West Lancashire

West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town in the borough is Skelmersdale. At the 2011 Census, the population of the borough was 110,685.[3]

For the constituency, see West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency). For the former rural district, see West Lancashire Rural District.

Borough of West Lancashire
Ormskirk, the administrative centre of the borough
Ormskirk, the administrative centre of the borough
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lancashire
Shown within the ceremonial county of Lancashire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionNorth West England
Ceremonial countyLancashire
Admin. HQOrmskirk
Government
 • TypeWest Lancashire Borough Council
 • LeadershipLeader and Cabinet
 • MPs:Ashley Dalton (Lab) (West Lancashire),
Katherine Fletcher (Con) (South Ribble)
Area
 • Total133.9 sq mi (346.8 km2)
 • Rank115th
Population
 (2021)
 • Total117,429
 • RankRanked 203rd
 • Density880/sq mi (340/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode
L, PR, WN
ONS code30UP (ONS)
E07000127 (GSS)
Ethnicity98.5% White
West Lancashire Borough Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Mayor
Marilyn Westley,
Conservative
since 18 May 2022[1]
Yvonne Gagen,
Labour
since 18 May 2022[1]
Chief Operating Officer
Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey[2]
Structure
Seats54
Political groups
Majority administration (26)
  Labour (26)

Other parties (29)

  Conservatives (15)
  Our West Lancashire (1)
  Vacant (3)
Elections
Last election
5 May 2023
Meeting place
52 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2DF
Website
https://www.westlancs.gov.uk

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a non-metropolitan district, with Lancashire County Council as the higher tier authority providing county-level services. West Lancashire covered the whole territory of two former districts and parts of another two districts, all of which were abolished at the same time:[4]

In 2009 the district was awarded borough status, causing the council to change its name from West Lancashire District Council to West Lancashire Borough Council, and allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.[5][6]

Proposals to divide Lancashire into three unitary authorities were put forward in 2020, which would have seen both Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council abolished.[7] The Government did not pursue that proposed reform, although left open the possibility of other forms of reorganisation in future.[8]

Governance
For historical political control and leadership, see West Lancashire Borough Council elections.

West Lancashire Borough Council has been under no overall control since May 2021, with the Labour Party as the largest party. The leader of the council since May 2022 has been Yyvonne Gagen of the Labour Party.[1]

The council employs around 600 people, making it one of West Lancashire's largest employers. It is responsible for the administration of various services, such as leisure, waste collection, planning permission and pest control.[2]

There are two localist political parties operating in West Lancashire: Our West Lancashire, which holds seven seats on West Lancashire Borough Council and has contested elections on Lancashire County Council, and Skelmersdale Independent Party, which does not hold any seats on West Lancashire but has contested elections.

Premises

The council is based at 52 Derby Street in Ormskirk, which was originally a pair of large semi-detached Victorian houses called Beaconsfield (number 52) and Abbotsford (number 54).[9] Beaconsfield was purchased in 1925 by West Lancashire Rural District Council, one of the modern council's predecessors, and converted to become its headquarters, being formally opened on 30 July 1925.[10] Abbotsford was acquired later and the building has been significantly extended to the rear.[11]

Leaders

The leaders of West Lancashire Borough Council since 1999 are as follows.

NameFromToParty
Alan Bullen Pre 1999 May 2002 Labour Party
Geoff Roberts May 2002 May 2008 Conservative Party
Ian Grant May 2008 May 2014 Conservative Party
David Westley May 2014 May 2015 Conservative Party
Ian Moran May 2015 May 2022 Labour Party
Yvonne Gagen May 2022 Incumbent Labour Party

List of councillors

Since the last election in May 2023, the composition of the council has been as follows. The next election is due in 2024.[12]

WardNameParty
Aughton and Holborn Paul Hennessy Labour Party
Sarah Lawton Labour Party
Kerry Lloyd Labour Party
Burscough Bridge and Rufford John Gordon Conservative Party
Eddie Pope Conservative Party
Jayne Rear Conservative Party
Burscough Town Patricia Burnside Labour Party
Andrew Fowler Labour Party
Paul Hesketh Our West Lancashire
North Meols and Hesketh Bank Ian Eccles Conservative Party
Thomas De Freitas Conservative Party
John Howard Conservative Party
Old Skelmersdale Neil Furey Labour Party
Nicola Pryce-Roberts Labour Party
Donna West Labour Party
Ormskirk East Nicola Hennessy Labour Party
Robert Molloy Labour Party
Adam Yates Labour Party
Ormskirk West Mark Anderson Labour Party
Gareth Dowling Labour Party
Anne Fennell Labour Party
Rural North East Robert Bailey Conservative Party
Katie Juckes Conservative Party
David Whittington Conservative Party
Rural South Vacant
Vacant
Vacant
Rural West Alexander Blundell Conservative Party
Jane Marshall Conservative Party
Marilyn Westley Conservative Party
Skelmersdale North Terence Devine Labour Party
Yvonne Gagen Labour Party
Melissa Parlour Labour Party
Skelmersdale South Terence Aldridge Labour Party
Victoria Cummins Labour Party
Julian Finch Labour Party
Tanhouse and Skelmersdale Town Centre Carl Coughlan Labour Party
Paul Hogan Labour Party
Maureen Nixon Labour Party
Tarleton Village Darren Daniels Conservative Party
David Westley Conservative Party
Joan Witter Conservative Party
Up Holland John Fillis Labour Party
Gaynar Owen Labour Party
Suresh Patel Labour Party

Parliamentary constituencies

The south of West Lancashire, including the towns of Burscough, Skelmersdale and Ormskirk fall under the West Lancashire constituency in the House of Commons, which has been represented by Labour Party MP Ashley Dalton since the 2023 West Lancashire by-election, whereas the north of West Lancashire falls under the South Ribble constituency, which has been represented by Conservative Party MP Katherine Fletcher since the 2019 general election.

Geography

Skelmersdale, a former New Town, and Ormskirk are the two main towns in the borough. These are surrounded by a patchwork of smaller settlements to the west and north.

Towns and villages in West Lancashire

Civil parishes

There are 22 civil parishes in West Lancashire, although the main towns of Skelmersdale and Ormskirk are unparished areas. There is a movement to establish a town council in Skelmersdale.[13]

Civil parishes in West Lancashire

All the civil parishes have a parish council, with the exception of Bispham, which has a parish meeting instead.

Twin towns

West Lancashire is twinned with:[14]

References
  1. "Council minutes, 18 May 2022" (PDF). West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  2. "Management of the Council". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – West Lancashire Local Authority (E07000127)". 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. "Orders and changes made by the Government and Councils between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009" (PDF). Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. "The Royal Charter". West Lancashire District Council. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  7. "Lancashire councils face abolition in shake-up". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. Faulkner, Paul (28 July 2021). "Where plans to carve up Lancashire and abolish its 15 councils are up to". Lancs Live. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  9. 1911 Census, Class RG14; Piece 22822; Schedules 220–221
  10. "West Lancashire Council's new offices". Ormskirk Advertiser. 6 August 1925. p. 3. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  11. "West Lancashire Borough Council". Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  12. "Your Councillors". West Lancashire Borough Council. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  13. "Skelmersdale Independent Party". Skelmersdale Independent Party. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  14. West Lancashire Borough Council, Town Twinning retrieved 21 January 2019
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