Bolton Council
Bolton Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Council Logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Sue Johnson since 26 September 2022[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 60 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel |
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall,Victoria Square,Bolton,BL11RU | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Bolton Council,orBolton Metropolitan Borough Council,is thelocal authorityof theMetropolitan Borough of BoltoninGreater Manchester,England. It is ametropolitan borough counciland provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of theGreater Manchester Combined Authoritysince 2011.
The council has been underno overall controlsince 2019, and has been led by aLabourminority administration since 2023. It is based atBolton Town Hall.
History
[edit]The town ofBoltonhad been incorporated as amunicipal boroughin 1838, governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Bolton', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Bolton was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became acounty borough,independent from the newLancashire County Council,whilst remaining part of thegeographical countyof Lancashire.[3]
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Bolton and its council were created in 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972as one of ten metropolitan districts within the newmetropolitan countyof Greater Manchester. The first election was heldin 1973.For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's eight outgoing authorities, being the borough councils ofBoltonandFarnworth,and theurban districtcouncils ofBlackrod,Horwich,Kearsley,Little Lever,WesthoughtonandTurton(the latter in respect of its more built upsouthern partonly, the more rural northern part became the parish ofNorth TurtoninBlackburndistrict). 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.[4]
The metropolitan district was awardedborough statusfrom its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Bolton'sseries of mayorsdating back to 1838.[5]The council styles itself Bolton Council rather than its full formal name of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council.[6]
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by theGreater Manchester County Council.The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Bolton, with some services provided through joint committees.[7]
Since 2011 the council has been a member of theGreater Manchester Combined Authority,which has been led by the directly electedMayor of Greater Manchestersince 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Bolton Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[8][9]
Governance
[edit]Bolton Council providesmetropolitan boroughservices. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Bolton Council sits on the combined authority as Bolton's representative.[10]Blackrod,HorwichandWesthoughtonarecivil parishes,each with a town council forming an additional tier of local government, the rest of the borough isunparished.[11]
Political control
[edit]Since the2019 election,Bolton has been underno overall control.Following the2023 electionaLabourminority administration formed to run the council.[12]The minority administration is continuing following the2024 election.[13]
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[14][15]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1980 | |
| Labour | 1980–2003 | |
| No overall control | 2003–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–2019 | |
| No overall control | 2019–present | |
Leadership
[edit]The role ofMayor of Boltonis largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by theleader of the council.The first leader of the metropolitan borough council, John Hanscomb, had been the last leader of the old Bolton County Borough Council. The leaders since 1974 have been:[16]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hanscomb | Conservative | 1974 | 1980 | |
| Bob Howarth[17] | Labour | 1980 | 13 Jun 2004 | |
| Barbara Ronson | Liberal Democrats | Jun 2004 | May 2006 | |
| Cliff Morris[18] | Labour | May 2006 | 31 Dec 2017 | |
| Linda Thomas | Labour | 5 Feb 2018 | 22 May 2019 | |
| David Greenhalgh[19] | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | 29 Jul 2021 | |
| Martyn Cox | Conservative | 25 Aug 2021 | 16 May 2023 | |
| Nick Peel | Labour | 16 May 2023 | Incumbent | |
Composition
[edit]Following the2024 election,the composition of the council was:[20]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 26 | |
| Conservative | 15 | |
| Horwich and Blackrod First | 6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 6 | |
| Farnworth and Kearsley First | 5 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 60 | |
The next election is due in May 2026.
Elections
[edit]Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 60councillorsrepresenting 20wards,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) elected each time for a four-year term of office.[21]
Wards and councillors
[edit]There are 20 wards, each represented by three councillors.[22]
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Date first elected | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astley Bridge | |||||
| Hilary Fairclough[a] | Conservative | 4 May 2000 |
2023–27
| ||
| John Walsh | Conservative | 7 May 1998 |
2023–26
| ||
| Toby Hewitt | Conservative | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Bradshaw | |||||
| James Moller | Conservative | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Les Webb | Conservative | 4 May 2023 |
2023–26
| ||
| Jackie Schofield | Labour Co-op | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Breightmet | |||||
| Sean Fielding | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Adele Warren | Conservative | 3 May 2018 |
2023–26
| ||
| Robert Morrisey | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2023 |
2024–28
| ||
| Bromley Cross | |||||
| Samantha Jayne Connor | Conservative | 2 May 2019 |
2023–27
| ||
| Amy Marie Cowen | Conservative | 28 Oct 2021 |
2023–26
| ||
| Nadim Muslim | Conservative | 3 May 2018 |
2024–28
| ||
| Farnworth North | |||||
| Hamid Kurram | Labour | 3 May 2018 |
2023–27
| ||
| Nadeem Ayub | Labour | 5 May 2022 |
2023–26
| ||
| Susan Haworth | Labour | 16 October 2014 |
2024–28
| ||
| Farnworth South | |||||
| Maureen Flitcroft | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Paul Sanders[b] | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 9 March 2018 |
2023–26
| ||
| Paula Connor-Bennett | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Great Lever | |||||
| Mohammed Ayub | Labour | 4 May 2006 |
2023–27
| ||
| Mohammed Iqbal | Labour | 1 May 2008 |
2023–26
| ||
| Karen Hon | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2024–28
| ||
| Halliwell | |||||
| Rabiya Jiva | Labour | 6 May 2021 |
2023–27
| ||
| Safwaan Patel | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2023–26
| ||
| Hanif Alli | Green | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Heaton, Lostock and Chew Moor | |||||
| Martyn Cox[c] | Conservative | 6 May 2010 |
2023–27
| ||
| Anne Galloway | Conservative | 3 May 2018 |
2023–26
| ||
| Andrew Morgan | Conservative | 7 May 2015 |
2024–28
| ||
| Horwich North | |||||
| Ryan Bamforth | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Craig Rotheram | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 |
2023–26
| ||
| Victoria Rigby | Horwich and Blackrod First | 4 May 2023 |
2024–28
| ||
| Horwich South and Blackrod | |||||
| David Grant | Horwich and Blackrod First | 6 May 2021 |
2023–27
| ||
| Peter Wright | Horwich and Blackrod First | 2 May 2019 |
2023–26
| ||
| Samantha Williamson | Horwich and Blackrod First | 3 May 2018 |
2024–28
| ||
| Hulton | |||||
| Aalaina Khan | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Shafaqat Shaikh | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2023–26
| ||
| Fazeelah Khan | Labour | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Kearsley | |||||
| Debbie Newall | Labour[d] | 5 May 2022 |
2023–27
| ||
| Tracey Wilkinson | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 2023–26
| |||
| Sylvia Crossley | Farnworth and Kearsley First | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Little Lever and Darcy Lever | |||||
| Andrea Taylor-Burke | Conservative | 6 May 2021 |
2023–27
| ||
| David Meehan | Conservative | 5 May 2022 |
2023–26
| ||
| Liam Barnard | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2024–28
| ||
| Queens Park and Central | |||||
| Akhtar Zaman[f] | Labour | 2 May 2002 |
2023–27
| ||
| Richard Silvester | Labour Co-op | 5 May 2011 |
2023–26
| ||
| Linda Thomas | Labour Co-op | 5 October 1995 |
2024–28
| ||
| Rumworth | |||||
| Abdul Atcha | Labour | 5 May 2022 |
2023–27
| ||
| Sajid Ali | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2023–24
| ||
| Ayyub Patel | Independent | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
| Smithills | |||||
| Roger Hayes | Liberal Democrats | 7 May 1998 |
2023–27
| ||
| Susan Priest | Liberal Democrats | 5 May 2022 |
2023–26
| ||
| Garry Veevers[g] | Liberal Democrats | 2 May 2019 |
2024–28
| ||
| Tonge with The Haulgh | |||||
| Martin Donaghy | Labour Co-op | 3 May 2012 |
2023–27
| ||
| Nick Peel[h] | Labour Co-op | 4 May 2000 |
2023–26
| ||
| Emily Mort | Labour Co-op | 5 May 2022 |
2024–28
| ||
| Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill | |||||
| Arthur Price | Liberal Democrats | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| Martin Tighe | Conservative | 4 May 2023 |
2023–26
| ||
| Deirdre McGeown | Liberal Democrats | 16 November 2023[i] | 2024–28
| ||
| Westhoughton South | |||||
| David Chadwick | Labour | 4 May 2023 |
2023–27
| ||
| David Wilkinson | Liberal Democrats | 3 May 2018 |
2023–26
| ||
| John McHugh | Labour | 2 May 2024 |
2024–28
| ||
- ^Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group
- ^Leader of Farnworth and Kearsley First
- ^Leader of the Conservative Group
- ^Elected in May 2022 as aOne Kearsleycandidate and crossed the floor to the Labour Party in October 2023[23]
- ^Elected in a by-election following the resignation of Paul Heslop, Leader ofOne Kearsley
- ^Deputy Leader of the Labour Group
- ^Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
- ^Leader of the Labour Group
- ^By-election following the resignation of Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon.[24]
Premises
[edit]The council is based atBolton Town Hallon Victoria Square in the centre of Bolton. The building was completed in 1873 for the old Bolton Borough Council.[25][26]
References
[edit]- ^"New mayor will champion the amazing work of Bolton charities".Bolton Council.15 May 2024.Retrieved29 May2024.
- ^"Council press release, 27 September 2022".Retrieved29 January2023.
- ^"Great Bolton".A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5.London: Victoria County History. 1911. pp. 243–251.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1972 c. 70 (sch. 1),retrieved30 May2024
- ^"District Councils and Boroughs".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).28 March 1974.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"Find your local council".gov.uk.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"Local Government Act 1985",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1985 c. 51,retrieved5 April2024
- ^"The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,SI 2011/908,retrieved30 May2024
- ^"Understand how your council works".gov.uk.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"GMCA Members".Greater Manchester Combined Authority.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"Election Maps".Ordnance Survey.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^Tooth, Jack (17 May 2023)."Bolton Council leader confirmed as Nick Peel at town hall".The Bolton News.Retrieved17 May2023.
- ^Gee, Chris (23 May 2024)."Labour to continue running Bolton council".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^"Compositions calculator".The Elections Centre.Retrieved10 August2022.
- ^"Bolton".BBC News Online.19 April 2008.Retrieved26 September2009.
- ^"Council minutes".Bolton Council.Retrieved30 August2022.
- ^Gee, Chris; George, Thomas (6 April 2021)."Tributes to former MP and council leader who was last surviving 'freeman' of Bolton".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved31 August2022.
- ^Savage, Ian; Holland, Daniel (8 November 2017)."Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris to step down on December 31 after 11 years in charge".Bolton News.Retrieved31 August2022.
- ^George, Thomas; Topping, Stephen (29 July 2021)."Bolton Council leader David Greenhalgh dies".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved31 August2022.
- ^"Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England".The Guardian.4 May 2024.Retrieved21 May2024.
- ^"The Bolton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,SI 2022/964,retrieved30 May2024
- ^Bolton Council."Your Councillors - Bolton Council".Bolton Council.Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2024.Retrieved17 May2024.
- ^abGee, Chris (4 October 2023)."Party leader quits and two of his colleagues join Labour in turbulent week for Greater Manchester council".Manchester Evening News.Retrieved19 October2023.
- ^Harrigan, Joe (2 October 2023)."Bolton Council: Westhoughton councillor resigns seat".The Bolton news.Retrieved19 October2023.
- ^"Contact us".Bolton Council.Retrieved30 May2024.
- ^Historic England."Town Hall, Victoria Square (Grade II*) (1388295)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved30 May2024.
