Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Local government body in England

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Type
Type|

Metropolitan borough council

Leadership

Mayor

Kerry Waters,
Labour
since 20 May 2025[1]

Leader

Mark Roberts,
Liberal Democrat
since 20 May 2025[2]

Chief Executive

Michael Cullen
since 2024[3]

Structure
Seats| 63 councillors

Political groups

Administration (31)
Liberal Democrats (31)
Other parties (32)
Labour (22)
Green (3)
Edgeley CA (3)
Heald Green Ratepayers (3)
Conservative (1)

Joint committees

| Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel
Elections

Voting system

| First past the post

Last election

| 2 May 2024

Next election

| 7 May 2026
Meeting place
Town Hall, Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK1 3XE
Website
stockport.gov.uk

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC), also known as Stockport Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, 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 Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.

The council has been under no overall control since 2011. Since 2022 it has been led by a Liberal Democrat minority administration. The council meets at Stockport Town Hall and has additional offices in the adjoining Stopford House and Fred Perry House.

## History

[edit]

Further information: County Borough of Stockport

The town of Stockport was an ancient borough, having been made a borough during the reign of Henry III (reigned 1216–1272). The original borough was entirely south of the River Mersey in Cheshire.[4][5] The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, at which point the boundaries were enlarged, with some of the gained area being on the north side of the Mersey in Lancashire; after 1836 the borough therefore straddled the two counties. The municipal borough was governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Stockport', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.[6][7]

When elected county councils were established in 1889, Stockport was considered large enough for its existing council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a county borough, independent from both Cheshire County Council and Lancashire County Council, whilst continuing to straddle the geographical counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. The borough boundaries were enlarged several times.[8][9][10]

The larger Metropolitan Borough of Stockport and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's five outgoing authorities, being the borough council of Stockport and the urban district councils of Bredbury and Romiley, Cheadle and Gatley, Hazel Grove and Bramhall, and Marple. 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.[11]

The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Stockport's series of mayors.[12]

From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Stockport, with some services provided through joint committees.[13]

Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[14][15]

## Governance

[edit]

The council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Stockport Council sits on the combined authority as Stockport's representative.[16] There are no civil parishes in the borough.[17]

### Political control

[edit]

Stockport has been under no overall control since 2011. Following the 2022 election a Liberal Democrat minority administration formed to run the council,[18] remaining in post after both the 2023 and 2024 elections too.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[19][20]

Party in control | Years

|

| No overall control | 1974–1975
| Conservative | 1975–1983
| No overall control | 1983–1999
| Liberal Democrats | 1999–2000
| No overall control | 2000–2002
| Liberal Democrats | 2002–2011
| No overall control | 2011–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Stockport. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:[21]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Walter Knight[22][23][24] |  | Conservative | 1 Apr 1974 | 26 Dec 1976
John Howe[25][26] |  | Conservative | Jan 1977 | May 1978
John Lloyd[26][27] |  | Conservative | May 1978 | May 1984
(no leader)[27][28][a] |  | May 1984 | 14 May 1996
Fred Ridley[28][33] |  | Liberal Democrats | 14 May 1996 | May 2002
Mark Hunter[34][35] |  | Liberal Democrats | 14 May 2002 | 18 Aug 2005
Brian Millard[35][36] |  | Liberal Democrats | 18 Aug 2005 | 22 May 2007
Dave Goddard[37][38] |  | Liberal Democrats | 22 May 2007 | May 2012
Sue Derbyshire[39][40] |  | Liberal Democrats | 22 May 2012 | May 2016
Alex Ganotis[41][42] |  | Labour | 24 May 2016 | 21 May 2019
Elise Wilson[43][44] |  | Labour | 21 May 2019 | 19 May 2022
Mark Hunter[45][46] |  | Liberal Democrats | 19 May 2022 | 20 May 2025
Mark Roberts[1] |  | Liberal Democrats | 20 May 2025 | incumbent

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2024 election,[47] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to February 2025 the composition of the council was:[48]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Liberal Democrats | 30
| Labour | 21
| Edgeley Community Association | 3
| Green | 3
| Conservative | 1
| Independent | 5
Total  | 63

The Edgeley Community Association and two of the independent councillors sit together as the "Stockport Community Group". The other three independent councillors sit together as the 'Independent Ratepayers Group'; those three are all sponsored by the Heald Green Ratepayers, which is not formally registered as a political party.[49][50] The next election is due in May 2026.[48]

## Elections

[edit]

See also: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 21 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.[51]

## Wards and councillors

[edit]

Ward  | Councillor  | Party  | Term of office

|
|
|

Bramhall North | Mark Jones |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Suzanne Wyatt |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Alex Wynne |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Bramhall South and Woodford | Peter Crossen |  | Conservative | 2024–27[b]
Dallas Jones |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Jeremy Meal |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Bredbury and Woodley | Joe Barratt |  | Labour | 2023–27
Sue Thorpe |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Rosemary Barratt |  | Labour | 2024–28
Bredbury Green and Romiley | Rachel Bresnahan |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–27[b]
Angie Clark |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Mark Roberts |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Brinnington and Stockport Central  | Christine Carrigan |  | Labour Co-op | 2023–27
Kerry Waters |  | Labour | 2023–26
Karl Wardlaw |  | Labour | 2024–28
Cheadle East and Cheadle Hulme North  | David Meller |  | Labour Co-op | 2023–27
Jilly Julian |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Mike Newman |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Cheadle Hulme South | Mark Hunter |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Helen Foster-Grime |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Keith Holloway |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Cheadle West and Gatley  | Clive Greenhalgh |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Ian Hunter |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Huma Khan |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28[b]
Davenport and Cale Green | Dickie Davies |  | Labour | 2023–27
Wendy Wild |  | Labour | 2023–26
Paul Wright |  | Labour | 2024–28
Edgeley  | Matt Wynne |  | Community Association  | 2023–27
Leah Taylor |  | Community Association  | 2023–26
Asa Caton |  | Community Association  | 2024–28
Hazel Grove | Jake Austin |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Wendy Meikle |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Frankie Singleton |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Heald Green | Carole McCann |  | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2023–27
Ana Charles-Jones |  | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2023–26
Catherine Stuart |  | Heald Green Ratepayers | 2024–28
Heatons North | David Sedgwick |  | Labour | 2023–27
John Taylor |  | Labour | 2023–26
Dena Ryness |  | Labour Co-op | 2024–28
Heatons South | Colin Foster |  | Labour | 2023–27
Dean Fitzpatrick |  | Labour | 2023–26
Claire Vibert |  | Labour Co-op | 2024–28
Manor | Laura Clingan |  | Labour | 2023–27
Sue Glithero |  | Labour | 2023–26
Jon Byrne |  | Labour | 2024–28
Marple North | Steve Gribbon |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Geoff Abell |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Micheala Meikle |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Marple South and High Lane | Shan Alexander |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Aron Thornley |  | Labour[c] | 2023–26
Colin MacAlister |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Norbury and Woodsmoor  | Grace Baynham |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Dominic Hardwick |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–26
Pete West |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Offerton | Will Dawson |  | Liberal Democrats | 2023–27
Helen Hibbert |  | Labour | 2023–26
Dan Oliver |  | Liberal Democrats | 2024–28
Reddish North | David Wilson |  | Labour | 2023–27
Holly McCormack |  | Labour | 2023–26
Rachel Wise |  | Labour Co-op | 2024–28
Reddish South | Liz Crix |  | Green | 2023–27
Gary Lawson |  | Green | 2023–26
James Frizzell |  | Green | 2024–28

## Structure

[edit]

The council uses a leader and cabinet system. There are eight cabinet members, including the leader of the council; each has a separate portfolio containing responsibilities for different services and areas of the council. There are also six scrutiny committees which scrutinise decisions made by the cabinet. The cabinet of the consists of eight councillors:[52]

* Leader of the Council: Mark Roberts
* Finance and Resources: Jilly Julian (Deputy leader)
* Housing and Environment: Jake Austin
* Parks, Highways & Transport Services: Grace Baynham
* Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care: Helen Foster-Grime
* Economy, Regeneration & Skills: Micheala Meikle
* Children, Families & Education: Wendy Meikle
* Communities, Culture & Public Protection: Dan Oliver

## Premises

[edit]

Stopford House, Piccadilly, Stockport, SK1 3XE: Council offices, incorporating the main public reception Fred Perry House, Edward Street

Full council meetings are held at Stockport Town Hall on Wellington Road South, which had been completed in 1908 for the old Stockport Borough Council.[53] An additional office block called Stopford House was built on Piccadilly (backing onto the Town Hall) in 1975.[54] Another adjoining office building called Fred Perry House on Edward Street was completed in 2011, named after tennis player Fred Perry (1909–1995) who was from Stockport.[55][56]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ During this period when no formal leader was appointed, the most senior political position on the council was the chair of the policy and resources committee. The leader chaired that committee prior to 1984 and after 1996. The chairs of the policy and resources committee whilst there was no formally appointed leader were:
* John Lloyd, Conservative, May 1984 to May 1986 (who had been leader 1978 to 1984).[29]
* John Needham, Conservative, May 1986 to 1989.[29]
* Eric Kime, Liberal Democrat, 1989 to 1992.[30][31]
* Fred Ridley, Liberal Democrat, 1992 to 1996 (when he became leader).[32]
When Ridley stood down as leader in 2002 he was described as having led the council for ten years.[33]
2. ^ a b c Elected in a by-election.
3. ^ Elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor but resigned to sit as an independent on 16 May 2023, subsequently joined the Labour Party in August 2024.

1. ^ a b "Council minutes, 20 May 2025". Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
2. ^ "Stockport Council appoints new Leader". 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
3. ^ Carey, Declan (23 June 2024). "New Stockport council boss promises to 'deliver' for residents as borough faces transformation and challenges". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
4. ^ Lewis, S. (1848). A Topographical Dictionary of England. pp. 209–215. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
5. ^ Parliamentary Papers. 1838. p. 127. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
6. ^ Parliamentary Boundaries Act. 1832. p. 335. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
7. ^ Municipal Corporations Act. 1835. p. 458. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
8. ^ "Stockport Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
9. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Stockport" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
10. ^ Kelly's Directory of Cheshire 1914. Kelly's Directories Ltd. pp. 583–586\. OCLC 1131686510.
11. ^ "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch. 1), retrieved 30 May 2024
12. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
13. ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
14. ^ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2011/908, retrieved 30 May 2024
15. ^ "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
16. ^ "GMCA Members". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
17. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
18. ^ "Liberal Democrats lead Stockport Council after crunch vote". BBC News. 19 May 2022.
19. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Stockport" in search box to see specific results.)
20. ^ "Stockport". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
21. ^ "Past Leaders of the Council". Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
22. ^ Jackson, Norman (30 October 1973). "Leading the way". Manchester Evening News. p. 13. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
23. ^ "Houses report sparks row". Manchester Evening News. 16 May 1974. p. 4. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
24. ^ "Search for new council leader". Manchester Evening News. 28 December 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
25. ^ Grigsby, John (19 January 1977). "Rates hardline goes on says 'jail 'em' council". Daily Telegraph. London. p. 2. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
26. ^ a b "Tories oust top man: 'No split'". Manchester Evening News. 8 May 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
27. ^ a b "Council quest for leader". Manchester Evening News. 15 May 1984. p. 46. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
28. ^ a b "Leader's seat taken after a 12-year gap". Stockport Express. 15 May 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
29. ^ a b Robinson, Philip (15 May 1986). "Close run thing to be new Tory chief". Stockport Express. p. 2. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
30. ^ "Rates exemption bid for sports club fails". Stockport Express. 1 November 1989. p. 23. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
31. ^ "Cash back for council hit by bank collapse". Manchester Evening News. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
32. ^ "Parties in row over an advert". Stockport Express. 15 July 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
33. ^ a b "Leader resigns in May". Manchester Evening News. 2002. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
34. ^ "Council minutes, 14 May 2002" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
35. ^ a b "Council minutes, 18 August 2005" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
36. ^ Devine, Peter (22 May 2007). "Council leader ousted". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
37. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2007" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
38. ^ "Stockport Council leader Dave Goddard loses seat". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
39. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2012". Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
40. ^ Scapens, Alex (6 May 2016). "Who won in Stockport? Labour hail 'new political era' as they become biggest party and oust council leader Sue Derbyshire". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
41. ^ "Council minutes, 24 May 2016". Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
42. ^ Statham, Nick (3 May 2019). "What are the Stockport local elections 2019 results?". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
43. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2019" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
44. ^ "Liberal Democrats lead Stockport Council after crunch vote". BBC News. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
45. ^ "Council minutes, 19 May 2022" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
46. ^ Stead, Richard (21 March 2025). "Leader of Stockport Council to step down". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
47. ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
48. ^ a b "Stockport". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
49. ^ "Council report, 20 May 2025" (PDF). Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
50. ^ "Your Councillors". Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
51. ^ "The Stockport (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/1135, retrieved 3 June 2024
52. ^ "Cabinet 2025-26". democracy.stockport.gov.uk. Stockport Council. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
53. ^ Historic England. "Town Hall, Wellington Road South (Grade II*) (1067166)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
54. ^ Bagshaw, Emily (7 June 2023). "Brutalism meets beauty in SpaceInvader's refurbishment of Stopford House". Material Source. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
55. ^ "Carillion hands over Fred Perry House". Place North West. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
56. ^ "How to find us". Stockport Council. Retrieved 3 June 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Electoral wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

* Bramhall North
* Bramhall South & Woodford
* Bredbury and Woodley
* Bredbury Green and Romiley
* Brinnington and Central
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* Davenport and Cale Green
* Edgeley and Cheadle Heath
* Hazel Grove
* Heald Green
* Heatons North
* Heatons South
* Manor
* Marple North
* Marple South and High Lane
* Offerton
* Reddish North
* Reddish South
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