Evelyn Denington, Baroness Denington
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Evelyn Joyce Denington, Baroness Denington, DBE (née Bursill; 9 August 1907 – 22 August 1998) was a British
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
. She served as chair of the
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevenage w ...
Development Corporation from 1966–80 and chair of the
Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
from 1975–77.


Early life and career

Denington was born Evelyn Joyce Bursill on 9 August 1907 to Philip Charles Bursill and Edith Rowena Montford. She was educated at
Blackheath High School Blackheath High School is a private day school for girls in Blackheath Village in southeast London, England. It was founded in 1880 as part of the Girls' Day School Trust; the Senior School occupied a purpose-built site in Wemyss Road for ov ...
, Bedford College and
Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...
, where she attended evening classes. In 1927, she became an editorial assistant at ''Architecture and Building News'', leaving in 1931 to retrain as a teacher. Denington became secretary to the National Association of Labour Teachers (1938–47), and taught in London junior schools until 1950.


Marriage

She married Cecil Dallas Denington, a stockbroker's clerk but later a schoolteacher, in 1935.


Politics

She, and her husband, were elected to St Pancras Borough Council in 1945, serving until 1959. She was also elected to the
London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...
in 1946, representing St Pancras North, and continued to serve on its successor, the
Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
representing Camden, then
Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
and finally
Islington Central Islington Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Islington district of Inner London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created for the Feb ...
. In 1964, Denington became chair of the London Housing Committee and was the landlady of 120,000 London homes, expanding to sites anywhere between Swindon and King's Lynn. She served as a member of the
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevenage w ...
Development Corporation Board (Stevenage became a new town following the
New Towns Act 1946 The New Towns Acts were a series of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to found new settlements or to expand substantially existing ones, to establish Development Corporations to deliver them, and to create a Commission to wind up the C ...
) from 1950 and was appointed as its chair in 1966 by Lewis Silkin, then Minister for Town and Country Planning, where she served until the Corporation was dissolved in 1980. She became
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in 1966. During her time as a member of the Corporation, Stevenage town centre became Britain's first pedestrianized town centre. The local art gallery was named after her, and she became an honorary fellow of the
Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
and an honorary member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Denington became a member of London County Council's new and expanding towns committee, and served as chair of the design subcommittee. Following the creation of the Greater London Council, she became chair of the housing committee with responsibility for around 200,000 homes. During opposition (1967–1973), she became Labour's deputy leader on the Council, before serving as chair of the transport committee from 1973 to 1975, establishing free buses for pensioners. In 1974, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and from 1975–76, she became chair of the Greater London Council. She retired from the Greater London Council in 1977 and was created a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baroness Denington, of Stevenage in the County of Hertfordshire, on 10 July 1978.


Death and legacy

She and her husband retired to
Hove Hove ( ) is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove. Originally a fishing village surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th century in respon ...
and they had no children. She died of heart failure on 22 August 1998 in
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, aged 91. Evelyn Denington Road in Newham, London was named in her honour.


References


External links


"Evelyn Denington, a personal appreciation" (tribute)


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Denington, Evelyn Denington, Baroness 1907 births 1998 deaths Schoolteachers from London Labour Party (UK) life peers Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Woolwich People from Stevenage Members of London County Council Councillors in the London Borough of Camden Councillors in the London Borough of Islington Members of St Pancras Metropolitan Borough Council Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London Alumni of Bedford College, London People educated at Blackheath High School 20th-century British women politicians Women councillors in England Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II