Shrewsbury and Atcham

52.628°N 2.759°W / 52.628; -2.759

Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Shown within Shropshire non-metropolitan county
History
 • OriginBorough of Shrewsbury
Atcham Rural District
 • Created1 April 1974
 • Abolished31 March 2009
 • Succeeded byShropshire
StatusDistrict, Borough
ONS code39UE
GovernmentShrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
 • HQShrewsbury
 • MottoFloreat Salopia
For the parliamentary constituency of the same name, see Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency).

Shrewsbury and Atcham was a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England, between 1974 and 2009.

Shrewsbury was the only town in the borough; Atcham, although itself only a village, was included in the name as a reflection of the incorporation into the borough of the former Atcham Rural District. Other notable villages included Alberbury, Bayston Hill, Bomere Heath, Condover, Cressage, Cross Houses, Dorrington, Ford, Hanwood, Minsterley, Montford Bridge, Nesscliffe, Pontesbury, Uffington and Westbury.

The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham covered 602 square kilometres (232 sq mi), which was 19% of the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire. To the north of the borough was the North Shropshire district and the Borough of Oswestry and to the south were the South Shropshire and Bridgnorth districts. The borough lay in the middle of Shropshire and on the border with Wales. A 2006 estimate put the population of the borough at 95,900 (this accounted for approx 40% of the total population for the non-metropolitan county).

The district and its council was abolished on 1 April 2009 when the new Shropshire unitary authority was established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.

History

The borough was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 covering the area of the two former districts of the municipal borough of Shrewsbury and the Atcham Rural District, to form a new non-metropolitan district.[1] The new district was initially called "Shrewsbury", but was renamed Shrewsbury and Atcham on 12 June 1974 by the new council.[2][3] The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]

The borough unsuccessfully applied for city status in the 2000 and 2002 competitions.

The borough and its council were abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new Shropshire Council unitary authority from 1 April 2009, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.[5] The Central area committee of the new Shropshire Council covers exactly the same area as the borough did. The population for this area was 102,383 in 2011.

Population
Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Population 31,280 34,158 38,263 40,480 41,858 43,818 46,261 48,704 51,146 50,678 52,181 53,729 55,481 57,290 62,398 67,965 74,831 82,392 85,136 92,347 95,896 102,383
Population figures for Shrewsbury & Atcham borough. Source: A Vision of Britain through Time

Headquarters
The former Guildhall of Shrewsbury and Atcham, Frankwell Quay

In the 19th century the headquarters of the borough council were at the Old Guildhall in the Market Square in Shrewsbury.[6] The council moved to Newport House in Dogpole in 1917 and then to modern building on Frankwell Quay in Frankwell in March 2004.[7] After Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council was abolished in 2009, it became surplus to requirements and was converted for use by the University Centre Shrewsbury.[7]

Property

The borough council owned much land and property in the Shrewsbury and Atcham area. Shrewsbury Castle was owned by the borough council, as was the town museum and art gallery, which is located in the 'Rowley's House' building. The council also owned various car parks, offices, some public conveniences, large areas of parkland and a number of the town's bridges. Ownersrship of two main entertainment venues was also held by the council: The Music Hall, which holds the town theatre, its tourist information centre and a cafe, and The Old Market Hall, which was recently renovated to house a small cinema and cafe. The Bear Steps buildings were also owned by the council, although they are occupied by the town's civic society. The council once owned the Clive House Museum, but this was sold off and is now no longer a museum.

The borough council's housing stock was sold off in 2001 to a private social housing company, Severnside. The council earned some £60 million from this sale and this money has been used in part to buy and build their new Guildhall, build the new sports facilities at Sundorne and other large projects around the town, which were either under way or proposed when the borough council ceased to exist.

Parishes

The rural part of the borough (the pre-1974 Atcham Rural District) was always parished but the urban part of the borough (the pre-1974 municipal borough of Shrewsbury) was an unparished area. A town council for Shrewsbury was established on 1 April 2009, being the same day that the new Shropshire unitary authority took over from the old Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.[8]

Mayors
See also: List of Mayors of Shrewsbury

There has been a continuous succession of Mayors of Shrewsbury since 1638. In 1974, after the local government re-organisation, the style changed to "Mayor of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough", and any Shrewsbury and Atcham borough councillor could be appointed to the post; they did not have to represent Shrewsbury itself. The last mayor of Shrewsbury and Atcham was Anne Chebsey. Since the abolition of the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham in 2009, the mayor of Shrewsbury has been the chairman of the new Shrewsbury Town Council, a parish-level authority.

Political control

The first elections to the enlarged council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was held by the following parties:[9]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1976
Conservative1976–1980
No overall control1980–2002
Conservative2002–2005
No overall control2005–2006
Conservative2006–2009

Leadership

The last leader of the council was Peter Nutting, a Conservative.

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Peter Nutting[10] Conservativepre-200631 Mar 2009

Council elections

Elections were generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council elected each time.

  • 1973
  • 1976 (New ward boundaries)[11]
  • 1978
  • 1978
  • 1980
  • 1982
  • 1983
  • 1984
  • 1986 (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[12]
  • 1987 (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[13]
  • 1988 (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[14]
  • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 1999
  • 2000
  • 2002 (New ward boundaries)[15]
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2007

By-election results
Copthorne By-Election 26 September 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 947 46.3
Liberal Democrats 614 30.0
Labour 483 23.6
Majority 333 16.3
Turnout 2,044
Conservative hold Swing
Haughmond By-Election 29 May 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 330 47.3 +3.2
Liberal Democrats 192 27.5 +7.7
Labour 175 25.1 -11.1
Majority 138 19.8
Turnout 697
Conservative hold Swing
Pimhill By-Election 26 February 1998
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 427 61.8 +61.8
Conservative 215 31.1 -0.2
Labour 49 7.1 -21.8
Majority 212 30.7
Turnout 691 49.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing
Attingham By-Election 25 March 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent 255 78.9 +5.5
Labour 52 16.1 +16.1
Liberal Democrats 16 5.0 -6.4
Majority 203 62.8
Turnout 323 28.3
Independent hold Swing
Sundorne By-Election 30 March 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joyce Allaway 669 66.3 -11.0
Liberal Democrats Philip Niblock 177 17.5 +17.5
Conservative Stanley Felton 163 16.2 -6.6
Majority 492 48.8
Turnout 1,009 26.4
Labour hold Swing
Belle Vue By-Election 20 July 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alan Townsend 886 61.0
Conservative Gerald Lloyd 439 30.2
Liberal Democrats Neil White 128 8.8
Majority 447 30.8
Turnout 1,453 33.7
Labour hold Swing
Meole Brace By-Election 26 October 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Morris 821 47.0 +8.3
Conservative Eileen Membury 775 44.4 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Janine Clarke 151 8.6 -8.8
Majority 46 2.6
Turnout 1,747 30.3
Labour hold Swing
Bagley By-Election 19 July 2001 (2)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Tamir Hazan 575
Liberal Democrats John Thurston 572
Labour Julie Humphreys 392
Labour Louis Gladden 384
Conservative Andrew Fox 198
Conservative Eileen Membury 198
Turnout 2,319 27.6
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Column By-Election 8 July 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jacqueline Brennand 902 69.2 +17.2
Labour Louis Gladden 276 21.2 -7.2
Liberal Democrats Janine Clarke 92 7.1 -8.2
Green John Snell 32 2.5 -1.9
Majority 626 58.0
Turnout 1,302 36.1
Conservative hold Swing
Sutton & Reabrook By-Election 31 March 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elizabeth Parsons 671 46.0 -1.9
Conservative Graham Watson 479 32.9 -3.8
Liberal Democrats Caroline Cheyne 255 17.5 +9.8
BNP Helen Foulkes 28 1.9 -2.8
Green Tobias Green 25 1.7 -1.4
Majority 192 13.1
Turnout 1,458 44.5
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
Monkmoor By-Election 20 October 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Durnell 603 49.3 +24.7
Labour Louis Gladden 482 39.4 -12.7
Conservative Paul Felton 139 11.3 -7.6
Majority 121 9.9
Turnout 1,224 30.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Lawley By-Election 19 October 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Timothy Barker 318 45.6
Conservative Reginald Barkley 298 42.7
Liberal Democrats Patricia Aidley 82 11.7
Majority 20 2.9
Turnout 698 43.4
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Pimhill By-Election 28 August 2008[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Everall 341 45.6 -34.9
Liberal Democrats Helen Woodman 331 44.3 +44.3
BNP Helen Foulkes 59 7.9 +7.9
Independent Anti-Incinerator Candidate Ioan Jones 16 2.1 +2.1
Majority 10 1.3
Turnout 747 46.5
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 18 September 2022
  2. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 18 September 2022
  3. "Shropshire". Database of Local Government Orders. Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  4. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  5. "The Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2008/1866, retrieved 18 September 2022
  6. "Newport House (the Old Guildhall), Dogpole, Shrewsbury". Discovering Shropshire's History. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  7. "Shrewsbury Guildhall transformed into seat of learning for university". Shropshire Star. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  8. "The Shrewsbury and Atcham (Parish) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1321)" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  9. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. "Leaders split on shake-up". Shropshire Star. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  11. legislation.gov.uk – The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  12. The Shropshire (District Boundaries) Order 1985
  13. The Shropshire (District Boundaries) Order 1986
  14. legislation.gov.uk – The Shropshire (District Boundaries) Order 1987. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  15. legislation.gov.uk – The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  16. "Pimhill Ward By-Election". Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
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