Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, 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 Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, si ...

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 contained the towns of

Northwich Northwich is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire West and Chester borough of Cheshire, England. It lies on the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane, east of Chester, south of Warrington and south of Ma ...

Winsford Winsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is on the River Weaver, south of Northwich and west of Middlewich. It grew around the salt mining indus ...

and

Frodsham Frodsham is a market town, civil parish, and electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population in 2021 was 9,300. It is south of Liverpool and southwest of Man ...

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 ...

covering the area of three former districts and part of a fourth, which were abolished at the same time: *

Northwich Rural District Northwich Rural District was a rural district surrounding, but not including the towns of Northwich and Winsford in Cheshire, which were separate urban districts. It was created in 1894 from the Northwich Rural Sanitary District. In 1936, sever ...

Northwich Urban District Northwich is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire West and Chester borough of Cheshire, England. It lies on the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers River Weaver, Weaver and River Dane, Dane, east of Chester, south of Warr ...

Runcorn Rural District Runcorn was a rural district in Cheshire, England from 1894 until 1974. It was named after but did not include Runcorn, a town on the River Mersey to the north-west of the district, which formed its own urban district. The district was abolis ...

(part) * Winsford Urban District The district took its name from

Vale Royal Abbey Vale Royal Abbey is a former England in the Middle Ages, medieval abbey and later country house in Whitegate, Cheshire, Whitegate, England. The precise location and boundaries of the abbey are difficult to determine in today's landscape. The o ...

, 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. The district was granted

on 5 May 1988, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor. In 2006 the

Department for Communities and Local Government The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for housing, communities, and local government in England. It was established in May 200 ...

considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure 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 ...

. The decision to merge Vale Royal 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

Ellesmere Port and Neston Ellesmere Port and Neston was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It covered the southern part of the Wirral Peninsula, namely that part which is not included in the Metropolitan Borou ...

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. Vale Royal 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 district comprised the following

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...

: *

Acton Bridge Map of the civil parish of Acton Bridge within the former borough of Vale Royal Acton Bridge (formerly Acton) is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. Located within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester on the River We ...

* Allostock *

Alvanley Alvanley is a small rural village and civil parish near Helsby, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village is on the B5393 road and near junction 14 of the M56 motorway. A ...

Anderton with Marbury Anderton with Marbury is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 582 according to the 2001 census, reducing slightly ...

Antrobus Antrobus may refer to: *Antrobus (surname) *Antrobus, Cheshire, a village in Cheshire, England *Antrobus baronets {{Disambiguation ...

Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Located immediately to the north-west of Birmingham city centre, Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a wards of the United Kingdom, war ...

* Barnton * Bostock * Byley *

Comberbach Comberbach , deriving from the late Britonnic, or early Welsh for a "small confluence" is a civil parish and small village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, between Northwich a ...

Crowton Crowton is a civil parish and village within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located approximately 6 miles west of Northwich Northwich is a market town and civil paris ...

* Cuddington *

Darnhall Darnhall is a civil parish and small village to the south west of Winsford in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It had a population of 232 at the 2011 Census. History The Norman Earls ...

Davenham Davenham (; ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is part of the Cheshire West and Chester, Borough of Cheshire West and Chester. It had a population of 2,745 at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 201 ...

* Delamere * Dutton *

Great Budworth Great Budworth is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England, north of Northwich off the A559 road, east of Comberbach, northwest of Higher Marston and southeast of Budworth Heath. Until 1948, Great Budworth was part of the Arley Hall esta ...

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

Helsby Helsby is a village, Civil parishes in England, civil parish and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Overlook ...

* Kingsley * Lach Dennis *

Little Budworth Little Budworth is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village between Winsford and Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the civil parish taken ...

Little Leigh Little Leigh (formerly Leigh-juxta-Bartington) is a civil parish and village within the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on high groun ...

Lostock Gralam Lostock Gralam ( ) is a village and civil parish in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire, England; it is sited east of Northwich. The civil parish also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,298. ...

* Lower Peover * Manley * Marston * Moulton * Norley *

* Oakmere * Rudheath * Rushton * Sproston * Stanthorne *

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...

Tarporley Tarporley is a large village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. The civil parish also contains the village of Rhuddall Heath. Tarporley is bypassed by the A49 and A51 roads. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,614. History Tarporl ...

Utkinton 200px, Map of civil parish of Utkinton within the former borough of Vale Royal Utkinton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parishes of Utkinton and Cotebrook, in the unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester and the ce ...

Weaverham Weaverham is a village and civil parish in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. Just off the A49, it is just to the west of Northwich and south of the River Weaver, and has a population of 6 ...

Whitegate and Marton Whitegate and Marton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by ...

* Whitley * Wimboldsley *

Wincham Wincham is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located about north of Northwich in the Cheshire Plain. The Trent and Mersey Canal runs through ...

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:

Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1988 were:

Composition

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

Premises

Until 1990 the council operated from the various offices it had inherited from its predecessors, being Whitehall in

(from Northwich Rural District Council), the Council House in Northwich (from Northwich Urban District Council), Castle Park House in

(from Runcorn Rural District Council), and Over Hall in Winsford (from Winsford Urban District Council). In 1990 the council consolidated its offices into a new purpose-built headquarters called Wyvern House on The Drumber in Winsford. Wyvern House was formally opened by

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

on 19 July 1991. 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 Cheshire West and Chester Council is the local authority for Cheshire West and Chester, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council w ...

Council elections

* 1973 Vale Royal District Council election *

1976 Vale Royal District Council election 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) * 1979 Vale Royal District Council election *

1983 Vale Royal District Council election 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 ...

(District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same) * 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) * 1995 Vale Royal Borough Council election * 1999 Vale Royal Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)legislation.gov.uk
The Borough of Vale Royal (Electoral Changes) Order 1998
. Retrieved on 4 October 2015. * 2003 Vale Royal Borough Council election * 2007 Vale Royal Borough Council election

Results maps

File:Vale Royal UK ward map 2003.svg, 2003 results map File:Vale Royal UK ward map 2007.svg, 2007 results map

By-election results

External links

Vale Royal Council

References

{{Authority control 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