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West Lancashire

For the constituency, see West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency). For the former rural district, see West Lancashire Rural District.

West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town is Skelmersdale. The district borders Fylde to the north, over the Ribble Estuary; South Ribble, Chorley, and Wigan to the east; St Helens and Knowsley to the south; and Sefton to the south and west.

West Lancashire
Borough
The West Lancashire plain near Burscough
The West Lancashire plain near Burscough
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lancashire
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lancashire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionNorth West England
Ceremonial countyLancashire
Admin. HQOrmskirk
Government
 • TypeWest Lancashire Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader and Cabinet
 • MPs:
Area
 • Total134 sq mi (347 km2)
 • Rank102nd
Population
 (2022)
 • Total119,367
 • RankRanked 202nd
 • Density890/sq mi (340/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode
L, PR, WN
ONS code
  • 30UP (ONS)
  • E07000127 (GSS)

The borough has a population of 117,400 and an area of 133.8 square miles (347 km2).[2] It is primarily rural, and the most populous settlements after Ormskirk and Skelmersdale are Burscough (9,935), Up Holland (7,578), and Tarleton (5,959).[3] The borough council is based in Ormskirk, and there are twenty-one civil parishes.

The west of the borough contains much of the southern part of the Lancashire Plain, a low-lying region of mossland. A large lake called Martin Mere occupied much of the area until it was drained for agriculture. The northern border of the borough is the Ribble Estuary, and both it and the remnant of Martin Mere are Ramsar sites.[4] In the east the land rises to Harrock Hill, Parbold Hill, and Ashurst Hill; the River Douglas flows west through the valley between the last two, then turns north and forms the borough boundary.

History

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

In 2009 the district was awarded borough status, causing the council to change its name from West Lancashire District Council to West Lancashire Borough Council, and allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.[6][7]

Proposals to divide Lancashire into three unitary authorities were put forward in 2020, which would have seen both Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council abolished.[8] The Government did not pursue that proposed reform, although left open the possibility of other forms of reorganisation in future.[9]

Governance

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West Lancashire Borough Council
Logo 
Type
Type
Leadership
Julian Finch,
Labour
since 15 May 2024[11]
Yvonne Gagen,
Labour
since 18 May 2022[12]
Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey[10]
since 2020[13]
Structure
Seats45 councillors
Political groups
Administration (26)
  Labour (26)
Other parties (19)
  Conservatives (14)
  Our West Lancashire (5)
Elections
Last election
2 May 2024
Last election
7 May 2026
Meeting place
52 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2DF
Website
www.westlancs.gov.uk

West Lancashire Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council.[14] Parts of the district are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[15]

The council employs around 600 people, making it one of West Lancashire's largest employers. It is responsible for the administration of various services, such as leisure, waste collection, planning permission and pest control.[10]

Political control

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The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[16][17]

Party in control Years
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1986
No overall control 1986–1987
Conservative 1987–1991
No overall control 1991–1994
Labour 1994–2002
Conservative 2002–2014
No overall control 2014–2015
Labour 2015–2021
No overall control 2021–2023
Labour 2023–present

Leadership

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The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in West Lancashire. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1992 have been:[18]

Councillor Party From To
Alan Bullen Labour 1992 15 May 2002
Geoff Roberts Conservative 15 May 2002 21 May 2008
Ian Grant Conservative 21 May 2008 25 May 2014
David Westley Conservative 11 Jun 2014 20 May 2015
Ian Moran Labour 20 May 2015 8 May 2022
Yvonne Gagen Labour 18 May 2022

Composition

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Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[19]

Party Councillors
Labour 26
Conservative 14
Our West Lancashire 5
Total 45

The next election is due in 2026.

Premises

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The council is based at 52 Derby Street in Ormskirk, which was originally a pair of large semi-detached Victorian houses called Beaconsfield (number 52) and Abbotsford (number 54).[20] Beaconsfield was purchased in 1925 by West Lancashire Rural District Council, one of the modern council's predecessors, and converted to become its headquarters, being formally opened on 30 July 1925.[21] Abbotsford was acquired later and the building has been significantly extended to the rear.[22]

Elections

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See also: West Lancashire Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for a four-year term. Lancashire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[23]

Parliamentary constituencies

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The south of West Lancashire, including the towns of Burscough, Skelmersdale and Ormskirk fall under the West Lancashire constituency in the House of Commons, which has been represented by Labour Party MP Ashley Dalton since the 2023 West Lancashire by-election, whereas the north of West Lancashire falls under the South Ribble constituency, which has been represented by Conservative Party MP Katherine Fletcher since the 2019 general election.

Geography

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class=notpageimage|
Towns and villages in West Lancashire

Skelmersdale, a former New Town, and Ormskirk are the two main towns in the borough. These are surrounded by a patchwork of smaller settlements to the west and north.

Civil parishes

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Civil parishes in West Lancashire

There are 21 civil parishes in West Lancashire. The main towns of Skelmersdale and Ormskirk are unparished areas. There is a movement to establish a town council in Skelmersdale.[24] The parish council of Burscough takes the style "town council".[25]

  1. Aughton
  2. Bickerstaffe
  3. Bispham
  4. Burscough
  5. Dalton
  6. Downholland
  7. Great Altcar
  8. Halsall
  9. Hesketh-with-Becconsall
  10. Hilldale
  11. Lathom
  12. Lathom South
  13. Newburgh
  14. North Meols
  15. Parbold
  16. Rufford
  17. Scarisbrick
  18. Simonswood
  19. Tarleton
  20. Up Holland
  21. Wrightington

All the civil parishes have a parish council, with the exception of Bispham, which has a parish meeting instead.

Media

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In terms of television, the area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada broadcasting from the Winter Hill transmitter.[26]

Radio stations for the area are:

Local newspaper is the Lancashire Telegraph.[27]

Twin towns

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West Lancashire is twinned with:[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – West Lancashire Local Authority (E07000127)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "How life has changed in West Lancashire: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ^ Parish populations.
  4. ^ "NCA Profile: 32 Lancashire and Amounderness Plain - NE512". Natural England. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
  6. ^ "Orders and changes made by the Government and Councils between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009" (PDF). Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  7. ^ "The Royal Charter". West Lancashire District Council. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Lancashire councils face abolition in shake-up". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  9. ^ Faulkner, Paul (28 July 2021). "Where plans to carve up Lancashire and abolish its 15 councils are up to". Lancs Live. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Management of the Council". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Council minutes, 15 May 2024". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2022" (PDF). West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey appointed as West Lancashire Borough Council's new Chief Operating Officer". Skem News. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  15. ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  17. ^ "West Lancashire". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Council minutes". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  19. ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  20. ^ 1911 Census, Class RG14; Piece 22822; Schedules 220–221
  21. ^ "West Lancashire Council's new offices". Ormskirk Advertiser. 6 August 1925. p. 3. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  22. ^ "West Lancashire Borough Council". Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  23. ^ "The West Lancashire (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1179, retrieved 27 June 2023
  24. ^ "Skelmersdale Independent Party". Skelmersdale Independent Party. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  25. ^ "Parish councils contact information". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  26. ^ "Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. May 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Lancashire Telegraph". British Papers. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  28. ^ West Lancashire Borough Council, Town Twinning retrieved 21 January 2019

53°33′43″N 2°49′37″W / 53.562°N 2.827°W / 53.562; -2.827

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