The London Borough of Camden

Geography

The London Borough of Camden covers an area of approximately 22 square kilometres (2,180 hectares) of inner London. The borough stretches from Hampstead Heath, through Camden Town, Euston and King’s Cross to Holborn, St Giles and Covent Garden in central London. Camden borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Haringey, Islington, Westminster and the City of London.

History

The existing borough was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three metropolitan boroughs: Hampstead, St Pancras and Holborn. It was named after the first Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt, who started the development of Camden Town in 1791.

Governance

Camden has 18 wards and 54 councillors who are elected for a four year term. Following the local elections of May 2006, the council is controlled by a Partnership Administration between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The largest political party in the current council are the Liberal Democrats, with 20 councillors. The next largest are Labour, with 18 councillors, followed by the Conservatives with 14 and the Greens with 2.

Camden’s MPs are Frank Dobson, Holborn and St Pancras (Labour) and Glenda Jackson, Hampstead and Highgate (Labour). Both were re-elected in May 2005.

Camden’s Constituency London Assembly Member is Brian Coleman (Conservative), re-elected in June 2004.

Sources:

1.ONS mid-2004 population estimate
2. HIP 2004/05
3. At as 1 December 2004
4. Education Department, London Borough of Camden, Linguistic Diversity in Camden Schools 2004/05