Ellesmere Port and Neston was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, England. It covered the southern part of the Wirral Peninsula, namely that part which is not included in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. The district had a population of about 81,800 (2006 estimate). The main towns were

Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port ( ) is a port town in the Cheshire West and Chester borough in Cheshire, England. Ellesmere Port is on the south-eastern edge of the Wirral Peninsula, north of Chester, on the bank of the Manchester Ship Canal. In the 2021 Unite ...

and Neston as well as the village of Parkgate. It also included a number of villages such as Great Sutton and Willaston.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

by the merger of the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of Ellesmere Port and the urban district of Neston. The district was originally called just Ellesmere Port, with the council changing the name in 1976. The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor. 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 Ellesmere Port and Neston with the districts of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

and Vale Royal 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. Ellesmere Port and Neston was abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire West and Chester is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to l ...

from 1 April 2009.

Civil parishes

The entire borough was initially unparished. A

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of Ince was created in 1987, and a Neston parish was created in 2008.

Political control

The town of Ellesmere Port had been a municipal borough from 1955 to 1974 with a borough council. The first elections to the new Ellesmere Port Borough Council created under the Local Government Act 1972 were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was always held by the Labour Party:

Leadership

The first leader of the council, Fred Venables, had been the leader of the old Ellesmere Port Borough Council since 1970. The leaders of Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council were:

Composition

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

Premises

The council was based at the Ellesmere Port Council Offices at 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, which had been built for the old borough council in 1969. Council meetings were held at nearby Whitby Hall until 1992 when an extension containing a council chamber was opened at the Municipal Buildings. Following the abolition of the council the Council Offices were used by its successor, Cheshire West and Chester Council, until 2022 when they were replaced by a new building called "The Portal" on Wellington Road.

Council elections

Results maps

File:Ellesmere Port and Neston UK ward map 2002.svg, 2002 results map File:Ellesmere Port and Neston UK ward map 2003.svg, 2003 results map File:Ellesmere Port and Neston UK ward map 2004.svg, 2004 results map File:Ellesmere Port and Neston UK ward map 2006.svg, 2006 results map File:Ellesmere Port and Neston UK ward map 2007.svg, 2007 results map

By-election results

External links

Ellesmere Port and Neston Council

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellesmere Port And Neston Council elections in Cheshire District council elections in England Districts of England established in 1974 English districts abolished in 2009 Former non-metropolitan districts of Cheshire Former boroughs in England Ellesmere Port Neston