Rochdale Borough Council
{{Short description|Local government body in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Rochdale Borough Council
| coa_pic = Coat of arms of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.png
| coa_caption = Coat of arms
| coa_res =
| coa_alt = Arms of Rochdale Borough Council
| logo_pic = Rochdale Borough Council logo.svg
| logo_caption = Corporate logo
| logo_res =
| logo_alt =
| house_type = Metropolitan borough
| foundation = 1 April 1974
| preceded_by =
| new_session =
| leader1_type = Mayor
| leader1 = Shakil Ahmed
| party1 =
Labour
| leader2_type = Leader
| leader2 = Neil Emmott
| party2 =
Labour
| election2 = 19 May 2021
| leader3_type = Chief Executive
| leader3 = Steve Rumbelow
| party3 =
| election3 = 15 December 2014
| seats = 60 councillors{{Cite web|url=http://opencouncildata.co.uk/council.php?c=277&y=0|title=Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections|website=opencouncildata.co.uk|access-date=2020-07-31}}
| structure1 = Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 2024.svg
| structure1_res = 280
| structure1_alt = Rochdale Borough Council composition
| political_groups1 =
; Administration (44)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (44)
; Other parties (16)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (9)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal Democrat (3)}}
: {{Color box|{{party color|Middleton Independents Party}}|border=darkgray}} Middleton Ind. (2)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Workers Party of Britain}}|border=darkgray}} Workers Party (2)
| committees1 =
| joint_committees = Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel
| term_length =
| voting_system1 =
| last_election1 = 2 May 2024
| next_election1 = 7 May 2026
| session_room = Rochdale Municipal Offices - geograph.org.uk - 3920311.jpg
| session_res =
| session_alt =
| meeting_place = Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16{{nbsp}}1XU
| website = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes =
| motto =
}}
Rochdale Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011. It is based at Number One Riverside.
History
{{further|County Borough of Rochdale}}
The town of Rochdale had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1825.{{cite web |title=Rochdale Improvement Act 1825 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo4/6/128/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=2 June 2024}} In 1856 the town was incorporated as a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Rochdale', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.{{cite book |title=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 |date=1911 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=187–201 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp187-201#h3-s3 |access-date=2 June 2024 |chapter=The parish of Rochdale}} When elected county councils were established in 1889, Rochdale was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.{{cite web |title=Rochdale Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10136945 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=2 June 2024}}
File:Rochdale Town Hall, 2010.jpg: Completed 1871 for old borough council and served as modern council's headquarters until 2013. Still used by council for annual mayor-making ceremony.]]
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's six outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton and the urban district councils of Littleborough, Milnrow and Wardle. 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.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|schedule=1|access-date=30 May 2024}}
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Rochdale's series of mayors dating back to 1856.{{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}} The council styles itself Rochdale Borough Council rather than its full formal name of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.{{cite web |title=Find your local council |url=https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council/rochdale |website=gov.uk |access-date=31 May 2024}}
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Rochdale, with some services provided through joint committees.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1985|year=1985|chapter=51|access-date=5 April 2024}}
Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Rochdale Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011|year=2011|number=908|access-date=30 May 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}}
Governance
Rochdale Borough Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Rochdale Council sits on the combined authority as Rochdale's representative.{{cite web |title=GMCA Members |url=https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/who-we-are/gmca-members/ |website=Greater Manchester Combined Authority |access-date=30 May 2024}} There are no civil parishes in the borough.{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=30 May 2024}}
=Political control=
Rochdale has been under Labour majority control since 2011.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/council/html/3741.stm | title = Rochdale | access-date = 2010-05-07 | work = BBC News Online | date=2009-04-19}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| colspan="2"|Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1974–1975 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1975–1976 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | 1976–1979 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1979–1980 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1980–1982 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1982–1986 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1986–1992 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1992–1996 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 1996–2003 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2003–2007 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | 2007–2010 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2010–2011 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | 2011–present |
=Leadership=
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Rochdale. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2006 have been:{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://democracy.rochdale.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?bcr=1 |website=Rochdale Borough Council |access-date=31 August 2022}}
=Composition=
Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:{{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}}
| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party ! Councillors | |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | align=center|44 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | align=center|9 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | align=center|3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Middleton Independents Party|full=yes}} | align=center|2 |
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Party of Britain}} | align=center|2 |
| colspan=2|Total
! align=center|60 |
|---|
The next election is due in May 2026.
Elections
{{also|Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council elections}}
Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised 60 councillors representing 20 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) elected each time for a four-year term of office.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Rochdale (Electoral Changes) Order 2021|year=2021|number=1230|access-date=2 June 2024}}
Wards and councillors
Each ward of the council's 20 wards is represented by three councillors.{{cite web |title=Councillor contact information by Ward |url=https://democracy.rochdale.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=democracy.rochdale.gov.uk |publisher=Rochdale Borough Council |access-date=25 July 2023}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Ward
!Councillor !colspan="2"|Party !Term of office |
|---|
| rowspan="3"| Bamford
|Stephen Anstee | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2021–27 |
| Angela Smith
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2018–26 |
| Philip Beal
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Balderstone and Kirkholt
|Elsie Blundell | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–27 |
| Phillip Massey
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Daniel Meredith
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Castleton
|Aisling-Blaise Gallagher | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| Aasim Rashid
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| Billy Sheerin
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| rowspan="3"| Central Rochdale
|Farooq Ahmed | {{Party name with colour|Workers Party of Britain}} |2024-28 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Sameena Zaheer
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2023–27 |
| rowspan="3"| East Middleton
|Paul Beswick | {{Party name with colour|Middleton Independents Party}} |2022–26 |
| Terry Smith
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2023–27 |
| Dylan James Williams
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024–28 |
| rowspan="3"| Healey
|Tricia Ayrton | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–27 |
| Shaun O'Neill
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Shah Wazir
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Hopwood Hall
|Susan Emmott | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–24 |
| Peter Hodgkinson
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–27 |
| Carol Wardle
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2018–24 |
| rowspan="3"| Kingsway
|Shakil Ahmed | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Daalat Ali
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| Rachel Massey
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–27 |
| rowspan="3"| Littleborough Lakeside
|Tom Besford | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| Janet Emsley
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2018–26 |
| Richard Jackson
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2023–27 |
| rowspan="3"| Milkstone and Deeplish
|Mohammad Arshad | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–26 |
| Minaam Ellahi
| {{Party name with colour|Workers Party of Britain}} |2024-28 |
| Aiza Rashid
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–27 |
| rowspan="3"| Milnrow and Newhey
|David Bamford | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| Irene Davidson
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Andy Kelly
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Norden
|James Gartside | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Michael Holly
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| Peter Winkler
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| North Heywood
|Liam O'Rourke | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Bev Place
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–27 |
| Paul O'Neill
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| North Middleton
|Peter Allonby | {{Party name with colour|Middleton Independents Party}} |2022–26 |
| Elizabeth Atewologun
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2023–27 |
| Kath Bromfield
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Smallbridge and Firgrove
|John Blundell | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| Aftab Hussain
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–26 |
| Amna Mir
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–23 |
| rowspan="3"| South Middleton
|Patricia Mary Dale | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| June West
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| Peter Williams
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–26 |
| rowspan="3"| Spotland and Falinge
|Iram Faisal | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Amber Nisa
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–27 |
| Faisal Rana
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| rowspan="3"| Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough
|Ashley Dearnley | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2021–26 |
| Adam Branton
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
| John Taylor
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| rowspan="3"| West Heywood
|Angela Brown | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022–26 |
| Peter Joinson
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2022-28 |
| Linda Robinson
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2023–27 |
| rowspan="3"| West Middleton
|Phil Burke | {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2019–26 |
| Neil Emmott
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2018–27 |
| Susan Smith
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} |2024-28 |
Premises
The council is based at Number One Riverside on Smith Street in the centre of Rochdale. It was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2013.{{cite web |url=https://faulknerbrowns.com/featured-work/number-one-riverside |title=Number One Riverside |website=faulknerbrowns.com |publisher=FaulknerBrowns Architects |access-date=25 July 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/contact-us/number-one-riverside |title=Number One Riverside - council offices |website=rochdale.gov.uk |publisher=Rochdale Borough Council |access-date=25 July 2023}} Prior to 2013 the council met and had some offices at Rochdale Town Hall, which had been completed in 1871 for the old borough council, with additional offices spread across numerous other buildings.{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall|num=1084275|grade=I|access-date=2 June 2024}} The Town Hall is still used for certain ceremonial functions, including the annual council meeting when new mayors are appointed.{{cite web |title=Annual council meeting, 15 May 2024 |url=https://democracy.rochdale.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=156&MId=6653 |website=Rochdale Borough Council |access-date=2 June 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Local authorities in Greater Manchester}}
{{Metropolitan districts of England}}
Category:Metropolitan district councils of England
Category:Local authorities in Greater Manchester
Category:Leader and cabinet executives
Category:Local education authorities in England
Category:Billing authorities in England