Borough of Fylde

The Borough of Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes. The borough also contains the towns of Kirkham, Lytham and Wesham and surrounding villages and rural areas.

This article is about the local government district. For the wider region from which it is named, see the Fylde. For other uses, see Fylde.

Borough of Fylde
Borough and non-metropolitan district
Lytham St Annes beach
Lytham St Annes beach
Shown within Lancashire and England
Shown within Lancashire and England
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionNorth West England
Ceremonial countyLancashire
Founded1 April 1974
Admin. HQLytham St Annes
Government
 • TypeFylde Borough Council
 • MPs:Mark Menzies
Area
[1]
 • Total64.0 sq mi (165.7 km2)
 • Rank157th
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total81,845
 • Rank277th
 • Density1,300/sq mi (490/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
ONS code30UF (ONS)
E07000119 (GSS)
Ethnicity97.5% White
1.1% S.Asian[3]

The neighbouring districts are Blackpool, Wyre, Preston, South Ribble and West Lancashire.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[4]

The district was named Fylde after the coastal plan.[5] It was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[6]

The coat of arms of the borough bear the motto of the former Fylde Rural District Council, "Gaudeat Ager" from Psalm 96: 'Let the field (Fylde) be joyful' - "Let Fylde Prosper". The armorial bearings comprise a complete Achievement of Arms, that is - shield, crest and helm and mantling, supporters, badge and motto. They reflect the union of the three local authorities in the area: Lytham St Annes Borough Council, Kirkham Urban District Council and Fylde Rural District Council.[7]

Governance
Fylde Council
Logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Cheryl Little,
Conservative
since 24 May 2023[8]
Karen Buckley,
Conservative
since 20 July 2020
Allan Oldfield
since January 2012[9]
Structure
Seats37 councillors
Political groups
Administration (19)
  Conservative (19)
Other parties (18)
  Independent (14)
  Labour (2)
  Liberal Democrats (2)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Town Hall, South Promenade, Lytham St Annes, FY8 1LW
Website
new.fylde.gov.uk

Fylde Borough Council, which styles itself "Fylde Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Most of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10]

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2003.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[11][12]

Party in controlYears
Conservative1974–1991
No overall control1991–2003
Conservative2003–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Fylde. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:[13]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
David Eaves[14] Conservative2010Oct 2014
Sue Fazackerley[15] Conservative1 Dec 2014Apr 2020
Karen Buckley Conservative20 Jul 2020

Composition

Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[16]

Party Councillors
Conservative 19
Independent 14
Labour 2
Liberal Democrats 2
Total 37

The Liberal Democrats and 12 of the 14 independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Liberal Democrats" group. The other two independents are not aligned to any group.[17] The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
See also: Fylde Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 37 councillors, representing 17 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[18]

Premises

The council is based at Lytham St Annes Town Hall on South Promenade in St Annes. The building was originally a hotel called Southdown Hydro, but was bought in 1925 to serve as a town hall following the merger of the districts of St Annes and Lytham in 1922 to become Lytham St Annes.[19]

Some council departments, including the planning department and an office of the Registrar, were previously located at the former Fylde Rural District Council offices on Derby Road in Wesham,[20] but in 2007 the council vacated this office. It was then used by the NHS North Lancashire Primary Care Trust until around 2013. The building has since been demolished and replaced by a new housing development.[21]

Settlements
Towns and villages in the Borough of Fylde (inset: in Lancashire)

Civil parishes
Parishes in Fylde Borough

There are 15 civil parishes in Fylde. The parish councils of Kirkham, Medlar-with-Wesham and St Annes-on-the-Sea have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".[22]

  1. Bryning-with-Warton
  2. Elswick
  3. Freckleton
  4. Greenhalgh-with-Thistleton
  5. Kirkham
  6. Little Eccleston-with-Larbreck
  7. Medlar-with-Wesham
  8. Newton-with-Clifton
  9. Ribby-with-Wrea
  10. St Annes-on-the-Sea
  11. Singleton
  12. Staining
  13. Treales, Roseacre and Wharles
  14. Weeton-with-Preese
  15. Westby-with-Plumptons

Lytham is unparished.

References
  1. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  3. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Fylde Local Authority (E07000119)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  4. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
  5. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 22 August 2022
  6. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  7. "Fylde Borough Council Armorial Bearings". Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  8. "Council minutes, 24 May 2023". Fylde Council. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  9. "Chief Executive". Fylde Council. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  10. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  11. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  12. "Fylde". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  13. "Council minutes". Fylde Council. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  14. "Fylde Council leader David Eaves steps down". BBC News. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. Durkin, Tony (30 April 2020). "Fylde Council leader steps down after six years". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  16. "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  17. "Councillors". Fylde Council. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  18. "The Fylde (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/664, retrieved 10 October 2023
  19. "New Town Hall: Lytham St. Annes Municipal Scheme". Lancashire Daily Post. Preston. 19 May 1925. p. 3. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  20. "No. 45573". The London Gazette. 14 January 1972. p. 583.
  21. Planning Committee Report, 13 November 2013, Application 13/0449
  22. "Town and parish information". Fylde Council. Retrieved 10 October 2023.

53.763°N 2.934°W / 53.763; -2.934

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