Vale Royal

Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.

This article is about Vale Royal, Cheshire, England, UK. For other uses, see Vale Royal (disambiguation).

Borough of Vale Royal
Vale Royal
Shown within Cheshire
History
 • OriginNorthwich Urban District
Winsford Urban District
Northwich Rural District
Runcorn Rural District (part of)
 • Created1 April 1974
 • Abolished31 March 2009
 • Succeeded byCheshire West and Chester
StatusNon-metropolitan district
ONS code13UH
 • HQWinsford

History

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

The district took its name from Vale Royal Abbey, formerly one of the largest in England, which was situated near the village of Whitegate near the centre of the district. The name was suggested in 1972 by a joint committee of the previous district councils, on the basis of the historic use of the name for the general area of the new district.[2][3] The district was granted borough status on 5 May 1988, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]

In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. The decision to merge Vale Royal with the districts of Chester and Ellesmere Port and Neston to create a single unitary authority was announced on 25 July 2007, following a consultation period in which a proposal to create a single Cheshire unitary authority was rejected.[5]

Vale Royal was abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester from 1 April 2009.[6]

Civil parishes
Civil parishes within Vale Royal (2009).

The district comprised the following civil parishes:

Political control

The first elections to the 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:[7][8]

Party in controlYears
No overall control1974–1991
Labour1991–2003
No overall control2003–2007
Conservative2007–2008
No overall control2008–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1988 were:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Marie Birkenhead Conservative5 May 1988
Arthur Neil[9] Labour align=right|5 May 198811 May 1989
David Broster[10] Conservative align=right|11 May 198910 May 1990
Bernard Burton[11] Conservative align=right|10 May 19901991
Arthur Neil[12] Labour1991Apr 2000
Bob Mather[13] LabourApr 2000May 2003
Keith Musgrave[14] ConservativeMay 2003May 2007
Les Ford ConservativeMay 200731 Mar 2009

Composition

The political composition of the council at its abolition in 2009 was:

Party Councillors
Conservative 26
Labour 17
Liberal Democrat 11
Weaverham Independents 3

Premises
Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford: Council headquarters 1990–2009

Until 1990 the council operated from the various offices it had inherited from its predecessors, being Whitehall in Hartford (from Northwich Rural District Council), the Council House in Northwich (from Northwich Urban District Council), Castle Park House in Frodsham (from Runcorn Rural District Council), and Over Hall in Winsford (from Winsford Urban District Council).[15][16] In 1990 the council consolidated its offices into a new purpose-built headquarters called Wyvern House on The Drumber in Winsford.[17] Wyvern House was formally opened by Princess Margaret on 19 July 1991.[18][19] Since the council's abolition in 2009, Wyvern House has been used as one of the offices of its successor, Cheshire West and Chester Council.[20]

Council elections
  • 1973 Vale Royal District Council election
  • 1976 Vale Royal District Council election (New ward boundaries)[21]
  • 1979 Vale Royal District Council election
  • 1983 Vale Royal District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[22]
  • 1987 Vale Royal District Council election
  • 1991 Vale Royal Borough Council election (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)[23]
  • 1995 Vale Royal Borough Council election
  • 1999 Vale Royal Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)[24]
  • 2003 Vale Royal Borough Council election
  • 2007 Vale Royal Borough Council election

By-election results
Castle By-Election 25 July 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 535 61.9
Conservative 201 23.3
Liberal Democrats 128 14.8
Majority 334 38.6
Turnout 864 18.0
Labour hold Swing
Vale Royal By-Election 24 October 1996
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 637 61.9
Liberal Democrats 218 21.2
Conservative 174 16.9
Majority 419 40.7
Turnout 1,029 21.0
Labour hold Swing
Davenham and Moulton By-Election 10 April 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats 695 42.3
Labour 486 29.6
Conservative 461 28.1
Majority 209 12.7
Turnout 1,642 33.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Tarporley By-Election 10 April 1997
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 372 58.3
Labour 138 21.6
Liberal Democrats 128 20.1
Majority 234 36.7
Turnout 638 30.7
Conservative hold Swing
Northwich Witton By-Election 7 June 2001
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour 1,413 60.5
Conservative 456 19.5
Liberal Democrats 320 13.7
Independent 146 6.3
Majority 957 41.0
Turnout 2,335
Labour hold Swing
Kingsley By-Election 25 September 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 364 53.2 +14.3
Liberal Democrats 187 27.3 -29.3
Labour 133 19.4 +14.9
Majority 177 25.9
Turnout 684 40.7
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Frodsham South By-Election 4 March 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 263 47.9 -0.6
Liberal Democrats 166 30.2 -1.5
Labour 120 21.9 +2.1
Majority 97 17.7
Turnout 549 31.3
Conservative hold Swing
Lostock and Wincham By-Election 26 August 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative 414 46.1 +21.3
Liberal Democrats 274 30.5 -17.8
Labour 185 20.6 -6.3
Independent 26 2.9 +2.9
Majority 140 15.6
Turnout 899 26.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Winsford Swanlow By-Election 20 January 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Brandon Parkey 326 48.9 -20.3
Conservative 183 27.5 +13.4
Labour 157 23.6 +6.9
Majority 143 21.4
Turnout 666 19.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Winsford Verdin By-Election 20 January 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Peter Gannon 336 56.4 +18.7
Labour 188 31.5 -8.6
Conservative 72 12.1 -12.1
Majority 148 24.9
Turnout 596 12.0
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour Swing
Leftwich and Kingsmead By-Election 9 February 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Burder 334 36.2 +3.4
Liberal Democrats Glyn Roberts 296 32.1 +2.5
Conservative Kathryn Birtwistle 293 31.7 -5.9
Majority 38 4.1
Turnout 923 16.0
Labour hold Swing
Leftwich and Kingsmead By-Election 1 May 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Weltman 855 54.8 +24.5
Labour Paul Dolan 383 24.5 -3.4
Liberal Democrats Glyn Roberts 323 20.7 +3.4
Majority 472 30.2
Turnout 1,561
Conservative hold Swing

References
  1. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 6 September 2022
  2. "Vale Royal as new name for District 4?". Crewe Chronicle. 7 December 1972. p. 25. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 6 September 2022
  4. "Bulletins of Change 1987–1988" (PDF). Database of Local Government Orders. Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  5. BBC News, 25 July 2007 – County split into two authorities. Retrieval Date: 25 July 2007.
  6. Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008
  7. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  8. Teale, Andrew. "Local Election Results 2007: Vale Royal". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  9. "Vale Royal's first Labour leader". Runcorn Weekly News. 12 May 1988. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2023 – via Newspaper.com.
  10. "Labour loses its grasp after mayor change". Northwich Chronicle. 17 May 1989. p. 27. Retrieved 8 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Vale Royal elects its officers". Runcorn Weekly News. 17 May 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 8 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "It's a tough job - but worth it to help people". Warrington Guardian. 28 April 2000. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  13. "Executive Group". Vale Royal Borough Council. Archived from the original on 2 June 2000. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  14. Wilson, James (26 May 2007). "Party ditches council leader". Northwich Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  15. "Council bid for HQ". Winsford Chronicle. 3 December 1987. p. 6. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  16. "Cheshire County Council". London Gazette (51747): 6318. 26 May 1989. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  17. "The Council". Vale Royal Borough Council. Archived from the original on 23 April 1999. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  18. "Vale Royal office opening". Runcorn Weekly News. 11 July 1991. p. 12. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  19. "Princess of smiles on tour". Crewe Chronicle. 24 July 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. "Customer service centres". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  21. legislation.gov.uk - The District of Vale Royal (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
  22. The Macclesfield and Vale Royal (Areas) Order 1982
  23. legislation.gov.uk - The Cheshire (District Boundaries) Order 1988. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.
  24. legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Vale Royal (Electoral Changes) Order 1998. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.

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