Broxtowe District Council was formed on 1 April, 1974, following the amalgamation of the former Beeston and Stapleford Urban District council, part of the Basford Rural District Council and Eastwood Urban District Council. In 1977 the Council was granted Borough status and the first Mayor was elected. The Borough is divided into 21 wards and represented by 44 Councillors with two-tier local authority services provided by the Borough Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. The Borough lies to the west of the City of Nottingham and is bounded by the River Trent on the south and the River Erewash on the west. There are four main towns in Broxtowe - Beeston, Stapleford, Kimberley and Eastwood each with its own character and individuality. There is a wide choice of employment, housing amenities and countryside which makes Broxtowe a very pleasant place to live and work. Nearly two thirds of the land in Broxtowe is open countryside with a number of areas noted for their particular charm, and preserved as conservation areas. The most notable son of Broxtowe is D.H. Lawrence, born in Eastwood, whose writings reflect many places in the area.