Borough of Oswestry

52°51′40″N 3°03′18″W﻿ / ﻿52.861°N 3.055°W﻿ / 52.861; -3.055

Borough of Oswestry

Shown within Shropshire non-metropolitan county

History|
• Origin| Oswestry Rural District
• Created| 1 April 1974 (1974-04-01)
• Abolished| 31 March 2009 (2009-03-31)
• Succeeded by| Shropshire
Status| Non-metropolitan district, Borough
ONS code| 39UD
Government| Oswestry Borough Council
• HQ| Oswestry

The Borough of Oswestry was a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England, from medieval times until its abolition in 2009. Until 1974 the borough just covered the town of Oswestry itself. The borough was enlarged in 1974 to also include the surrounding rural area.[1]

Its council was based in Oswestry, the only town and largest settlement in the borough. Villages in the borough included Morda, St Martin's, Whittington, Gobowen, Pant, Trefonen and Ruyton XI Towns.[2]

The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2009 when the new Shropshire unitary authority was established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.[3]

## History

[edit]

The town of Oswestry was an ancient borough, governed under the terms of various charters dating back to at least 1398.[4] The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. By the mid-twentieth century some municipal boroughs were considered too small to efficiently provide all the services expected of them, and so the government introduced the concept of rural boroughs under the Local Government Act 1958. This allowed a small municipal borough to merge with a neighbouring rural district, whilst allowing the former municipal borough to retain some of its privileges, such as the ability to appoint a mayor. In other regards, such rural boroughs were comparable to parish councils. Oswestry became a rural borough on 1 April 1967, becoming part of the surrounding Oswestry Rural District.[5]

On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the Oswestry Rural District became a non-metropolitan district, and the borough status which had previously only applied to the town of Oswestry itself was transferred to the larger district, allowing the new district council to take the name Oswestry Borough Council.[6][7]

The borough of Oswestry and its council were abolished on 1 April 2009, when the new Shropshire Council unitary authority was established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.[8]

## Political control

[edit]

The first elections to the enlarged council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was held by the following parties:[9][10]

Party in control | Years

|

| Independent | 1974–1987
| No overall control | 1987–1991
| Independent | 1991–2003
| No overall control | 2003–2007
| Conservative | 2007–2009

### Leadership

[edit]

The last leader of the council was David Lloyd, a Conservative.

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

David Lloyd[11][12] |  | Conservative | pre-2006 | 31 Mar 2009

## Council elections

[edit]

* 1973 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1976 Oswestry Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)[13]
* 1979 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1983 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1987 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1991 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1995 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 1999 Oswestry Borough Council election
* 2003 Oswestry Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)[14][15]
* 2007 Oswestry Borough Council election

### By-election results

[edit]

Llanyblodwel By-Election 1 June 2000  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Independent |  | 122  | 43.0  |
| Liberal Democrats |  | 90  | 31.7  |
| Conservative |  | 72  | 25.4  |
Majority  | 32  | 11.3  |
Turnout | 284  | 46.0  |
| Independent hold | Swing |  |
Victoria By-Election 28 June 2001  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | 291  | 44.2  |
| Liberal Democrats |  | 266  | 40.4  |
| Independent |  | 101  | 15.3  |
Majority  | 25  | 3.8  |
Turnout | 658  |  |
| Conservative gain from Independent | Swing |  |
Gatacre By-Election 6 September 2001  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats |  | 327  | 53.7  | +21.5
| Conservative |  | 158  | 25.9  | +25.9
| Labour |  | 77  | 12.6  | −12.7
| Independent |  | 33  | 5.4  | +5.4
| Independent |  | 14  | 2.3  | +2.3
Majority  | 169  | 27.8  |
Turnout | 609  | 26.4  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |  |
Cambrian By-Election 10 June 2004[16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Simon Edwards  | 341  | 42.8  | +20.0
| Independent |  | 281  | 35.3  | −1.1
| Conservative |  | 174  | 21.9  | −18.9
Majority  | 60  | 7.5  |
Turnout | 796  | 39.0  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |  |
Royton & West Felton 29 September 2005  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | unopposed  |  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
Castle By-Election 3 November 2005[17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Frances Burman  | 255  | 55.3  | +9.9
| Liberal Democrats | Elaine Channon  | 206  | 44.7  | +7.0
Majority  | 49  | 10.6  |
Turnout | 461  | 23.2  |
| Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing |  |
Sweeney Trefonen By-Election 3 November 2005[17] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative | Joyce Barrow  | 314  | 71.0  | +32.0
| Liberal Democrats | Romer Hoseason  | 128  | 29.0  | +15.6
Majority  | 186  | 42.0  |
Turnout | 442  | 14.5  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
Whittington By-Election 30 November 2006[18] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | 314  | 57.2  | +57.2
| Labour |  | 121  | 22.0  | −4.1
| Liberal Democrats |  | 114  | 20.7  | +20.7
Majority  | 193  | 35.2  |
Turnout | 549  | 30.8  |
| Conservative gain from Independent | Swing |  |
Llanyblodwell and Pant By-Election 21 June 2007  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | 254  | 73.6  | +41.9
| Independent |  | 91  | 19.8  |
| Independent |  | 81  | 17.6  |
| Independent |  | 34  | 7.4  |
Majority  | 163  |  |
Turnout | 460  | 24.0  |
| Conservative gain from Independent | Swing |  |
Sweeney and Trefonen By-Election 1 May 2008  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Conservative |  | 684  | 54.9  | −14.8
| Liberal Democrats |  | 562  | 45.1  | +14.8
Majority  | 122  | 9.8  |
Turnout | 1,246  | 40.4  |
| Conservative hold | Swing |  |
Castle By-Election 2 October 2008[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Liberal Democrats | Romer Hoseason  | 198  | 38.7  | +0.3
| Conservative | Phil May  | 174  | 34.1  | −27.5
| Independent | Alan Davies  | 139  | 27.2  | +27.2
Majority  | 59  | 4.6  |
Turnout | 511  | 22.2  |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Oswestry | England, United Kingdom | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
2. ^ "The Borough of Oswestry (Electoral Changes) Order 2000". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021.
3. ^ Andrews, Mark. "'Time to change the way our council works'". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
4. ^ "Oswestry Borough Records". Discovery Catalogue. The National Archives. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
5. ^ "Oswestry Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
6. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 6 September 2022
7. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
8. ^ "The Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2008/1866, retrieved 18 September 2022
9. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
10. ^ "Oswestry". BBC News Online. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
11. ^ "Leaders split on shake-up". Shropshire Star. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
12. ^ "2009 will see many changes". Oswestry Borough Council. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
13. ^ The Borough of Oswestry (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1975
14. ^ "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
15. ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Oswestry (Electoral Changes) Order 2000. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
16. ^ "Tories make gains in byelections". guardian.co.uk. 18 June 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
17. ^ a b "Tories claim clean sweep in council byelections". guardian.co.uk. 4 November 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
18. ^ "Lib Dems gain four seats in council byelections". guardian.co.uk. 1 December 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
19. ^ "Lib Dems win their fifth seat". Shropshire Star. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2010.

* By-election results Archived 29 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine

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* See also: Wards
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2009 structural changes to local government in England

Bedfordshire

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