Babergh

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Babergh District
Image:SuffolkBabergh.png Shown within Suffolk
Geography
Status:	District
Region:	East of England
Admin. County:	Suffolk
Area: - Total	Ranked 78th 595.21 km²
Admin. HQ:	Hadleigh
ONS code:	42UB
Demographics
Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density	Ranked 272nd 86,700 146 / km²
Ethnicity:	98.7% White
Politics
Babergh District Council http://www.babergh-south-suffolk.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Alternative - Sec.31
Control:	Conservative / Liberal Democrat / Independent
MP:	Tim Yeo

Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh. The largest town is Sudbury.

The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and Samford Rural District. It is one of the few English second tier authorities that has never had one party or coalition of parties in control.

Babergh has a population of roughly 85,000 and covers an area of approximately 230 square miles.

It is named after the old Babergh hundred, referred to in the Domesday Book. The southern boundary of the district is marked almost exclusively by the River Stour, which also forms the border with Essex, and it is separated from Suffolk Coastal by the River Orwell. Primarily a rural area, Babergh contains only 2 towns of any notable size, namely Sudbury and the administrative centre, Hadleigh.

Most of what is termed Constable Country is contained within Babergh, attracting visitors to the conservation area Dedham Vale and the historic villages of Long Melford, Lavenham and Kersey.

The area faces the challenges of preserving its attractive countryside and small towns and villages whilst ensuring that local people on low to moderate incomes can afford to remain in the district - given that the affordability ratio of average house prices to average incomes is over nine.

Although largely prosperous, the area does contain areas where certain indicators, including health and life expectancy, point to the existence of a number of social challenges. The District Council has been working with partners in these wards to improve the quality of housing and the environment and to expand the range of sports and leisure opportunities for young people.

Babergh District Council, in spite of having the second lowest Council Tax of any district in the county, has been at the forefront of many innovative initiatives aimed at improving how it delivers its services. It has won four Beacon Awards and was rated as 'good' by the Audit Commission's CPA Inspectors.