St Helens Borough Council

Last updated

St Helens Borough Council
St Helens Borough Council logo.svg
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Seve Gomez-Aspron,
Labour
since 14 May 2025 [1]
Anthony Burns,
Labour
since 15 May 2024 [2]
Mark Palethorpe
since April 2025 [3]
Structure
Seats48 councillors
Political groups
Administration (28)
  Labour (28)
Other parties (20)
  Green (6)
  Liberal Democrat (3)
  Conservative (2)
  Reform UK (2)
  Independent (7)
Joint committees
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority
Merseyside Police and Crime Panel
Elections
Multiple member first-past-the-post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
7 May 2026
Motto
Latin: Ex Terra Lucem, lit. 'From the Earth, Light' [a] [4]
Meeting place
St Helens Town Hall.jpg
Town Hall, Victoria Square, St Helens, WA10 1HP
Website
www.sthelens.gov.uk

St Helens Borough Council, legally St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens 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 2010. It is based at St Helens Town Hall.

History

The first local authority for the town of St Helens was a body of improvement commissioners established in 1845. [5] The town was incorporated to become a municipal borough in 1868, after which it was governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of St Helens', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. [6]

When elected county councils were established in 1889, St Helens was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire. [7]

The larger Metropolitan Borough of St Helens and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of five metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Merseyside. The new district covered the whole area of four former districts and parts of another three, all of which were abolished at the same time:

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. [9]

The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing St Helens' series of mayors dating back to 1868. [10] The council styles itself St Helens Borough Council rather than its full formal name of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council.

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 St Helens, with some services provided through joint committees. [11]

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 St Helens Borough Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions. [12] [13]

Governance

St Helens Borough Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; the leader of St Helens Borough Council sits on the combined authority as St Helens' representative. [14] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas. [15]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows: [16] [17]

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–2004
No overall control 2004–2010
Labour 2010–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in St Helens, usually being held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Len Williams [18] [19] Labour Apr 1974May 1978
Gerald Baxter [20] [21] Labour May 19781983
Brian Green [22] [23] Labour May 198326 Jun 1985
Marie Rimmer [23] [24] Labour 26 Jun 198521 Apr 1993
Dave Watts [25] [26] Labour May 1993May 1997
Mike Doyle [27] [28] [29] Labour May 1997May 1999
Marie Rimmer [28] [30] Labour May 1999May 2006
Brian Spencer [31] [32] Liberal Democrats 2006May 2010
Marie Rimmer [33] [34] Labour 19 May 201015 May 2013
Barrie Grunewald [35] [36] Labour 15 May 201318 Apr 2018
Derek Long [37] [38] Labour 18 Apr 201822 May 2019
David Baines [39] [40] Labour 22 May 201915 May 2024
Anthony Burns [41] Labour 15 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2022 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to April 2025, the composition of the council was as follows: [42]

PartyCouncillors
Labour 28
Green 6
Liberal Democrats 3
Conservative 2
Reform UK 2
Independent 7
Total48

Of the independent councillors, three sit together as "The Independents" group, two form the "Newton-le-Willows Independents" group and the other two do not belong to any group. [43] The next election is due in 2026. [44]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2022, 48 councillors have been elected from 18 wards, with elections held every four years. [45]

Premises

Wesley House, Corporation Street Wesley House, St Helens.JPG
Wesley House, Corporation Street

The council meets and has its customer reception at St Helens Town Hall overlooking Victoria Square in the town centre. The building was built in 1876 for the old borough council. [46] The council's main offices are in the adjoining Wesley House on Corporation Street. [47]

Notes

  1. Formerly Latin: Prosperitas in Excelsis, lit. 'Flourishing Well'

References

  1. "Council minutes, 14 May 2025" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  2. Dhillon, Aran (15 May 2024). "New St Helens council leader braced for tough job as cabinet unveiled". St Helens Star. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  3. "Councillors set to approve new Chief Executive at St Helens Borough Council". St Helens Borough Council. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. "Ex Terra Lucem restored as motto of St Helens". St Helens Star. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. "St Helens Improvement Act 1845". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  6. A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3. London: Victoria County History. 1907. pp. 371–377. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  7. "St Helens Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  8. "The Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/1110, retrieved 5 June 2024
  9. "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch.1), retrieved 30 May 2024
  10. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  11. "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  12. "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
  13. "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. "Committee details". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  15. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  16. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "St Helens" in search box to see specific results.)
  17. "St Helens". BBC News Online . Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  18. Perry, Chris (5 April 1974). "Introducing you to a new St Helens". Newton and Earlestown Guardian. p. 9. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  19. Anderson, Steve (12 May 1978). "Kirkby shake-up number three for Labour". Liverpool Daily Post. p. 3. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  20. "Surprise new team". Liverpool Echo. 10 May 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  21. Dean, Harry (9 August 1983). "Ex-leader hits back at Left discipline moves". Liverpool Echo. p. 3. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  22. "Council chief calls in minders". Liverpool Echo. 26 May 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  23. 1 2 "Marie steps into the council hot seat". Liverpool Daily Post. 26 June 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  24. Rolston, Will (22 April 1993). "'Why I had to quit as leader'". Liverpool Echo. p. 8. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  25. "St Helens bids to lure investors". Liverpool Echo. 17 May 1993. p. 12. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  26. "A sober supremo". Liverpool Echo. 2 May 1997. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  27. "Op delays new MP's job start". Liverpool Daily Post. 8 May 1997. p. 15. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  28. 1 2 "Takes over". Liverpool Daily Post. 12 May 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  29. "Hundreds mourn Mike Doyle". St Helens Star. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  30. "Rimmer holds seat but Labour's grip on power loosens". St Helens Star. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  31. Weston, Alan (7 May 2010). "Election 2010: St Helens South". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  32. Mulligan, Simon (30 December 2024). "Tributes paid to former leader of St Helens Council Brian Spencer". St Helens Star. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  33. "Council minutes, 19 May 2010" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  34. Kilmurray, Andrew (8 May 2013). "Marie Rimmer ousted as St Helens Council leader and replaced by Barrie Grunewald". St Helens Star. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  35. "Council minutes, 15 May 2013" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  36. "St Helens Council leader resigns amid 'Whatsapp' data probe". BBC News. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  37. "Council minutes, 18 April 2018" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  38. Thorp, Liam (2 May 2019). "St Helens Council local election results 2019 - as they happen". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  39. "Council minutes, 22 May 2019" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  40. "David Baines to step down as St Helens Council leader: full statement". St Helens Star. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  41. "Council minutes, 15 May 2024" (PDF). St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  42. "Blackbrook by-election result". sthelens.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  43. "Your Councillors". St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  44. "St Helens". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  45. "The St Helens (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2021/1424, retrieved 28 August 2022
  46. "Council committee information". St Helens Borough Council. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  47. Mulligan, Simon (28 March 2023). "St Helens Council's customer contact centre to relocate from April". St Helens Star. Retrieved 5 June 2024.