Shrewsbury and Atcham was a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

with borough status in

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, England, between 1974 and 2009.

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

was the only town in the borough;

Atcham Atcham is a village, ecclesiastical parish and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies on the B4380 (once the A5 road (Great Britain), A5), 5 miles south-east of Shrewsbury. The River Severn flows round the villag ...

, 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 Bomere Heath ( , also ) is a village in Shropshire, England, which lies north of the county town of Shrewsbury and between Baschurch and Harlescott. It is situated between the A528 road and Berwick Road. The village has a primary school. ...

, Condover,

Cressage Cressage is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is located north-west of the nearest town Much Wenlock and south-east of Shrewsbury. It lies the junction of the A458 road, A458 and B4380 roads; the ...

, Cross Houses, Dorrington, Ford, Hanwood, Minsterley,

Montford Bridge Montford Bridge is a village and bridge. The village is in Shropshire, England, UK. The bridge is in that village. It lies on the River Severn and is close to the town of Shrewsbury. Village Most of the village is in the Montford, Shropshi ...

, Nesscliffe,

Pontesbury Pontesbury ( ) is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, and is approximately eight miles southwest of Shrewsbury. In the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,873 and the parish had a population of 3,227. The village of Minsterley ...

Uffington Uffington is the name of several places: England * Uffington, Lincolnshire :* Uffington and Barnack railway station :* Uffington Rural District * Uffington, Oxfordshire :* Uffington railway station (Uffington Junction) * Uffington, Shropshire ...

and Westbury. The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham covered , which was 19% of the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire. To the north of the borough was the

North Shropshire North Shropshire was a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Shropshire, England from 1974 to 2009. The district council was based at Edinburgh House in Wem. Other settlements included the towns of Ellesmere, Shropshire, Elles ...

district and the Borough of Oswestry and to the south were the

South Shropshire South Shropshire was a local government district in Shropshire, England, from 1974 to 2009. Its council was based in the town of Ludlow; the other towns in the district were Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer, Clun, Bishop's Castle and Crave ...

and

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the United Kingd ...

districts. The borough lay in the middle of Shropshire and on the border with

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. A 2006 estimate put the

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

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 On 1 April 2009 structural changes to local government in England took place which reformed the local government of seven Non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Shropshire, Northumber ...

History

The borough was formed 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 ...

covering the area of the two former districts of the

municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

and the Atcham Rural District, to form a new

non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...

. The new district was initially called "Shrewsbury", but was renamed Shrewsbury and Atcham on 12 June 1974 by the new council. The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor. The borough unsuccessfully applied for

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, ci ...

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 Shropshire Council, known between 1980 and 2009 as Shropshire County Council and prior to 1980 as Salop County Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire (district), Shropshire in t ...

unitary authority from 1 April 2009, as part of the

. The Central area committee of the new

covers exactly the same area as the borough did. The population for this area was 102,383 in 2011.

Population

Headquarters

In the 19th century the headquarters of the borough council were at the Old Guildhall in the Market Square in Shrewsbury. The council moved to Newport House in Dogpole in 1917 and then to a modern building on Frankwell Quay in Frankwell in March 2004. 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. However, in 2024 Shropshire Council announced its intention to vacate Shirehall. The council relocated to the Guildhall in 2024/25.

Property

The borough council owned much land and property in the Shrewsbury and Atcham area.

Shrewsbury Castle Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is ...

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 Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

, 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 In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...

. 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.

Mayors

There has been a continuous succession of

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

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:

Leadership

The last

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

was Peter Nutting, a Conservative.

Council elections

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

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

(New ward boundaries) *

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

* 1986 (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) *

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

(Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) * 1988 (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) *

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

(New ward boundaries)legislation.gov.uk �
The Borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000
Retrieved 4 October 2015. *

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

By-election results

External links

Official website
* ttp://www.shrewsbury.gov.uk/public/council/councillors/default.htm List of borough councillorsbr>Parishes of Shrewsbury and Atcham

References

{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009 Districts of England established in 1974 English districts abolished in 2009 Former non-metropolitan districts of Shropshire Former boroughs in England Council elections in Shropshire District council elections in England