Sovereign state United Kingdom Region East of England Admin HQ Borehamwood Administrative center Borehamwood | Constituent country England Non-metropolitan county Hertfordshire Area 101.2 km² | |
Status Non-metropolitan district, Borough | ||
Working with you for you for a better hertsmere
Hertsmere is a local government district and borough in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Borehamwood. Other towns in the borough include Bushey, Elstree, Radlett and Potters Bar.
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Working with you for you for a healthy active hertsmere
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the former area of Bushey Urban District and Potters Bar Urban District with Elstree Rural District and part of Watford Rural District (the parish of Aldenham).
The name "Hertsmere" was invented for the new district by combining the common abbreviation of "Hertfordshire" ("Herts") with "mere", an archaic word for boundary. The name is doubly appropriate as the district straddles the historic county boundary between Middlesex and Hertfordshire and forms the administrative boundary between Hertfordshire and Greater London. The name is reflected in the council's coat of arms, which shows a hart upon the battlements of a boundary wall.
The district was awarded borough status by Royal Charter in 1977.
The borough was originally in the Metropolitan Police District, despite being outside the modern Greater London boundaries. It was transferred to Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2000.
Attractions
Hertsmere is the location of Elstree Studios, which produces such shows as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Dancing on Ice, and is the location for the Big Brother house.
Hertsmere is also the location for BBC Elstree, the site of EastEnders, and formerly the home to Top of the Pops, before its move to BBC TV Centre.
The area was also home to other TV and film studios, including MGM, until this was demolished for residential development, and is now an area called Studio Way.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Hertsmere polled as the second most Jewish local authority in England, with Jews composing of one in seven residents.
Politics
The borough council currently consists of 39 elected councillors, with a third being elected at each election. As of the 2014 election there are 34 Conservative and 5 Labour councillors.
Until 1983 the borough was included in the parliamentary constituency of Hertfordshire South. In 1983 the constituency was renamed Hertsmere.
Hertsmere had been represented in Parliament by Conservative, James Clappison since 1992. He succeeded Cecil Parkinson who had been Member of Parliament for the area since 1974. It is now represented by the Conservative, Oliver Dowden.
Parishes
The borough contains five parishes:
Four parishes have parish councils Ridge, which has fewer than 200 electors, is governed by a parish meeting following the dissolution of its parish council.
The areas of the former Bushey and Potters Bar urban districts are unparished.