Halton Borough Council

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Halton Borough Council
Coat of arms of Halton Borough Council
Coat of arms
Halton Borough Council logo
Corporate logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Kevan Wainwright,
Labour
since 17 May 2024[1]
Mike Wharton,
Labour
since 21 May 2021
Stephen Young
since 1 April 2022
Structure
Seats54 councillors
Political groups
Administration (50)
  Labour (50)
Other parties (4)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
  Conservative (1)
Elections
Plurality-at-large
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
7 May 2026
Motto
Latin: Industria Navem Implet, lit. 'Industry Fills the Ship'
Meeting place
Town Hall, Heath Road, Runcorn, WA7 5TD
Website
www.halton.gov.uk
Footnotes
[2][3][4]

Halton Borough Council is the local authority for Halton, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974. The council has offices in both the borough's towns of Runcorn and Widnes; full council meetings are usually held at Runcorn Town Hall and the main administrative offices are at the Municipal Building in Widnes.

History[edit]

The non-metropolitan district of Halton and its council were created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and parts of another two, all of which were abolished at the same time:[5]

Widnes and Hale, north of the River Mersey, had been in Lancashire prior to the reforms. The new borough was named Halton after the medieval Barony of Halton which had been centred on Halton Castle in Runcorn, but had included land on both sides of the Mersey.[6][7]

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 district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.[8] The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[9]

From 1974 until 1998, Halton Borough Council was a lower-tier authority providing district-level services, with Cheshire County Council providing county-level services. In 1998, Halton gained responsibility for county-level services. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Halton covering the same area as the existing borough, but with no separate county council; instead the existing borough council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority.[10]

The borough remains part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.[11] It also continues to be served by Cheshire Police and the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which also includes the local authorities of Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral; 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.[12] The combined authority 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 Halton Borough Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[13][14]

Governance[edit]

Halton Borough Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; the leader of Halton Borough Council sits on the combined authority as Halton's representative.[15] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas.[16]

Political control[edit]

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974.[17][18][19]

Lower tier non-metropolitan district

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1998

Unitary authority

Party in control Years
Labour 1998–present

Leadership[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Halton. Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The first leader, John Collins, had been the last leader of Widnes Borough Council, one of the council's predecessors. The leaders since 1974 have been:[20]

Councillor Party From To
John Collins[21] Labour 1974 1981
Ted Gleave Labour 1981 May 1989
Stan Hill[22] Labour May 1989 May 1993
Dave Cargill[23][24] Labour May 1993 18 May 1999
Tony McDermott Labour 18 May 1999 21 May 2010
Rob Polhill Labour 21 May 2010 21 May 2021
Mike Wharton Labour 21 May 2021

Composition[edit]

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[25]

Party Councillors
Labour 50
Liberal Democrats 3
Conservative 1
Total 54

The next election is due in May 2026.

Elections[edit]

See also: Halton Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes took effect in 2021, the council has comprised 54 councillors representing 18 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.[26]

Premises[edit]

Full council meetings are generally held at Runcorn Town Hall on Heath Road.[27] It was completed in 1856 as a large house called Halton Grange.[28] The house was bought by Runcorn Urban District Council in 1932 and converted to become their town hall.[29]

Municipal Building, Kingsway, Widnes, WA8 7QF: Council's administrative headquarters

The council's main administrative offices are at the Municipal Building on Kingsway in Widnes, which had been completed in 1967 for Widnes Borough Council.[30] It also has offices at Rutland House in Runcorn town centre.[31]

Mayors of Halton[edit]

The Mayor of Halton is a ceremonial post with a term typically lasting for 12 months.

List of Mayors of Halton since 1974[32]
Term Mayor
2024/25 Kevan Wainwright
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

Coat of arms[edit]

Coat of arms of Halton Borough Council
Adopted
6 October 1983
Years in use
40
Crest
On a Wreath Or and Gules, four Roses set in square Gules barbed and seeded Proper and standing within the same a Garb gold.
Escutcheon
Gules, four lozenges conjoined in pale Or between two pallets wavy Azure fimbriated Argent.
Supporters
On the dexter side a Male Griffin reguardant Azure beaked rayed and the forelegs Or langued and clawed Gules holding fesswise in the dexter claw an alembic Gold and on the sinister side a Lion reguardant Sable armed Gules crowned Or supporting by the sinister paw an Abbatial Crozier with Sudarium Proper all upon a Compartment comprising a Segment of Steel Proper.
Motto
'Industria Navem Implet'[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Council meeting, 17 May 2024". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Your Councillors". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Mayor". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Council Departments & Management Team". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 5 June 2024
  6. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 5 June 2024
  7. ^ A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3. London: Victoria County History. 1907. pp. 386–392. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 5 June 2024
  9. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  10. ^ "The Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1863, retrieved 5 June 2024
  11. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23 (sch. 1), retrieved 29 May 2024
  12. ^ Clay, Oliver, Halton to become part of Liverpool city region, Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, archived from the original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 15 January 2009
  13. ^ "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
  14. ^ "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Committee details". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  18. ^ Coligan, Nick (25 April 2007). "It's one fight that Labour cannot lose; Lib Dems' mission impossible: Local elections 2007". Liverpool Echo. p. 15.
  19. ^ "Halton". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  20. ^ "Council minutes". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  21. ^ Farrington, Jessica (22 October 2020). "New Widnes road named in honour of Halton hero". Runcorn and Widnes World. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  22. ^ "New council leader". Runcorn Weekly News. 11 May 1989. p. 3. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  23. ^ "New man at the top". Runcorn Weekly News. 20 May 1993. p. 27. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  24. ^ Lawrence, Andy (20 May 1999). "Council chief defuses row with praise". Runcorn Weekly News. p. 33. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  26. ^ "The Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2020/60, retrieved 4 June 2024
  27. ^ "Calendar". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  28. ^ Historic England. "Runcorn Town Hall, Heath Road (Grade II) (1104859)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  29. ^ Bradburn, Jean; Bradburn, John (2014). Runcorn Through the Ages. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445638812. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  30. ^ "'Glass Palace' opens its doors". Widnes Weekly News and District Reporter. 13 October 1967. p. 19. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Contact us". Halton Council. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Mayor". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Halton". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 13 January 2024.


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