Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Local government body in England

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Coat of arms

Council Logo

Type
Type|

Metropolitan borough

History
Founded| 1 April 1974
Leadership

Mayor

Ann Kingstone,
Labour
since 15 May 2024[1]

Leader

Jane Scullion,
Labour
since 17 May 2023

Chief Executive

Robin Tuddenham
since 8 May 2017

Structure
Seats| 51 councillors

Political groups

Administration (29)
Labour (29)
Other parties (22)
Conservative (11)
Liberal Democrats (6)
Green (3)
Workers Party (1)
Independent (1)

Joint committees

| West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Length of term

| 4 years
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

Last election

| 2 May 2024

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Town Hall, Crossley Street, Halifax, HX1 1UJ
Website
www.calderdale.gov.uk

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, also known as Calderdale Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. Since 2014 the council has been a constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019. It is based at Halifax Town Hall.

## History

[edit]

The metropolitan district of Calderdale was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of eight former districts and part of a ninth, which were all abolished at the same time:[2][3]

* Brighouse Municipal Borough
* Elland Urban District
* Halifax County Borough
* Hebden Royd Urban District
* Hepton Rural District
* Queensbury and Shelf Urban District (Shelf part only, Queensbury went to Bradford)
* Ripponden Urban District
* Sowerby Bridge Urban District
* Todmorden Municipal Borough

The county borough of Halifax had provided all local government services in its area. The other eight districts had been lower-tier authorities with West Riding County Council providing county-level services. The new Calderdale district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]

Calderdale was initially a district-level authority, with West Yorkshire County Council providing county-level services. However, the metropolitan county councils, including West Yorkshire County Council, were abolished in 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985. Since 1986 Calderdale Council has therefore been responsible for most local government functions.[5]

The council has been a constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority since 2014, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire since 2021.[6]

## Governance

[edit]

### Political control

[edit]

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. County-level services were provided by West Yorkshire County Council until its abolition in 1986, when Calderdale became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[7]

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1974–1975
| Conservative | 1975–1980
| No overall control | 1980–1990
| Labour | 1990–1992
| No overall control | 1992–1995
| Labour | 1995–1999
| No overall control | 1999–2000
| Conservative | 2000–2002
| No overall control | 2002–2019
| Labour | 2019–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of Mayor of Calderdale is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1999 have been:[8]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Pamela Warhurst |  | Labour | May 1995 | 19 May 1999
Michael Higgins |  | Labour | 19 May 1999 | 7 May 2000
John Ford |  | Conservative | 17 May 2000 | 17 May 2006
Ann McAllister |  | Conservative | 17 May 2006 | 2008
Stephen Baines |  | Conservative | 1 Oct 2008 | 24 May 2010
Janet Battye |  | Liberal Democrats | 24 May 2010 | 23 May 2012
Tim Swift |  | Labour | 23 May 2012 | 30 Jul 2014
Stephen Baines |  | Conservative | 30 Jul 2014 | 27 May 2015
Tim Swift |  | Labour | 27 May 2015 | 17 May 2023
Jane Scullion |  | Labour | 17 May 2023 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council is:[9]

Party | Councillors

|

| Labour | 29
| Conservative | 11
| Liberal Democrats | 6
| Green | 3
| Workers Party | 1
| Independent | 1
Total  | 51

The next election is due in 2026.

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at Halifax Town Hall, which had been built for one of the council's predecessors, the Halifax Borough Council, in 1863.[10][11]

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2004 the council has comprised 51 councillors representing 17 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) elected each time for a four-year term of office.[12]

### Wards

[edit]

Wards within Calderdale Council Calder Valley | Halifax

|

1\. Todmorden
2\. Calder
3\. Luddendenfoot
4\. Ryburn
8\. Greetland and Stainland
14\. Elland
15\. Hipperholme and Lightcliffe
16\. Brighouse
17\. Rastrick

5\. Illingworth and Mixenden
6\. Warley
7\. Sowerby Bridge
9\. Ovenden
10\. Park
11\. Skircoat
12\. Northowram and Shelf
13\. Town

## Mayor

[edit]

The mayors since 1974 have been:

Name[13] | Years

|

| Ann Kingstone  | 2024–
| Ashley Evans  | 2023–2024
| Angie Gallagher  | 2022–2023
| Chris Pillai  | 2021–2022
| Dot Foster  | 2019–2021
| Marcus Thompson  | 2018–2019
| Ferman Ali  | 2017–2018
| Howard Blagbrough  | 2016–2017
| Lisa Lambert  | 2015–2016
| Pat Allen  | 2014–2015
| Ann Martin  | 2013–2014
| John Hardy  | 2012–2013
| Nader Fekri  | 2011–2012
| Keith Watson  | 2010–2011
| Ann McAllister  | 2010
| Arshad Mahmood  | 2009–2010
| Conrad Winterburn  | 2008–2009
| Martin Peel  | 2007–2008
| Colin Stout  | 2006–2007
| John Williamson  | 2005–2006
| Olwen Jennings  | 2004–2005
| Geraldine Carter  | 2003–2004
| Patrick Phillips  | 2002–2003
| Chris O'Connor  | 2001–2002
| Peter Coles  | 2000–2001
| Graham Hall  | 1999–2000
| Alan Worth  | 1998–1999
| Alan Worth  | 1997–1998
| Susan Tucker  | 1997
| Dawn Neal  | 1996–1997
| Graham Reason  | 1995–1996
| Stephen Pearson  | 1994–1995
| Tony Mazey  | 1993–1994
| Bill Carpenter  | 1992–1993
| Tom McElroy  | 1991–1992
| Joe Tolan  | 1990–1991
| Joe Kneafsey  | 1989–1990
| Albert Berry  | 1988–1989
| Wilfred Sharp  | 1987–1988
| David Fox  | 1986–1987
| Tom Lawler  | 1985–1986
| John Bradley  | 1984–1985
| Kevin Lord  | 1983–1984
| David Shutt | 1982–1983
| Eric Whitehead  | 1981–1982
| Harry Wilson  | 1980–1981
| Betty Wildsmith  | 1979–1980
| Richard Deadman  | 1978–1979
| Eric Dennett  | 1977–1978
| Mona Mitchell  | 1976–1977
| Kathleen Cawdry  | 1975–1976
| Joe Tolan  | 1974–1975

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Greenwood, John (18 May 2024). "Meet the knitting designer and author who is the new Mayor of Halifax, Brighouse, Hebden Bridge, Elland, Todmorden and Mytholmroyd". Halifax Courier. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
2. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 18 June 2023
3. ^ "The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/137, retrieved 18 June 2023
4. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
5. ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 18 June 2023
6. ^ "The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2014". www.legislation.gov.uk.
7. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
8. ^ "Council minutes". Calderdale Council. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
9. ^ "Election of Local Councillors 2024 - 02/05/2024". Election results. Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
10. ^ "Contacts". Calderdale Council. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
11. ^ Historic England. "Town Hall, Crossley Street (Grade 2) (1314024)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
12. ^ "The Borough of Calderdale (Electoral Changes) Order 2003", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2003/3088, retrieved 19 June 2023
13. ^ Calderdale Votes: 40 years of local democracy. Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 20 August 2017.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
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Local authorities in West Yorkshire

Joint arrangements|

* West Yorkshire Combined Authority
* West Yorkshire Joint Services

Metropolitan district councils|

* Bradford
* Calderdale
* Kirklees
* Leeds
* Wakefield

* v
* t
* e

Metropolitan districts of England

Districts|

* Barnsley
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* Bolton
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* Calderdale
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* Kirklees
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* Leeds
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Councils|

* Barnsley
* Birmingham
* Bolton
* Bradford
* Bury
* Calderdale
* Coventry
* Doncaster
* Dudley
* Gateshead
* Kirklees
* Knowsley
* Leeds
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* Manchester
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* North Tyneside
* Oldham
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* Rotherham
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* Sefton
* Sheffield
* Solihull
* South Tyneside
* St Helens
* Stockport
* Sunderland
* Tameside
* Trafford
* Wakefield
* Walsall
* Wigan
* Wirral
* Wolverhampton

Local elections|

* Barnsley
* Birmingham
* Bolton
* Bradford
* Bury
* Calderdale
* Coventry
* Doncaster
* Dudley
* Gateshead
* Kirklees
* Knowsley
* Leeds
* Liverpool
* Manchester
* Newcastle upon Tyne
* North Tyneside
* Oldham
* Rochdale
* Rotherham
* Salford
* Sandwell
* Sefton
* Sheffield
* Solihull
* South Tyneside
* St Helens
* Stockport
* Sunderland
* Tameside
* Trafford
* Wakefield
* Walsall
* Wigan
* Wirral
* Wolverhampton

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