West Lancashire

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and parts of another two districts, all of which were abolished at the same time:

• Ormskirk Urban District
• Skelmersdale and Holland Urban District
• West Lancashire Rural District (majority of former district's territory; remainder went to Merseyside)
• Wigan Rural District (parishes of Dalton, Parbold and Wrightington; remainder went to Greater Manchester)

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.

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. The Government did not pursue that proposed reform, although left open the possibility of other forms of reorganisation in future.

Governance

Labour Labour ;Administration (21) : ;Other parties (24) : : : Your Party (1) : Independent (2)

West Lancashire Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Parts of the district are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

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.

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since May 2025, with Labour as the largest party.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in West Lancashire. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1994 have been:

Composition

Following the 2024 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

The next election is due in 2026.

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). 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. Abbotsford was acquired later and the building has been significantly extended to the rear.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 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) being elected each time for a four-year term. Lancashire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.

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.

Civil parishes

There are 21 civil parishes in West Lancashire. The main towns of Skelmersdale and Ormskirk are unparished areas. There is a movement to establish a town council in Skelmersdale. The parish council of Burscough takes the style "town council".

1. Aughton
2. Bickerstaffe
3. Bispham
4. Burscough
5. Dalton
6. Downholland
7. Great Altcar
8. Halsall
9. Hesketh-with-Becconsall
10. Hilldale
11. Lathom
12. Lathom South
13. Newburgh
14. North Meols
15. Parbold
16. Rufford
17. Scarisbrick
18. Simonswood
19. Tarleton
20. Up Holland
21. Wrightington

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

Media

In terms of television, the area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada broadcasting from the Winter Hill transmitter.

Radio stations for the area are:

• BBC Radio Lancashire
• BBC Radio Merseyside
• Heart North West
• Smooth North West
• Dune Radio
• Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire
• Central Radio North West
• Dune FM

Local newspaper is the Lancashire Telegraph.

Twin towns

West Lancashire is twinned with:

• Cergy-Pontoise, France
• Erkrath, Germany

References

References

1. "West Lancashire Local Authority".
2. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
3. "Orders and changes made by the Government and Councils between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009". Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
4. (13 May 2009). "The Royal Charter". West Lancashire District Council.
5. (29 July 2020). "Lancashire councils face abolition in shake-up". [[BBC]].
6. (28 July 2021). "Where plans to carve up Lancashire and abolish its 15 councils are up to". Lancs Live.
7. "Council minutes, 21 May 2025".
8. "Councillor Anne Fennell elected new Mayor of West Lancashire, 23 May 2025".
9. "Council minutes, 18 May 2022".
10. (7 January 2020). "Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey appointed as West Lancashire Borough Council's new Chief Operating Officer". Skem News.
11. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
12. "Election maps". Ordnance Survey.
13. "Management of the Council". West Lancashire Borough Council.
14. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
15. (19 April 2008). "West Lancashire". [[BBC News Online]].
16. (12 May 1994). "Happy returns for Labour". Ormskirk Advertiser.
17. (29 April 2003). "Conservatives defend West Lancashire". Wigan Observer.
18. "Council minutes, 21 May 2008".
19. "Council minutes, 11 June 2014".
20. (26 May 2015). "Former Conservative leader of West Lancashire Borough Council attacks new Labour leader". Southport Visiter.
21. "Council minutes, 20 May 2015".
22. (25 March 2022). "West Lancashire council leader to step down at 2022 local elections". Lancs Live.
23. (18 May 2022). "Council minutes, 18 May 2022".
24. "West Lancashire". Thorncliffe.
25. 1911 Census, Class RG14; Piece 22822; Schedules 220–221
26. (6 August 1925). "West Lancashire Council's new offices". Ormskirk Advertiser.
27. "West Lancashire Borough Council".
28. {{cite legislation UK. (2022)
29. "Skelmersdale Independent Party". Skelmersdale Independent Party.
30. "Parish councils contact information".
31. (May 2004). "Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter". UK Free TV.
32. (30 May 2014). "Lancashire Telegraph".
33. [https://www.westlancs.gov.uk/more/your-community/town-twinning.aspx West Lancashire Borough Council, Town Twinning] retrieved 21 January 2019