Halton Borough Council

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:{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=5 June 2024}}

• Runcorn Rural District (parishes of Daresbury, Moore and Preston Brook only)
• Runcorn Urban District
• Whiston Rural District (parish of Hale only)
• Widnes Municipal Borough

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|access-date=5 June 2024}}{{cite book |title=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3 |date=1907 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=386–392 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp386-392 |access-date=5 June 2024}}

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=5 June 2024}} The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.{{cite web |title=District Councils and Boroughs |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145 |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=30 May 2024 |date=28 March 1974}}

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1863|access-date=5 June 2024}}

The borough remains part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Lieutenancies Act 1997|year=1997|chapter=23|schedule=1|access-date=29 May 2024}} 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.{{Citation |last=Clay |first=Oliver |title=Halton to become part of Liverpool city region |series=Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News |url=http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/01/15/halton-to-become-part-of-liverpool-city-region-55368-22691583/ |access-date=2009-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727022041/http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/runcorn-widnes-news/runcorn-widnes-local-news/2009/01/15/halton-to-become-part-of-liverpool-city-region-55368-22691583 |archive-date=27 July 2011}}

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority Order 2014|year=2014|number=865|access-date=5 June 2024}}{{cite web |title=Understand how your council works |url=https://www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works |website=gov.uk |access-date=30 May 2024}}

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.{{cite web |title=Committee details |url=https://liverpoolcityregion-ca.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=364 |website=Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |access-date=5 June 2024}} Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas.{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=30 May 2024}}

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974.{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre | date=4 March 2016 |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite news | first = Nick | last = Coligan | title = It's one fight that Labour cannot lose; Lib Dems' mission impossible: Local elections 2007 | newspaper = Liverpool Echo | page = 15 | date = 2007-04-25 }}{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/et.stm | title = Halton | access-date = 2010-02-24 | work = BBC News Online | date=2008-04-19}}

Lower tier non-metropolitan district

Unitary authority

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:{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://councillors.halton.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1 |website=Halton Borough Council |access-date=3 September 2022}}

The last election was in 2024.{{cite news |title=Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/may/02/local-elections-2024-full-council-results-for-england |access-date=21 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=4 May 2024}} In May 2025, the council's sole Conservative councillor, Siân Davidson, defected to Reform UK.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Mark |date=29 May 2025 |title=Halton's last Conservative councillor defects to Reform |url=https://www.runcornandwidnesworld.co.uk/news/25200167.haltons-last-conservative-councillor-defects-reform/ |work=Runcorn and Widnes World |publisher=Newsquest |access-date=29 May 2025}}

The next election is due in May 2026.

{{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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Halton (Electoral Changes) Order 2020|year=2020|number=60|access-date=4 June 2024}}

File:Halton Borough Council municipal building, Widnes.JPG: the council's administrative headquarters]]

Full council meetings are generally held at Runcorn Town Hall on Heath Road.{{cite web |title=Calendar |url=https://councillors.halton.gov.uk/mgCalendarAgendaView.aspx?MR=0&M=6&DD=2024&CID=0&OT=&C=-1&D=5 |website=Halton Borough Council |access-date=5 June 2024}} It was completed in 1856 as a large house called Halton Grange.{{NHLE|num=1104859|desc=Runcorn Town Hall, Heath Road|grade=II|access-date=5 June 2024}} The house was bought by Runcorn Urban District Council in 1932 and converted to become their town hall.{{cite book |last1=Bradburn |first1=Jean |last2=Bradburn |first2=John |title=Runcorn Through the Ages |date=2014 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |isbn=9781445638812 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nf_BBQAAQBAJ&dq=runcorn%20town%20hall%201932&pg=PT170 |access-date=5 June 2024}}

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.{{cite news |title='Glass Palace' opens its doors |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=5 June 2024 |work=Widnes Weekly News and District Reporter |date=13 October 1967 |page=19}} It also has offices at Rutland House in Runcorn town centre.{{cite web |title=Contact us |url=https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/councildemocracy/Contact-Us.aspx |website=Halton Council |access-date=5 June 2024}}

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

{{Infobox COA wide

|image = Coat of Arms of Borough of Halton.svg

|year_adopted = 6 October 1983

|years_in_use = {{age|1983|10|6}}

|escutcheon = Gules, four lozenges conjoined in pale Or between two pallets wavy Azure fimbriated Argent.

|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.

|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'{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Halton_(England) |publisher=Heraldry of the World |accessdate=13 January 2024 |title=Halton}}}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Unitary authorities of England}}

{{Local authorities in Cheshire}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Borough of Halton

Category:Leader and cabinet executives

Category:Unitary authority councils of England

Category:Local education authorities in England

Category:Local authorities in Cheshire

Category:Billing authorities in England

Category:Liverpool City Region

Category:1974 establishments in England