Halton Borough Council
Coat of arms of Halton Borough Council
Halton Borough Council logo
Corporate logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974 (1974-04-01)
Preceded by
Leadership
Mayor of Halton
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
Seats54 councillors
Political groups
Administration
  Labour Party (49)
Other Parties
  Liberal Democrats (3)
  Conservative Party (2)
Committees
16
  • Appointments
  • Audit and Governance
  • Children, Young People and Families PPB
  • Constitution
  • Corporate PPB
  • Council
  • Development Management
  • Employment, Learning and Skills and Community PPB
  • Environment and Urban Renewal PPB
  • Executive
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Health PPB
  • Mayoral
  • Regulatory
  • Safer PPB
  • Standards
Joint committees
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.halton.gov.uk
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]

History

Municipal Building in Widnes, the administrative headquarters for Halton Borough Council

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]

Political control

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]

YearOverall Control
1974–presentLabour Party

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Halton Borough Council
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'[10]

References

  1. "Your Councillors". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. "Mayor". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. "Council Departments & Management Team". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  4. "Proposal to establish a combined authority for Greater Merseyside" (PDF). Department for Communities and Local Government. November 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. Wood, Bruce (1976). The process of local government reform 1966–74. London: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 0-04-350052-8.
  6. "1970 Conservative Party Manifesto". conservativemanifesto.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. 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
  8. Coligan, Nick (25 April 2007). "It's one fight that Labour cannot lose ; Lib Dems' mission impossible: Local elections 2007". Liverpool Echo. p. 15.
  9. "Halton". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  10. "Halton". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 13 January 2024.


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