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Trafford Council

Local authority for Trafford, England

Summary

Local authority for Trafford, England

FieldValue
nameTrafford Council
coa_picTrafford Council logo.svg
coa_res200
coa_altArms of Trafford Council
house_typeMetropolitan borough council
foundation1 April 1974
leader1_typeMayor
leader1Jane Brophy
party1
Liberal Democrat
election121 May 2025
leader2_typeLeader
leader2Tom Ross
party2
Labour
election217 December 2022
leader3_typeChief Executive
leader3Sara Todd
party3
election31 February 2019
seats63 councillors
structure1Trafford Council 2025.svg
structure1_res250
:borderdarkgray}} Labour (41)
:borderdarkgray}} Conservative (10)
:borderdarkgray}} Liberal Democrats (7)}}
:borderdarkgray}} Green (5)
joint_committeesGreater Manchester Combined Authority
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel
voting_system1First-past-the-post
last_election12 May 2024
next_election17 May 2026
session_roomStretford Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 5295314.jpg
meeting_placeTrafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester, M320TH
website

Liberal Democrat Labour ; Administration (41) : Labour (41) ; Other parties (22) : Conservative (10) : : Green (5) Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel Trafford Council, or Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019. It is based at Trafford Town Hall in Stretford.

History

The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's seven outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Altrincham, Sale and Stretford, the urban district councils of Bowdon, Hale, and Urmston, and the Bucklow Rural District Council (in respect of four of its parishes only). The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.

The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The council styles itself Trafford Council rather than its full formal name of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.

From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Trafford, with some services provided through joint committees.

Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Trafford Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.

Governance

Trafford Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Trafford Council sits on the combined authority as Trafford's representative. There are four civil parishes in the borough at Carrington, Dunham Massey, Partington and Warburton, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas; the rest of the borough is unparished.

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:

Party in controlYears
1974–1986
1986–1988
1988–1995
1995–1996
1996–2003
2003–2004
2004–2018
2018–2019
2019–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Trafford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1976 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
A. R. Littler1 April 19741974
Frank Eadie19741975
Mike King19761977
Colin Warbrick19761977
Mike King19771978
Jonathan Taylor19781982
Mike King19821985
Colin Warbrick1985May 1986
Barry BrothertonMay 19861988
last1=Keelingfirst1=Nealtitle=Tory pledge on schoolsurl=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0004985%2F19880506&page=1access-date=25 July 2025work=Manchester Evening Newsdate=6 May 1988page=1}}May 1988May 1993
title=A new leader for councilurl=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0003999%2F19930430&page=28access-date=25 July 2025work=Manchester Metro Newsdate=30 April 1993page=28}}May 1993May 1995
Beverley HughesMay 1995May 1997
David ActonMay 19972004
Susan Williams200419 May 2009
Matthew Colledge19 May 200913 Mar 2014
title=Council minutes, 13 March 2014url=https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=943website=Trafford Councilaccess-date=25 July 2025}}13 Mar 201423 May 2018
title=Council minutes, 23 May 2018url=https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=2145website=Trafford Councilaccess-date=25 July 2025}}23 May 20184 Jan 2023
Tom Ross4 Jan 2023

Composition

The current composition of the council, and its composition following the most recent (2024) election is as follows:

PartyCouncillorsCurrentAs electedTotal6263
4143
108
76
56

The next election is due in May 2026.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.

Wards and councillors

Each ward is represented by three councillors.

Parliamentary constituencyWardCouncillorPartyTerm of office
Altrincham & Sale
West constituencyAltrinchamGeraldine Coggins2023–27
Daniel Jerrome2023–26
Michael Welton2024–28
Ashton upon MerseyShona Gilbert2023–27
Ben Hartley2023–26
Tony O'Brien2024–28
BowdonPhil Eckersley2023–27
Shengke Zhi2023–26
Lisa Hancock2024–28
BroadheathKaushik Chakraborty2025–27
Amy Whyte2023–26
Ulrich Savary2024–28
Hale Barns & Timperley SouthDylan Butt2023–27
Nathan Evans2023–26
Michael Taylor2024–28
HaleJane Leicester2023–27
Hannah Spencer2023–26
Natalie Shalom2024–28
ManorRob Duncan2023–27
John Holden2023–26
Keleigh Glenton2024–28
Timperley CentralShaun Ennis2023–27
Julian Newgrosh2023–26
Simon Lepori2024–28
Timperley NorthJane Brophy2023–27
Will Frass2023–26
Meena Minnis2024–28
[Stretford and Urmston (UK Parliament constituency)Stretford & Urmston
[Bucklow-St. MartinsFrances Cosby2023–27
Aidan Williams2023–26
James Wright2024–28
DavyhulmeSue Maitland2023–27
Karina Carter2023–26
Barry Winstanley2024–28
FlixtonGed Carter2023–27
Dolores O'Sullivan2023–26
Simon Thomas2024–28
Gorse Hill & CornbrookDavid Acton2023–27
Fianna Hornby2023–26
George Devlin2024–28
LongfordSarah Haughey2023–27
Judith Lloyd2023–26
Dave Jarman2024–28
Lostock & BartonJill Axford2023–27
Mike Cordingley2023–26
Shirley Procter2024–28
Old TraffordWaseem Hassan2023–27
Emma Hirst2023–26
Sophie Taylor2024–28
Stretford & Humphrey ParkStephen Adshead2023–27
Jane Slater2023–26
Tom Ross2024–28
UrmstonJoanne Harding2023–27
Catherine Hynes2023–26
Kevin Procter2024–28
Wythenshawe & Sale
East constituencyBrooklandsWill Jones2023–27
Rose Thompson2023–26
Bilal Babar2024–28
Sale CentralBarry Brotherton2023–27
Eve Parker2023–26
Zak Deakin2024–28
Sale MoorJoanne Bennett2023–27
Liz Patel2023–26
Olly Baskerville2024–28
  • Elected in a by-election in October 2025 following the death in office of Labour councillor Denise Western.
  • Elected as Labour, resigned from the Labour party in July 2025 and joined the Lib Dems in September 2025.
  • Elected in a by-election in November 2025 following the resignation of Green councillor Owain Sutton.

Premises

The council is based at Trafford Town Hall, on Talbot Road in Stretford. The building was originally called Stretford Town Hall, having been completed in 1933 for the former Stretford Borough Council, one of Trafford Council's predecessors. Most of the council's offices are in a modern extension to the rear of the building which opened in 2013, replacing an earlier office extension of 1983 on the same site.

References

References

  1. Jackson, Nick. (22 May 2025). "New mayor urges new focus on 'care for people, health and the planet'". Manchester Evening News.
  2. (18 December 2022). "New Trafford Council leader announced after by-election".
  3. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
  4. (28 March 1974). "District Councils and Boroughs".
  5. "Find your local council".
  6. "CONSTITUTION FOR EXECUTIVE GOVERNANCE".
  7. {{cite legislation UK. (1985)
  8. {{cite legislation UK. (2011)
  9. "Understand how your council works".
  10. "GMCA Members".
  11. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
  12. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
  13. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. (5 May 2016). "Declaration of result of poll: Trafford". Government of the United Kingdom.
  14. ''He's the last, and proud of it'', Manchester Evening News, May 19, 1973, p.7
  15. ''Nine lives in a new county'', Manchester Evening News, February 25, 1975, p.8
  16. (21 May 1976). "Tory leader". Manchester Evening News.
  17. (11 August 1977). "All-in clash is looming". Manchester Evening News.
  18. (5 April 1978). "Police eject youth in council cuts demo". Manchester Evening News.
  19. (1 November 1978). "'Threat to heritage' comes under fire". Manchester Evening News.
  20. (7 May 1982). "Election Results Special". Manchester Evening News.
  21. (17 July 1982). "700 jobs axe may be too little". Manchester Evening News.
  22. (3 April 1985). "Bowled over by £17m hotel deal". Manchester Evening News.
  23. (22 October 1985). "Battle of health axe will go on". Manchester Evening News.
  24. (14 May 1986). "Town fight for power". Manchester Evening News.
  25. (28 May 1986). "Socialists choose their team". Manchester Evening News.
  26. (6 May 1988). "Tory pledge on schools". Manchester Evening News.
  27. (30 April 1993). "A new leader for council". Manchester Metro News.
  28. (5 May 1995). "Trafford hangs Tories out to dry in their last bolthole". Manchester Evening News.
  29. (19 May 1995). "Superstore is shelved after shift in power". Manchester Metro News.
  30. (9 May 1997). "I will not fail you, says new MP Bev". Manchester Metro News.
  31. (23 May 1997). "Showbiz mayor is pleased as Punch". Manchester Evening News.
  32. "David Acton".
  33. "The Rt Hon Baroness Williams of Trafford".
  34. (12 May 2009). "Matt Colledge is new leader as Susan Williams stands down to fight Bolton West seat at next election". 25 July 2025.
  35. "Council minutes, 19 May 2009".
  36. "Council minutes, 13 March 2014".
  37. (11 May 2018). "Trafford Council: Tories 'will not seek to form coalition'". BBC News.
  38. "Council minutes, 23 May 2018".
  39. (5 January 2023). "Trafford Council: New MP's replacement as leader confirmed". BBC News.
  40. "Council minutes, 4 January 2023".
  41. (4 May 2024). "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian.
  42. "Trafford". Thorncliffe.
  43. {{cite legislation UK. (2022)
  44. "Your Councillors". Government of the United Kingdom.
  45. {{NHLE
  46. (18 July 2013). "Keep it simple: Trafford Town Hall redevelopment by 5Plus". Architects' Journal.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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