Ellesmere Port and Neston

For the parliamentary constituency, see Ellesmere Port and Neston (UK Parliament constituency).

53.276°N 2.969°W / 53.276; -2.969

Borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston
Shown within Cheshire
History
• Origin	Ellesmere Port Municipal Borough Neston Urban District
• Created	1 April 1974
• Abolished	31 March 2009
• Succeeded by	Cheshire West and Chester
Status	Non-metropolitan district
ONS code	13UE
• HQ	Ellesmere Port

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 Borough of Wirral.

The district had a population of about 81,800 (2006 estimate).^[1] The main towns were Ellesmere Port 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 by the merger of the borough of Ellesmere Port and the urban district of Neston.^[2] The district was originally called just Ellesmere Port, with the council changing the name in 1976.^[3][4][5] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.^[6]

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 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.^[7]

Ellesmere Port and Neston was abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester from 1 April 2009.^[8]

Civil parishes

The entire borough was initially unparished. A civil parish of Ince was created in 1987,^[9] and a Neston parish was created in 2008.^[10]

Political control

The town of Ellesmere Port had been a municipal borough from 1955 to 1974 with a borough council.^[11] 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:^[12]

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–2009

Leadership

The first leader of the council, Fred Venables, had been the leader of the old Ellesmere Port Borough Council since 1970.^[13] The leaders of Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council were:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Fred Venables[13]		Labour	1 Apr 1974	Oct 2005
Reg Chrimes[14][15]		Labour	25 Oct 2005	6 May 2007
Justin Madders		Labour	May 2007	31 Mar 2009

Composition

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

Party		Councillors
	Labour	23
	Conservative	17
	Liberal Democrat	2

Premises

Council Offices (centre and left) with 1955 Civic Hall to right

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.^[16] Council meetings were held at nearby Whitby Hall until 1992 when an extension containing a council chamber was opened at the Municipal Buildings.^[17] 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.^[18]

Council elections

• 1973 Ellesmere Port Borough Council election
• 1976 Ellesmere Port Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[19]
• 1979 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1980 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1982 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1983 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1984 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1986 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1987 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1988 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1990 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1991 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1992 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1994 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)^[20]
• 1995 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1996 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1998 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 1999 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)^[21]
• 2000 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 2002 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 2003 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 2004 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 2006 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election
• 2007 Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council election

Results maps

• 
  2002 results map
• 
  2003 results map
• 
  2004 results map
• 
  2006 results map
• 
  2007 results map

By-election results

Longview By-Election 22 June 2000

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative		1,315	58.0	+2.0
	Labour		543	24.0	+3.4
	Liberal Democrats		401	17.8	+17.8
Majority			772	34.0
Turnout			2,259
	Conservative hold		Swing

Central By-Election 17 July 2003

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Elizabeth Sherlock	319	44.3	−33.3
	Liberal Democrats	Maurice Brookes	262	36.4	+36.4
	BNP	David Jones	77	10.7	+10.7
	Conservative	Janice Farquharson	49	6.8	−15.6
	UKIP	Geoffrey Gregory	13	1.8	+1.8
Majority			57	7.9
Turnout			720	26.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Stanlow & Wolverham By-Election 11 November 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Wilson	450	60.8	−14.5
	Liberal Democrats	Hilary Chrusciezl	117	15.8	+15.8
	Conservative	Nicholas Hebson	92	12.4	−12.3
	BNP	David Joines	81	10.9	+10.9
Majority			333	45.0
Turnout			740	26.1
	Labour hold		Swing

Little Neston By-Election 5 October 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Michael Clarkson	420	47.4	−2.1
	Conservative	William Mealor	386	43.5	+5.4
	Liberal Democrats	Graham Handley	81	9.1	+9.1
Majority			34	3.9
Turnout			887	32.5
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Rossmore By-Election 18 October 2007

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Susan Pugh	504	54.4	−4.0
	Conservative	Michael English	325	35.1	−6.5
	English Democrat	Maurice Brookes	60	6.5	+6.5
	Liberal Democrats	Graham Handley	38	4.1	+4.1
Majority			179	19.3
Turnout			927	20.0
	Labour hold		Swing

Westminster By-Election 28 February 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Mike McCusker	227	57.5	−11.0
	Conservative	Thomas Hughes	123	31.1	−0.4
	Liberal Democrats	Hilary Chrusciezi	45	11.4	+11.4
Majority			104	26.4
Turnout			395	15
	Labour hold		Swing

External links

• Ellesmere Port and Neston Council