Castle Point

Castle Point is a local government district with borough status in south Essex, England, lying around 30 mi east of London. The borough comprises the towns of South Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley (where the council is based) on the mainland, and the adjoining Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary, which is connected to the mainland by bridges.

The borough borders the City of Southend-on-Sea to the east, Rochford District to the north, the Borough of Basildon to the west, and the Thurrock unitary authority area to the south-west, across Holehaven Creek.

History
Castle Point was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as one of 14 non-metropolitan districts within Essex. The new district covered the areas of the former urban districts of Benfleet and Canvey Island, both of which were abolished at the same time.

The district was named "Castle Point", combining references to landmarks in both of the former urban districts: Hadleigh Castle in Benfleet and Canvey Point at the eastern tip of Canvey Island.

The district was granted borough status with effect from 1 February 1992, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

Governance
Castle Point Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Essex County Council. Canvey Island is a civil parish with a town council, forming a third tier of local government in that part of the borough. The mainland part of the borough (the former Benfleet Urban District) is an unparished area.

Political control
Following the 2024 election, a majority of the seats on the council were held by local party the People's Independent Party, which won all the seats on the mainland part of the borough, but did not contest any seats on Canvey Island. All the seats on Canvey Island were won by another local party, the Canvey Island Independent Party. The two parties had been running the council as coalition since the 2022 election, when the council had been under no overall control. Despite holding all the council's seats between them following the 2024 election, the two parties agreed to continue to form a joint administration.

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:

Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Castle Point. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2014 have been:

Composition
Following the 2024 election the composition of the council was:

Notably, Castle Point is currently the only council in England where no seat is held by the Labour Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats or the Green Party. The next election is due in May 2028.

Premises
The council is based at the Council Offices on Kiln Road in Thundersley. The building was built in 1962 as the headquarters of the former Benfleet Urban District Council.

Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2024, the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Geography
The national land use tables published by MHCLG show that in 2017, 56.6% of the borough was covered by green spaces including agriculture, forest and open land, water and outdoor recreation spaces. Close to one-fifth (18.2%) was accounted for by residential gardens.

Climate
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, but despite adequate rainfall all year-round it is on average the driest part of the UK. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).

Demography
The median age of Castle Point's residents at the 2011 census was 45, compared to a regional average of 39 and national average of 40.

Castle Point has several estates laid out as seaside resorts for retirement, which is reflected in 7% of its population at the time of the 2011 census being aged 75 to 84, compared to 5.5% nationally.

Transport
The A13 crosses Castle Point and the A127 skirts it to the north, providing direct links to both Southend and London.

The only station in the borough is Benfleet railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend line from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, operated by c2c.

Castle Point has an extensive bus network operated by the First Essex and Arriva Shires & Essex, with services across the borough and to Southend, Basildon, Lakeside Shopping Centre and Rayleigh. Weekday services by Stephensons of Essex also travel to London, Southend and Thurrock College and Regal Busways offers a six-day-a-week service to Chelmsford.

Sport and community facilities
Waterside Farm Sports Centre, on Canvey Island is set in 88 acre of parkland and has a range of indoor and outdoor facilities, including a 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool and facilities for badminton, squash, netball, basketball, trampolining and gymnastics. The centre also includes an outdoor 6 lane, 400-metre athletics track. Opposite the sports centre is the Castle Point Golf Course, an 18-hole par 71 public pay-and-play course with a 17-bay floodlit driving range.

Runnymede Pool is situated behind the Council Offices in Kiln Road. It has a 25-metre pool and a learner pool and is home to Runnymede Swimming Club.

Twinning
Castle Point is twinned with three towns and counties:
 * Romainville, a north-eastern Paris suburb, since 30 March 1962.
 * Cologne District, Germany. Formally since 19 June 1971 when Lövenich (now part of Cologne) was an independent town.
 * County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland. Twinned with Castle Point council in April 1998.

Places of interest
Hadleigh Castle is preserved as an ancient monument from the 13th century, forming the most important historic site in the borough and the most important late medieval castle in Essex. The Dutch Cottage Museum contains a variety of exhibits that illustrate the history of Canvey Island, and the Castle Point Transport Museum, also situated on Canvey in the retired District bus depot, features a display of over thirty old buses, coaches and commercial vehicles.