Blackpool Council

Blackpool Council is the local authority of the Borough of Blackpool, in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. Since 1998 it has been unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Lancashire County Council.

Blackpool Council
Type
Type	Unitary authority of the Borough of Blackpool
Leadership
Mayor	Peter Hunter, Labour since 15 May 2024[1]
Leader	Lynn Williams, Labour since 20 July 2020[2]
Chief Executive	Neil Jack since 21 July 2011[3]
Structure
Seats	42 councillors[4]
Political groups	Administration (27)   Labour (27) Opposition (15)   Conservative (14)   Reform UK (1)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Plurality-at-large[a]
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Motto
Progress
Meeting place
Town Hall, Talbot Square, Blackpool, FY1 1GB
Website
blackpool.gov.uk

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023. It meets at Blackpool Town Hall and has its offices in the adjoining Municipal Buildings and at Bickerstaffe Square.

History

Blackpool's first elected local authority was the Layton with Warbreck Local Board, established in 1851 and named after the historic township that included the nascent town of Blackpool.^[5] The board was renamed the Blackpool Local Board in 1868.^[6] In 1876 the district was elevated to become a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Blackpool", but generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.^[7]

From 1904 to 1974, Blackpool was a county borough, independent from Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.^[8] In 1974 Blackpool was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district under the Local Government Act 1972. It kept the same boundaries, but became a lower tier district authority with the county council providing county-level services to the town again.^[9]

The council became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998. The way the change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Blackpool covering the same area as the borough, but with no separate county council; instead, the existing borough council took on county council functions.^[10] Blackpool remains part of the ceremonial county of Lancashire for the purposes of lieutenancy.^[11]

Governance

As a unitary authority, Blackpool Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. There are no civil parishes in the borough.^[12]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:^[13][14]

Lower tier non-metropolitan district

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	1974–1987
	No overall control	1987–1991
	Labour	1991–1998

Unitary authority

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1998–2007
	Conservative	2007–2011
	Labour	2011–2021
	No overall control	2021–2023
	Labour	2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Blackpool. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1991 have been:^[15]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Ivan Taylor[16]		Labour	1991	5 Jun 2000
George Bancroft[17]		Labour	12 Jul 2000	11 Jul 2001
Roy Fisher[18]		Labour	Aug 2001	6 May 2007
Peter Callow		Conservative	21 May 2007	23 May 2011
Simon Blackburn		Labour	23 May 2011	Jun 2020
Lynn Williams		Labour	20 Jul 2020

Current Composition

Following the 2023 election, and one by-election since,^[19] the composition of the council is as follows:^[20]

Party		Councillors
	Labour	27
	Conservative	14
	Reform UK	1
Total		42

The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

See also: Blackpool Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing two councillors. The whole council is elected together every four years.^[21] The wards are listed at List of electoral wards in Lancashire#Blackpool.

Premises

One Bickerstaffe Square (left)

The council meets at Blackpool Town Hall on Talbot Square.^[22] The building was completed in 1900.^[23]

The council's offices are split between the Municipal Buildings on Corporation Street, immediately adjoining the rear of the Town Hall, and One Bickerstaffe Square, a modern building near Blackpool North railway station, completed in 2014.^[24][25]

Notes

1. First-past-the-post used in by-elections.

References

1. Parkinson, Shelagh (15 May 2024). "I'm honoured to be Mayor of the country's number one seaside town Blackpool". The Gazette. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
2. "Council minutes, 20 July 2020" (PDF). Blackpool Council. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
3. "Chief executive changes in Blackpool and West Lancashire". Inside Media. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
4. "Blackpool Council political make-up".
5. "No. 21259". The London Gazette. 4 November 1851. p. 2869.
6. Cunningham Glen, W. (1869). The Law relating to Public Health and Local Government. London: Butterworths. p. 746. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
7. Farrer, William; Brownbill, J. (1912). A History of the County of Lancaster. London: Victoria County History. pp. 247–251. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
8. "Lancashire Record Office: What's in it for Blackpool?" (PDF). Lancashire County Council. November 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
9. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 23 August 2022
10. "The Lancashire (Boroughs of Blackburn and Blackpool) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1868, retrieved 22 August 2022
11. "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 26 April 2023
12. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
13. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
14. "Blackpool". BBC News Online. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
15. "Council minutes". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
16. "Labour 'ship' now rudderless - Tory". Lancashire Telegraph. 9 June 2000. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
17. "Blackpool mourns leader". Lancashire Telegraph. 13 July 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
18. "Borough chief to retire early". Lancashire Telegraph. 1 August 2001. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
19. "Marton Ward By Election". Retrieved 6 October 2024.
20. "Local elections 2023: full council results for England". The Guardian. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
21. "The Blackpool (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1373, retrieved 20 May 2023
22. "Calendar". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
23. Historic England. "Town Hall, Blackpool (1205893)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
24. "Contact us". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
25. "Talbot Gateway". Blackpool Council. Retrieved 24 June 2024.