North Kesteven District
District
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lincolnshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Administrative countyLincolnshire
Admin. HQSleaford
Government
 • TypeNorth Kesteven District Council
 • Leadership:Leader & Cabinet
 • MPs:Caroline Johnson
Karl McCartney
Area
 • Total356.2 sq mi (922.5 km2)
 • Rank30th
Population
 (2021)
 • Total118,553
 • RankRanked 200th
 • Density330/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code32UE (ONS)
E07000139 (GSS)
Ethnicity98.9% White

North Kesteven is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Sleaford. The district also contains the town of North Hykeham, which adjoins the neighbouring city of Lincoln, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

The neighbouring districts are Lincoln, West Lindsey, East Lindsey, Boston, South Holland, South Kesteven and Newark and Sherwood.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of three former districts from the administrative county of Kesteven, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named North Kesteven referencing its position within Kesteven, one of the three historic parts of Lincolnshire.[2]

Governance

North Kesteven District Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Mike Clarke,
Conservative
since 23 May 2023
Richard Wright,
Conservative
since 30 March 2017
Ian Fytche
Structure
Seats43 councillors
Political groups
Administration (24)
  Conservatives (24)
Other parties (19)
  Lincolnshire Ind. (10)
  Independent (6)
  Labour (2)
  Liberal Democrat (1)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Last election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Council Offices, Kesteven Street, Sleaford, NG34 7EF
Website
www.n-kesteven.gov.uk

North Kesteven District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lincolnshire County Council.[3] The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[4]

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since the 2023 election.[5]

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:[6]

Party in controlYears
Independent1974–1987
No overall control1987–2007
Conservative2007–2019
No overall control2019–2023
Conservative2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been:[7]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Marion Brighton Conservative20019 Mar 2017
Richard Wright Conservative30 Mar 2017

Composition

Following the 2023 election and a change of allegiance and by-election in December 2023 the composition of the council was:[8][9]

Party Councillors
Conservative24
Lincolnshire Independent10
Independent6
Labour2
Liberal Democrats1
Total43

Four of the independent councillors sit together as the "Group of Unaligned Members", and the other two do not belong to any group.[10] The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council is based at the North Kesteven Council Offices at the corner of Kesteven Street and East Gate in Sleaford. The building had been built in 1856 as a row of houses called Lafford Terrace.[11][12] It was purchased in 1925 by Kesteven County Council and converted to become its headquarters.

When local government was reorganised in 1974, it was originally planned to have North Kesteven's offices in Bracebridge Hall on Newark Road in Lincoln, then the base of North Kesteven Rural District Council. In November 1973, a decision was taken to base it in The Hoplands in Sleaford, the base of East Kesteven Rural District Council. In January 1974 it was realised that this building was too small for the size needed, and the 81 rooms of Kesteven County Council's headquarters in Sleaford would suit the new council instead. The Hoplands was subsequently demolished for housing.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 43 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[13]

Geography

The Forum shopping area, North Hykeham

North Kesteven borders West Lindsey (along the Foss Dyke and the River Witham) and the city of Lincoln to the north, East Lindsey to the north-east (along the River Witham), Boston (borough) to the east, South Holland to the south-east, South Kesteven to the south, and the county of Nottinghamshire to the west.

RAF Waddington is a main employer in the district

North Kesteven covers an area of 356 square miles (920 km2), of which 94% is classified as green space, which includes agricultural land and open space.[14]

St Wilfred's Church, Metheringham

The district is characterised by small settlements and large areas of arable farmland. More than 80% of the population live in rural settlements or a market town.[15] The two towns are Sleaford and North Hykeham, and the larger villages include Cranwell, Metheringham, Navenby, Ruskington and Waddington.

The district has two main RAF stations - RAF Cranwell (near Sleaford), and RAF Waddington (near Lincoln), both situated close to the A15, the main north–south road running through North Kesteven. The district is also home to RAF Digby, which lies between Sleaford and Metheringham. The former RAF Swinderby, which can be found adjacent to the A46 near the western edge of the district, closed in 1995.

Demography

Skyline of North Hykeham which forms part of the wider Lincoln urban area

The predominantly rural nature of the district has encouraged people to move to the area to take advantage of its quality of life, low crime rates, relatively low house prices, good-quality education and local heritage. This is reflected in research, which has shown 90% of residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live and 82% of residents feel their area is a place where people from different backgrounds can get on well together.[16]

North Kesteven is mostly rural in character but there are urban areas around the towns of North Hykeham and Sleaford. Sleaford forms an urban area with the nearby villages of Greylees, Holdingham, Leasingham and Quarrington, North Hykeham and Waddington form part of an urban area with the city of Lincoln.[17] Within the district, 40% of the population live in the "Lincoln Fringe", the area immediately surrounding Lincoln City.[18] 72 parishes serve the district communities, comprising 58 parish councils, two town councils and 12 parish meetings.

The population of the district was 107,766 at the 2011 census.[19]

Education

College Hall, RAF Cranwell near Cranwell

The district has comprehensive schools in North Hykeham, Branston and Welbourn. The area around Sleaford (including Ruskington) has selective schools. Other schools in the area include Kesteven and Sleaford High School and Branston Community College.

The district part funds The National Centre for Craft & Design, in the Hub building in Sleaford. Adjacent to it are annex buildings of Grantham College, funded by the East Midlands LSC.

Towns and parishes

The entire district is divided into civil parishes. The parish councils for Sleaford and North Hykeham take the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes share grouped parish councils or have parish meetings instead of parish councils.[20]

Arms

Coat of arms of North Kesteven
Crest
On a wreath Argent and Vert out of the battlements of a tower a crane wings expanded and inverted proper supporting with the interior foot a Maltese cross resting upon the battlements quarterly Gules and Argent.
Escutcheon
Per chevron Vert and Sable on a chevron Or between in chief two bars wavy the nether issuant Argent surmounted of a demi eagle issuant displayed wings inverted Or and in base an oak tree issuant fructed Or three estoiles Sable.
Motto
Rectam Viam Sequi (To Follow The Right Road)[21]

References

  1. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 29 June 2023
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 29 June 2023
  3. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ↑ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Karran, Ellis (5 May 2023). "Conservatives increase control of North Kesteven despite Labour win". The Lincolnite. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Council minutes". North Kesteven District Council. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Jaines, Daniel (15 December 2023). "Lib Dems snatch seat from Conservatives in North Kesteven by-election". The Lincolnite. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Political structure". North Kesteven District Council. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Historic England. "Lafford Terrace, Eastgate (1062147)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Sleaford, Lafford Terrace". Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "The North Kesteven (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/1052, retrieved 29 June 2023
  14. ↑ Communities and Local Government (1 January 2005). "Land Use Statistics (Generalised Land Use Database)". Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  15. ↑ DEFRA (2005). "Defra Classification of Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authorities in England: An Introductory Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  16. ↑ Ipsos Mori (2009). Place Survey 2008 North Kesteven: Provisional Weighted National Indicator Results (Report).
  17. ↑ NKDC (2008). NK Facts and Figures: Parish Estimates based on Council Tax Households (Report).
  18. ↑ Office for National Statistics (2001). "The Census 2001". Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  19. ↑ "North Kesteven Local Authority". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "Parish council contact details". North Kesteven District Council. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

53°09′N 0°30′W / 53.15°N 0.50°W / 53.15; -0.50

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