Sefton Council

Sefton Council is the governing body for the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in the county of Merseyside, north-western England. The council was under no overall control from the 1980s until 2012 when the Labour Party took control. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.[4]

Sefton Council
Sefton Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Mayor
Clare Carragher,
Labour
since 18 May 2021[1]
Ian Maher,
Labour
since 21 May 2015[2]
Chief executive
Dwayne Johnson
since June 2019
Structure
Seats66 councillors[3]
Political groups
Administration (46)
  Labour (46)
Other parties (20)
  Liberal Democrats (8)
  Conservative (5)
  Independent (7)
Joint committees
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Elections
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
May 2023
Meeting place
Bootle Town Hall
Website
www.sefton.gov.uk

History

Sefton Council was created by the local government reorganisation of 1974, which created a two-tier system of government in the United Kingdom. It was a metropolitan district of the metropolitan county of Merseyside. Until 1986, the five metropolitan borough councils of Merseyside shared power with the central Merseyside County Council, but this was later abolished and its functions devolved solely to its districts. As a result, the borough is effectively a unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Merseyside.

Sefton Council is not directly responsible for transport, waste-disposal and emergency services - these are administered by joint-boards of the five boroughs of Merseyside.

Wards

The council consists of sixty-six councillors, three for each of the borough's twenty-two wards which are as listed:

Political composition
For historical political control and leadership, see Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council elections.

Elections are usually by thirds, in three of every four years.[5]

Party Councillors
Labour 46
Liberal Democrats 8
Conservative 5
Independent 5
Southport Councillors Group 2
Total 66

Two Sefton councillors left the Conservative Group on 13 May 2022. Ainsdale's Terry Jones and Cambridge's Sinclair D’Albuquerque formed what they are calling “The Southport Councillor Group”. The Labour Party has held a majority of the seats on the council since 2012. Ian Maher, a Labour councillor, has been leader of the council since 2015.[2] The next election is due in May 2023.

Premises
Southport Town Hall

The council meets at both Southport Town Hall and Bootle Town Hall, each of which was inherited from one of the council's predecessor authorities. Full council meetings are usually held alternately at Southport and Bootle.[6]

References
  1. "Council minutes, 18 May 2021" (PDF). Sefton Council. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. "Council minutes, 21 May 2015" (PDF). Sefton Council. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. "Your Council". Sefton Council.
  4. "Proposal to establish a combined authority for Greater Merseyside" (PDF). Department for Communities and Local Government. November 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. "Councillors, Meetings, Decisions". Sefton Council. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  6. "Council agendas and minutes". Sefton Council. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
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