of the borough

Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, the exception being the pre-1974 municipal borough of Boston, which is an unparished area. The parishes are:^[23]

• Algakirk
• Amber Hill
• Benington
• Bicker
• Butterwick
• Fishtoft
• Fosdyke
• Frampton
• Freiston
• Holland Fen with Brothertoft
• Kirton
• Leverton
• Old Leake
• Sutterton
• Swineshead
• Wigtoft
• Wrangle
• Wyberton

2016 EU referendum

See also: Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum

On 23 June 2016 the Borough of Boston voted in the UK-wide Referendum on membership of the European Union (EU) under the provisions of the European Union Referendum Act 2015. In a turnout of 77%, over 75% voted to leave the EU, the highest leave majority of the 382 UK voting areas.^[24] The local MP Matt Warman, a Conservative, had campaigned for a "Remain" vote.^[25]

United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 Borough of Boston
Choice		Votes	%
	Leave the European Union	22,974	75.56%
	Remain a member of the European Union	7,430	24.44%
Valid votes		30,404	99.96%
Invalid or blank votes		12	0.04%
Total votes		30,416	100.00%
Registered voters and turnout		39,963	77.27%

Borough of Boston referendum result (without spoiled ballots):

Leave: 22,974 (75.6%)	Remain: 7,430 (24.4%)
▲

Swineshead, one of the many villages of the borough

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Boston.

Individuals

• Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam: 21 March 2022.^{[26][27][28][29]}
• David Medlock: 17 April 2023.^[30]

Military Units

• RAF Coningsby: 16 May 1963.^[31]

Arms

Coat of arms of Borough of Boston

Crest On a wreath of the colours a demi-lion Or holding between the forepaws a woolsack Proper charged with a ram couchant Or. Escutcheon Or on a chevron Azure three coronets each composed of crosses paty and fleurs-de-lys Or on a chief Sable a garb between two pairs of windmill sails also Or. Supporters On either side a mermaid Proper crined and finned Or upon a compartment of waves barry wavy Azure and Argent. Motto Serve With Amnity[32]