Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Last updated

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Coat of arms of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.png
Knowsley Council.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Ken McGlashan,
Labour
since 17 May 2024 [1] [2]
Graham Morgan,
Labour
since 18 May 2018
James Duncan
since 1 February 2025 [3]
Structure
Seats45 councillors [4]
KMBC-chamber-2023.png
Political groups
Administration (31)
  Labour (31)
Other parties (14)
  Green (7)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
  Independent (4)
Joint committees
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Elections
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council building, Huyton.jpg
Municipal Buildings, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 9UX
Website
knowsley.gov.uk

Knowsley Council, or Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, 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 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority since 2014.

Contents

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974. It is based at the Municipal Buildings in Huyton.

History

The metropolitan borough of Knowsley and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of three former districts and parts of another two, all of which were abolished at the same time:

The area was transferred from Lancashire to become one of the five districts in the new metropolitan county of Merseyside. The first election to the new council was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities. The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished. [6]

The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [7] The council styles itself Knowsley Council rather than its full formal name of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. [8]

From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by Merseyside County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Merseyside's five borough councils, including Knowsley, with some services provided through joint committees. [9]

Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across the region, but Knowsley Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions. [10] [11]

Governance

Knowsley Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; the leader of Knowsley Council sits on the combined authority as Knowsley's representative. [12] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas. [13]

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973. It initially acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements formally came into effect on 1 April 1974. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1974. [14] [15]

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Knowsley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The first leader, Dave Tempest, was formerly leader of Kirkby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessors. [16] The leaders of Knowsley Council since 1974 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Dave Tempest [17] [18] Labour Apr 1974May 1975
Peter Longworth [19] [20] Labour May 1975May 1978
Jim Lloyd [20] [21] Labour May 1978May 1987
Jim Keight [21] [22] [23] Labour May 1987May 2003
Ron Round [24] [25] [26] Labour 21 May 2003May 2015
Andy Moorhead [27] [28] Labour 22 May 2015May 2018
Graham Morgan [29] Labour 18 May 2018

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was: [30]

PartyCouncillors
Labour 31
Green 7
Liberal Democrats 3
Independent 4
Total45

The next election is due in May 2026. [31]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016, the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 wards, each electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. [32]

Premises

The council's main offices and meeting place are at the Municipal Buildings in Archway Road in Huyton. [33] The building was completed in 1963 as the headquarters of Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessor authorities. [34] [35] [36] [37]

References

  1. Simonswood was subsequently transferred back to Lancashire in 1994. [5]
  1. Jessett, Elliot (17 May 2024). "Applause breaks out for new Mayor after emotional tribute". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. "Mayor of Knowsley raises £36,000 for charities and good causes". Knowsley News. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. "Knowsley Council appoints James Duncan as its new Chief Executive". Knowsley News. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  4. "Your councillors". Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
  5. "The Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside (County and Metropolitan Borough Boundaries) Order 1993", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1993/691, retrieved 6 June 2024
  6. "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch.1), retrieved 30 May 2024
  7. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  8. "Find your local council". gov.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  9. "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  10. "The Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2014/865, retrieved 5 June 2024
  11. "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  12. "Committee details". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  13. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Knowsley" in search box to see specific results.)
  15. "Knowsley". BBC News Online . 19 April 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  16. "It is 'Labour only' in this semi-rural ward". Liverpool Echo. 27 September 1972. p. 9. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  17. "Council face court fight over rates". Liverpool Echo. 10 July 1974. p. 5. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  18. "Row over new job for ex-leader". Liverpool Echo. 12 May 1975. p. 7. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  19. "Municipal matters". Newton and Earlestown Guardian. 16 May 1975. p. 15. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  20. 1 2 "Knowsley is third council to change Labour leader". Liverpool Echo. 12 May 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  21. 1 2 "Knowsley mods on the march!". Liverpool Echo. 12 May 1987. p. 28. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  22. "Your Letters". Liverpool Echo. 7 May 2003. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  23. "Tributes paid to former Council Leader". Knowsley News. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  24. "Council minutes, 21 May 2003" (PDF). Knowsley Council. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  25. Belger, Tom (13 May 2015). "Knowsley council leader Ron Round likely to be replaced as Labour back councillor Andy Moorhead for top job". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  26. Humphreys, David (2 December 2024). "Tributes paid to 'inspiring' former Knowsley Council leader Ron Round". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  27. "Council minutes, 22 May 2015". Knowsley Council. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  28. "Knowsley Council leader replaced after Labour election losses". Prescot Online. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  29. "Council minutes, 18 May 2018". Knowsley Council. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  30. "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  31. "Knowsley". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  32. "The Knowsley (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2015/2036, retrieved 6 June 2024
  33. "Council Meeting" (PDF). Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  34. "Work on new Huyton Town Centre begun: Council Offices first". Liverpool Echo. 9 May 1962. p. 7. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  35. "Gift to council and Huyton members also get plaques". Liverpool Echo. 6 November 1963. p. 9. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  36. "St Michael's Church Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). p. 13. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  37. "Huyton". Historic Liverpool. Retrieved 23 November 2020.