About the Council
Dunstable Town Council serves and supports residents, businesses and visitors. We are one of the country’s largest town councils. Our services cover everything from events to allotments, a cemetery, town rangers, public toilets, parks and green spaces, youth and older people’s services and historic sites such as Priory House Heritage Centre and Tea Rooms.
In all it does, Dunstable Town Council aims to make Dunstable a better place to live, work, and visit.
Dunstable Town Council is led by elected councillors representing different wards across Dunstable. The Town Clerk and Chief Executive manages the organisation and is supported by Heads of Service, who oversee various service areas with approximately 50 staff members. View the staff structure (PDF).
The Council is completely independent of Central Bedfordshire Council. The Council is funded by an element of Council tax which it sets independently, added to income raised through commercial activities.
Council Awards
Dunstable Town Council consistently gains significant awards, and currently holds: Silver Investors in People, Green Flag Awards for Dunstable Cemetery, Priory Gardens, Grove House Gardens and Bennett Memorial Recreation Ground, Gold in the Anglia in Bloom and Britain in Bloom competition, Platinum Loo of the Year Award, NABMA Award for Middle Row Market and ICCM Charter for the Bereaved for Dunstable Cemetery.
Dunstable Town Council is responsible for the following services:
- Mayoral and Civic Functions
- Councillors
- Meetings and committees
- Internal IT
- Personnel, jobs and recruitment
- Town Twinning
- Town Council Website
- Town Council Communications
- Hire of Town Council venues
- Community Grants and Funding
- Dunstable Cemetery
- Allotments
- Parks and Open Spaces
- Town Rangers
- Play Areas
- Floral Displays
- Dunstable in Bloom
- Pavilions/pitch bookings
- Town Centre
- Youth Work
- Priory House
- Older People
- Events Programme
- Middle Row Markets
- Ashton Square Toilets
- Bennett’s Café & Community Hub + Bennett’s Splash
Town Council Senior Management
Town Councillors
Town Councillors are chosen by the community to determine what services and activities the Council will provide and how they will be run. They advocate for the public’s interest as well as the interests of individuals residing in the ward where they have been elected to serve a four-year term. Councillors are not paid for their role.
Councillors frequently interact with the public through council meetings, emails, phone calls, and face-to-face surgeries. Surgeries are held in a different ward each month, offering ward residents a chance to meet with their councillors to discuss concerns or issues.
Mayoral
At the Annual Council Meeting held on Monday 18 May 2026, Cllr Richard Attwell was appointed as the Town Mayor of Dunstable for Mayoral year May 2026 to May 2027. The Mayor welcomes invitations to attend events held in the Town. If you would like to invite the Town Mayor to an event, please contact Democratic@dunstable.gov.uk or call on 01582 891406.
I really can’t tell you how proud I am to have been elected as your Mayor. It is such a great honour and privilege. I want to thank you all for the overwhelming amount of support, good wishes and congratulations I have received which has been a truly humbling experience. I look forward to serving this town and residents with great enthusiasm and energy and to represent and promote our town and council with honour and pride to the best of my ability.
With such an incredible amount of history and rich community spirit along with many new and exciting major leisure and nature projects of national importance either planned or already under development within surrounding areas there really is so much to look forward to right now and Dunstable has all the ingredients to boldly embrace the future and opportunities with vigour and excitement.
I have chosen Tibbs Dementia Foundation and The Luton & Dunstable Prostate Support Group as my official Mayoral charities to support this year, both of which have personal connection close to my family and that of my consort Patricie. They most importantly offer support not only to those suffering but also their families too, and specifically to Dunstable and surrounding areas. I hope you will be able to support me in raising vital funds throughout the various Mayor’s events I intend to organise throughout the year.
In May of each year an Annual Town Council meeting is held where the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected. Both roles represent the people and council of Dunstable and these roles are non-political. The Mayor chairs Full Council meetings and leads the town’s civic events such as Remembrance Sunday. The Mayor represents the Council and the town with the insignia of the mace, robes, and chains of office. The Mayor connects the present day with history and acts as a symbol of continuity.
The Mayor has two distinct roles:
Civic role
The Mayor is the first citizen of the town. Within the town, they have precedence over all but members of the Royal Family and the King’s deputy, the Lord Lieutenant. In their Civic Role the Mayor meets with individuals and communities to honour them for their contribution to the life of the town, and to promote civic pride.
Chair of Council
The Mayor also chairs meetings of the Full Council so that its business can be carried out efficiently, with regard to the rights of councillors and the interests of the community. The Mayor upholds and interprets the constitution and ensures that the Council meeting is a forum for the debate of matters of concern to the local community.
The Dunstable Town Mayor enjoys some limited privilege over other towns
The South Bedfordshire Parishes Order 1985 which created Dunstable Town Council also contained an additional clause that, “any privileges or rights belonging immediately before 1st April 1974 to the citizens of the former Borough of Dunstable shall belong to the inhabitants of the new parish”. This permits the Dunstable Town Mayor, exclusively, to be called “Their Worship”, to wear the Mayoral robes and to be preceded by the Mace when so doing.
Cllr Robert Blennerhassett elected to serve as Deputy Town Mayor for 2026 to 2027. Cllr Robert Blennerhassett will support the Mayor in fundraising activities. The Deputy Mayor does not accept invitations directly, but deputises for the Mayor when they are not able to attend events.
Council Regalia
Mayoral Chain
Mayoral Chain
Alderman Fred Garrett, a jeweller and former mayor of Dunstable, initiated the creation of a mayoral chain in 1898. He personally contributed the central badge and encouraged other past mayors to donate links, resulting in a chain commemorating their terms of office. The chain was a significant addition to the borough's insignia, reflecting its history and prestige.
Mayoral Robes
Traditional robes were purchased by the new Borough in 1864 which follow the municipal tradition of Tudor Burgesses Robes. The original robe was first worn by Alderman C S Benning who was Dunstable’s first Mayor and went on to the be only Town Clerk who has also been Mayor. The robes represent the dignity and authority of the office of Mayor and are worn on formal occasions, such as civic events, and ceremonies. The robes are no longer worn for normal Council meetings.
The Council Mace and Mace Bearer
The town mace is a symbol of authority and civic pride, carried by the Mace Bearer during formal processions and official functions. When Queen Victoria granted the Royal Charter to the town in 1864, she gifted the current mace—an ornate silver-gilt piece bearing the Queen’s Arms, the Town Arms, and the Tudor Rose.
Originally a weapon of defence, the mace evolved during Tudor times into a ceremonial object, signifying the presence and authority of important figures such as judges, mayors, and sheriffs. Today, the Mace Bearer carries the mace before the Mayor as a mark of office and tradition, representing the continuity of local governance and the town's historic connection to the Crown. The current Mace Bearer is Mr Ian Jones.
Town Clerk's Wig and Robes
The Town Clerk traditionally wears a short wig, similar to those worn by barristers and a traditional gown of the lay pattern with panel sleeves and a flap collar. The gown is trimmed with rows of tassels. The Town Clerk wears the wig and robe on formal civic occasions, reflecting the historic dignity and legal authority of the office. The Town Council displays photos of past Mayors and Town Clerks in the Council's office at Grove House, and these show several clerks wearing wig and robes. The current wig is stored in the wig box marked with initials of J M Coombes Esq. who was Town Clerk from 1924.
Council History
Dunstable’s first charter, granting independent market rights was granted in 1131 and re-affirmed and extended by successive medieval monarchs. The town continued to function as a borough until the 16th century. A charter of 1864 established the modern Borough Council which was absorbed into the new South Bedfordshire district in 1974. The Town’s civic traditions were continued by the District Councillors for the town acting as Charter Trustees who annually elected a Town Mayor from their number.
The Town Council was established in April 1985 following a local campaign to provide local representation and services. Today, the council plays a vital role in shaping Dunstable, making it a better place to live, work and visit.
Freedom of Dunstable
Mrs Sally Newton and Mr John Buckledee were awarded the prestigious titles of Honorary Freewoman and Freeman of Dunstable at the Annual Council Meeting on Monday 19 May 2025. This rare honour was last awarded in 1959 and recognises individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the community, embodying the spirit, resilience, and pride of Dunstable. The Town Council agreed the honours as part of the celebrations of the Council’s 40th anniversary. The awards were made by the Town Council after the public were invited to nominate suitable, living, local candidates.
Past Honorary Freemen and Freewomen
1903 – Worthington George Smith, 1921 – Fred Turner Garrett, 1924 – Charles Frederick Boskett, 1924 – Sir Henry Herbert Hambling, 1938 – Alfred William Webb, 1949 Harold William Parrott
