Blackpool Council

Blackpool Council is the local authority of the Borough of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county council and district council combined.

Blackpool Council
Arms of Blackpool Borough Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Gillian Campbell,
Labour
since 24 May 2023[1]
Lynn Williams,
Labour
since 20 July 2020[2]
Neil Jack
since 21 July 2011[3]
Structure
Seats42 councillors[4]
Political groups
Administration (27)
  Labour (28)
Opposition (15)
  Conservative (14)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Plurality-at-large[lower-alpha 1]
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
2027
Meeting place
Facade of Blackpool Town Hall
Town Hall, Talbot Square, Blackpool, FY1 1GB
Website
www.blackpool.gov.uk

History

Blackpool's first elected local authority was the Layton with Warbreck Local Board, established in 1851 and named after the historic township that included the nascent town of Blackpool.[5] The board was renamed the Blackpool Local Board in 1868.[6] In 1876 the district was elevated to become a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Blackpool", but generally known as the corporation or town council.[7]

From 1904 to 1974, Blackpool was a county borough, independent from Lancashire County Council.[8] Under the Local Government Act 1972 Blackpool was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district, with the county council providing services to the town again.[9] Blackpool became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998, regaining its independence from Lancashire County Council.[10]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.

The first election to the council as reformed by the Local Government Act 1972 was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[11][12]

Non-metropolitan district

Party in controlYears
Conservative1974–1987
No overall control1987–1991
Labour1991–1998

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
Labour1998–2007
Conservative2007–2011
Labour2011–2021
No overall control2021–2023
Labour2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Blackpool. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1991 have been:[13]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Ivan Taylor[14] Labour19915 Jun 2000
George Bancroft[15] Labour12 Jul 200011 Jul 2001
Roy Fisher[16] LabourAug 20016 May 2007
Peter Callow Conservative21 May 200723 May 2011
Simon Blackburn Labour23 May 2011Jun 2020
Lynn Williams Labour20 Jul 2020

Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was as follows:[17]

PartyCouncillors
Labour28
Conservative14
Total42

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
See also: Blackpool Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing two councillors. The whole council is elected together every four years.[18]

Premises

The council is based at Blackpool Town Hall on Talbot Square. The building was built in 1900.[19]

Notes
  1. First-past-the-post used in by-elections.

References
  1. "Council minutes, 18 May 2022". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  2. "Council minutes, 20 July 2020" (PDF). Blackpool Council. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  3. "Chief executive changes in Blackpool and West Lancashire". Inside Media. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. "Blackpool Council political make-up".
  5. "No. 21259". The London Gazette. 4 November 1851. p. 2869.
  6. Cunningham Glen, W. (1869). The Law relating to Public Health and Local Government. London: Butterworths. p. 746. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  7. Farrer, William; Brownbill, J. (1912). A History of the County of Lancaster. London: Victoria County History. pp. 247–251. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  8. "Lancashire Record Office: What's in it for Blackpool?" (PDF). Lancashire County Council. November 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 23 August 2022
  10. "The Lancashire (Boroughs of Blackburn and Blackpool) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1868, retrieved 22 August 2022
  11. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  12. "Blackpool". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  13. "Council minutes". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  14. "Labour 'ship' now rudderless - Tory". Lancashire Telegraph. 9 June 2000. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. "Blackpool mourns leader". Lancashire Telegraph. 13 July 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  16. "Borough chief to retire early". Lancashire Telegraph. 1 August 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  17. "Local elections 2023: full council results for England". The Guardian. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  18. "The Blackpool (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1373, retrieved 20 May 2023
  19. Historic England. "Town Hall, Blackpool (1205893)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
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