Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Knowsley Council, or Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, 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 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority since 2014.

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Type
Type	Metropolitan borough council
Leadership
Mayor	Ken McGlashan, Labour since 17 May 2024[1]
Leader	Graham Morgan, Labour since 18 May 2018
Chief Executive	Mike Harden since 30 October 2014
Structure
Seats	45 councillors[2]
Political groups	Administration (31)   Labour (31) Other parties (14)   Green (7)   Independent (4)   Liberal Democrats (3)
Joint committees	Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Elections
Last election	2 May 2024
Next election	7 May 2026
Meeting place
Municipal Buildings, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 9UX
Website
knowsley.gov.uk

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974. It is based at the Municipal Buildings in Huyton.

History

The metropolitan borough of Knowsley and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of three former districts and parts of another two, all of which were abolished at the same time:

• Huyton-with-Roby Urban District
• Kirkby Urban District
• Prescot Urban District
• West Lancashire Rural District (parish of Simonswood only)^[a]
• Whiston Rural District (parishes of Cronton, Halewood, Knowsley, Tarbock and Whiston only)

The area was transferred from Lancashire to become one of the five districts in the new metropolitan county of Merseyside. The first election to the new council was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities. 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.^[4]

The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.^[5] The council styles itself Knowsley Council rather than its full formal name of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.^[6]

From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by Merseyside County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Merseyside's five borough councils, including Knowsley, with some services provided through joint committees.^[7]

Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across the region, but Knowsley Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.^[8][9]

Governance

Knowsley Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; the leader of Knowsley Council sits on the combined authority as Knowsley's representative.^[10] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas.^[11]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974.^[12][13]

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Knowsley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The first leader, David Tempest, was formerly leader of Kirkby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessors.^[14] The leaders of Knowsley since 1974 have been:^[15]

Councillor	Party		From	To
David Tempest[16]		Labour	Apr 1974	May 1975
Peter Longworth[17]		Labour	May 1975	May 1978
Jim Lloyd		Labour	May 1978	May 1987
Jim Keight[18]		Labour	May 1987	4 May 2003
Ron Round		Labour	21 May 2003	22 May 2015
Andy Moorhead		Labour	22 May 2015	May 2018
Graham Morgan		Labour	18 May 2018

Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:^[19]

Party		Councillors
	Labour	31
	Green	7
	Independent	4
	Liberal Democrats	3
Total		45

The next election is due in May 2026.

Elections

See also: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2016, the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 wards, each 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.^[20]

Premises

The council's main offices and meeting place are at the Municipal Buildings in Archway Road in Huyton.^[21] The building was completed in 1963 as the headquarters of Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessor authorities.^{[22][23][24][25]}

References

1. Simonswood was subsequently transferred back to Lancashire in 1994.^[3]

1. Jessett, Elliot (17 May 2024). "Applause breaks out for new Mayor after emotional tribute". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
2. "Your councillors". Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
3. "The Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside (County and Metropolitan Borough Boundaries) Order 1993", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1993/691, retrieved 6 June 2024
4. "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch. 1), retrieved 30 May 2024
5. "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
6. "Find your local council". gov.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
7. "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
8. "The Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2014/865, retrieved 5 June 2024
9. "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
10. "Committee details". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
11. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
12. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
13. "Knowsley". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
14. "It is 'Labour only' in this semi-rural ward". Liverpool Echo. 27 September 1972. p. 9. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
15. "Council minutes". Knowsley Council. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
16. "Council face court fight over rates". Liverpool Echo. 10 July 1974. p. 5. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
17. "Knowsley is third council to change Labour leader". Liverpool Echo. 12 May 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
18. "Knowsley mods on the march!". Liverpool Echo. 12 May 1987. p. 28. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
19. "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
20. "The Knowsley (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/2036, retrieved 6 June 2024
21. "Council Meeting" (PDF). Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
22. "Work on new Huyton Town Centre begun: Council Offices first". Liverpool Echo. 9 May 1962. p. 7. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
23. "Gift to council and Huyton members also get plaques". Liverpool Echo. 6 November 1963. p. 9. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
24. "St Michael's Church Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). p. 13. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
25. "Huyton". Historic Liverpool. Retrieved 23 November 2020.