Bloomsbury (ward)

Bloomsbury
Electoral ward
Bloomsbury highlighted within Camden
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	London
County	Greater London
London borough	Camden
Created	1 April 1965
Named for	Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is a ward in the London Borough of Camden, in the United Kingdom. It covers much of the historic area of Bloomsbury, and also some of Covent Garden and Fitzrovia.

The ward has existed since the creation of the borough on 1 April 1965 and was first used in the 1964 elections, although its boundaries have evolved significantly over time, meaning that it no longer reflects the historical boundaries of Bloomsbury. It elects three councillors to the local authority, currently all held by the Labour Party.

Geography[]

The Bloomsbury ward is one of Camden's most densely populated wards, while also comprising the highest proportion of commercial and institutional uses.^[1] It is bordered to the west by Westminster City Council, to the south by the Holborn and Covent Garden ward, and to the east by the King's Cross ward. Its northern boundary is defined by the major Euston Road.

The Bloomsbury ward encompasses much of the historic area of Bloomsbury, including most of its well-preserved surviving Georgian development in the west. This area is dense in land use and population, with a large proportion of institutional and commercial uses reflecting its Central London location. The premises of University College London comprises a large part of this ward, along with its various student housing blocks, while the commercial centre of Tottenham Court Road runs down the centre from north to south.

All of Camden's portion of Fitzrovia also falls within the Bloomsbury ward, leading some to confuse this area with Bloomsbury itself. This area is less densely developed, largely retaining its original Georgian character, with a large proportion of residential uses. The mixed-use commercial and residential centres of Charlotte Street and Goodge Street also fall within this area.

Electorate[]

Due to the presence of University College London, and its numerous student halls of residence through this ward, a large proportion of the electorate comprises students who traditionally vote for Labour.

Much of the ward comprises large housing developments, including housing blocks and tower blocks. However due to an increase in the use of short-letting platforms such an AirBnb, an increasingly large proportion of residents live in Camden for less than three years at a time, meaning that they are less likely to vote. This means that turnout is especially low in this ward, with elected councillors only winning about 15% of the available vote.

Permanent residents of the Bloomsbury ward are increasingly concerned about a lack of protection for the area's important heritage, and the aggressive anti-traffic policies currently being implemented by local councillors and the administration.^[2][3][4]

Boundary Revisions[]

The Bloomsbury ward was created with the institution of the London Borough of Camden on 1 April 1965.^[5] The ward saw a revision of its boundaries in 1978,^[6] and a further revision in 2002. A new revision has been proposed for 2022 which will see a further extension eastwards.^[7]

Current Councillors[]

The Bloomsbury ward elected three Labour councillors in 2014, all of whom serve on Camden's cabinet.

Elections[]

2014[]

2010[]

2006[]

References[]

External links[]

• Bloomsbury Conservatives
• Bloomsbury Greens
• Bloomsbury Labour
• Bloomsbury Liberal Democrats

Coordinates: 51°31.3′N 0°7.6′W / 51.5217°N 0.1267°W / 51.5217; -0.1267