The former Greater Manchester County Council used a heraldic banner of its arms during its existence between 1974 and 1986. Although the flags usage has dwindled since 1986, it can still be seen proudly flying outside key buildings within the city, especially during special occasions. It was recently seen flying outside Manchester Piccadilly station and at the entrance to the Hilton hotel on Deansgate (Beetham Tower).
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Proportion | 3:5 |
---|---|
Adopted | 1974 |
Relinquished | 1986 |
Design | Gules, ten Towers three two three two, all within a Bordure embattled Or |
The flag of the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County Council [1] was a symbol of the former Greater Manchester County Council which administered Greater Manchester in England between 1974 and 1986. [2] It has not been registered with the Flag Institute, which will not register flags for counties other than for historic counties. [3]
The flag was adopted by Greater Manchester County Council in 1974, and derives from the shield and crest design on the coat of arms of Greater Manchester; the design itself is used by a number of organisations that represent the Greater Manchester area, such as the former Greater Manchester County Council, the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and the Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force.
The flag is composed of ten golden castles (arranged in rows of 3–2–3–2) on a red background, fringed by a golden border in the style of a castle battlement. The blazon is: "Gules, ten Towers three two three two, all within a Bordure embattled Or".
The ten golden castles represent both the urban landscape of Greater Manchester, and its division in to its ten metropolitan districts: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Trafford, Salford, Stockport, and Wigan. The red ground represents manpower and the region's red-brick architectural heritage, both legacies of Greater Manchester's industrial past. The embattled border represents the unity and shared future of the region, and its bold, vigilant and forward-looking character.
The flag has been reported to have been flown in front of the National Rail offices at Manchester Piccadilly railway station and in front of Rochdale Town Hall.
The current Greater Manchester Combined Authority does not use the symbols of the former Greater Manchester Council, instead using a wordmark consisting of its initials and full title. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester.
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The Greater Manchester County Council (GMCC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater Manchester from 1974 to 1986. A strategic authority, with responsibilities for roads, public transport, planning, emergency services and waste disposal, it was composed of 106 directly elected members drawn from the ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester. The Greater Manchester County Council shared power with ten lower-tier district councils, each of which directed local matters. It was also known as the Greater Manchester Council (GMC) and the Greater Manchester Metropolitan County Council (GMMCC).
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Flags and symbols of Yorkshire have been used to identify Yorkshire and its related councils through flags and symbols. This article also includes flags and symbols used by the present and former local authorities covering Yorkshire.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a combined authority for Greater Manchester, England. It was established on 1 April 2011 and consists of 11 members; 10 indirectly elected members, each a directly elected councillor from one of the ten metropolitan boroughs that comprise Greater Manchester, together with the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester. The authority derives most of its powers from the Local Government Act 2000 and Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and replaced a range of single-purpose joint boards and quangos to provide a formal administrative authority for Greater Manchester for the first time since the abolition of Greater Manchester County Council in 1986.
Rochdale Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
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Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, also known as Oldham Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The coat of arms of Greater Manchester County Council was the coat of arms granted by the College of Arms to Greater Manchester County Council when the latter was created in 1974. The county council was the top-tier local authority for Greater Manchester between 1974 and 1986, when the council was abolished and its arms fell into disuse.
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