Bloomsbury is a

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

in the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the area of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and ...

, in the United Kingdom. It covers much of the historic area of Bloomsbury, and also some of Covent Garden and

Fitzrovia Fitzrovia () is a district of central London, England, near the West End. The eastern part of area is in the London Borough of Camden, and the western in the City of Westminster. It has its roots in the Manor of Tottenham Court, and was urban ...

. 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. Since

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

, the ward has been in the

Holborn and St Pancras Holborn and St Pancras () is a parliamentary constituency in Greater London that was created in 1983. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2015 by Sir Keir Starmer, the current Leade ...

constituency, having previously been in Holborn and St Pancras South. It elects three councillors to Camden council, currently all held by the Labour Party, with an election every four years. In 2018, the ward had an electorate of 8,318. The

Boundary Commission A boundary commission is a legal entity that determines borders of nations, states, constituencies. Notable boundary commissions have included: * Afghan Boundary Commission, an Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission, of 1885 and 1893, delineated the no ...

projects the electorate to rise to 8,541 by 2025.

Geography

The Bloomsbury ward is one of Camden's most densely populated wards, while also comprising the highest proportion of commercial and institutional uses. It is bordered to the west by

Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...

, 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 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 , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

comprises a large part of this ward, along with its various student housing blocks, while the commercial centre of

Tottenham Court Road Tottenham Court Road (occasionally abbreviated as TCR) is a major road in Central London, almost entirely within the London Borough of Camden. The road runs from Euston Road in the north to St Giles Circus in the south; Tottenham Court Road t ...

runs down the centre from north to south. All of Camden's portion of

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 Charlotte Street is a street in Fitzrovia, historically part of the parish and borough of St Pancras, in central London. It has been described, together with its northern and southern extensions (Fitzroy Street and Rathbone Place), as the '' ...

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 Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...

, 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.

Boundary revisions

The Bloomsbury ward was created with the institution of the London Borough of Camden on 1 April 1965.London Borough Council Elections (1964)
The ward saw a revision of its boundaries in 1978,London Borough Council Elections (1978)
and a further revision in 2002. The ward will undergo boundary changes 2022 election. Areas in the Holborn and Covent Garden and King's Cross wards were transferred to the Bloomsbury ward.

Current councillors

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

References

External links

Bloomsbury Conservatives

Bloomsbury Labour

Bloomsbury Liberal Democrats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloomsbury (Ward) Wards of the London Borough of Camden 1965 establishments in England