Halton Borough Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
History | |
Founded | 1 April 1974 |
Preceded by | |
Leadership | |
Valerie Hill, Labour since 19 May 2023 | |
Leader of the Council | Mike Wharton, Labour since 21 May 2021 |
Chief Executive | Stephen Young since 1 April 2022 |
Structure | |
Seats | 54 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Third of council elected three years out of four |
Elections | |
Plurality-at-large | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Motto | |
Latin: Industria Navem Implet, lit. 'Industry Fills the Ship' | |
Meeting place | |
Runcorn Town Hall | |
Website | |
www | |
Footnotes | |
[1] [2] [3] |
Halton Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Halton, incorporating the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and the parishes of Daresbury, Hale, Moore and Preston Brook. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. [4]
Prior to 1974, the River Mersey marked the border between the counties of Lancashire to the north and Cheshire to the south. Widnes was administered by the Municipal Borough of Widnes in Lancashire, and Runcorn by Runcorn Urban District Council in Cheshire.
The 1969 Redcliffe-Maud Report recommended reforms to local government in England, including the abolition of all existing local government areas. They were to be replaced by mostly unitary authorities with the exception of three two-tier metropolitan areas to be called Merseyside, SELNEC and West Midlands. The report proposed that Runcorn and Widnes should form part of the new Merseyside Metropolitan Area under a district called 'St Helens-Widnes'. [5]
The proposals were broadly accepted by the then Labour government but set aside by the incoming Conservative government following the 1970 general election which it had fought on a manifesto pledge to introduce a system of two-tier local government. [6] The Local Government Act 1972 created new metropolitan counties around Liverpool (as Merseyside) and Manchester (as Greater Manchester) but Runcorn and Widnes would not be allocated to either. Instead, Widnes and Warrington would be moved into the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire, with Widnes joining Runcorn to create the new non-metropolitan district of Halton. The name of the new district was inspired by the ancient Barony of Halton which had possessed land on both sides of the river. The district was established on 1 April 1974. In addition to Runcorn Urban District and the Municipal Borough of Widnes, parts of Runcorn Rural District and the parish of Hale from Whiston Rural District were incorporated into Halton.
On 1 April 1998, Halton became a unitary authority, independent of Cheshire County Council. However, it continues to be served by Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, and forms part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes. On 1 April 2014, Halton became part of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, joining the local authorities of Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley and St Helens; the five metropolitan district councils which constitute the county of Merseyside. As a unitary authority, Halton's status is similar to the metropolitan district councils. [7]
Elections to the council are by thirds. This means that a third of the 54 councillors are elected every year over a four-year cycle (with no elections in the fourth year). Elections are usually held on the first Thursday in May.
Since the creation of the council in 1974, political control of the council has been held by the following parties: [8] [9]
Year | Control | |
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1974–present | Labour Party |
The Mayor of Halton is a ceremonial post with a term typically lasting for 12 months.
Term | Mayor |
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2023/24 | Valerie Hill |
2022/23 | Mark Dennett |
2021/22 | Christopher Rowe |
2019/21 | Margaret Horabin |
2018/19 | John Bradshaw |
2017/18 | Alan Lowe |
2016/17 | Ged Philbin |
2015/16 | Ellen Cargill |
2014/15 | Shaun Osborne |
2013/14 | Margaret Ratcliffe JP |
2012/13 | Tom McInerney |
2011/12 | Keith Morley |
2010/11 | Marie Wright |
2009/10 | Frank Fraser |
2008/09 | Kath Loftus |
2007/08 | Mike Hodgkinson |
2006/07 | John Swain |
2005/06 | Peter Lloyd Jones |
2004/05 | Pat Tyrrell |
2003/04 | Ron Hignett |
2002/03 | Glyn Redican |
2001/02 | Chris Loftus |
2000/01 | Julie Devaney |
1999/00 | Robert Gilligan |
1998/99 | Anthony McDermott |
1997/98 | Ian Evans |
1996/97 | Francis Nyland |
1995/96 | Stan Hill |
1994/95 | Liam Temple |
1993/94 | Jack Pimblett |
1992/93 | John Weaver |
1991/92 | Olive Smith |
1990/91 | William Flynn |
1989/90 | David Cargill |
1988/89 | Allen Inett |
1987/88 | Reginald Eastup |
1986/87 | Stan Broome |
1985/86 | John Hughes |
1984/85 | Kenneth Ebbrell |
1983/84 | Owen Ludlow |
1982/83 | Raymond Aston |
1981/82 | Robert Beswick |
1980/81 | Catherine Gerrard |
1979/80 | Edwin Gleave |
1978/79 | Arthur Parr |
1977/78 | Albert Dodd |
1976/77 | William Howell |
1975/76 | Charles Helsby |
1974/75 | Alan Millar |
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Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shropshire to the south; to the west it is bordered by the Welsh counties of Flintshire and Wrexham, and has a short coastline on the Dee Estuary. Warrington is the largest settlement, and the city of Chester is the county town.
Metropolitan counties are a subdivision of England which were originally used for local government. There are six metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
Merseyside is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool.
Halton is a unitary authority district with borough status in Cheshire, North West England. It was created in 1974 as a district of the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998 under Halton Borough Council. Since 2014, it has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The borough consists of the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and the civil parishes of Daresbury, Hale, Halebank, Moore, Preston Brook, and Sandymoor. The district borders Merseyside, the Borough of Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester.
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Cheshire County Council was the county council of Cheshire. Founded on 1 April 1889, it was officially dissolved on 31 March 2009, when it and its districts were superseded by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East.
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