Borough of Oswestry

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Wikidata image 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.

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.

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.

History

The town of Oswestry was an ancient borough, governed under the terms of various charters dating back to at least 1398. 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.

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.

The borough of Oswestry and its council were abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. Its functions were taken over from 1 April 2009 by Shropshire County Council, which was renamed Shropshire Council at the same time.

Governance

Political control

The first elections to the reconstituted 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 as follows:

Party in control		Years
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 1974–1987
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 1987–1991
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 1991–2003
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 2003–2007
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 2007–2009

Leadership

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

Councillor	Party		From	To
David Lloyd	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|pre-2006 || align=right|31 Mar 2009

Premises

File:Castle View council offices in Oswestry - geograph.org.uk - 4172623.jpg

Castle View: Council's headquarters

The council was based at Castle View on Arthur Street in the centre of Oswestry, a converted Victorian house which had served as the headquarters of the council's predecessor, Oswestry Rural District Council, since 1927. On the council's abolition in 2009, the building passed to Shropshire Council, which retains some offices there.

Council elections

• 1973 Oswestry Borough Council election
• 1976 Oswestry Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)
• 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)
• 2007 Oswestry Borough Council election

Results maps

• 2003 results map
  2003 results map
• 2007 results map
  2007 results map

By-election results

Llanyblodwel By-Election 1 June 2000

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			122	43.0
			90	31.7
			72	25.4
Majority			32	11.3
Turnout			284	46.0
	hold		Swing

Victoria By-Election 28 June 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			291	44.2
			266	40.4
			101	15.3
Majority			25	3.8
Turnout			658
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Gatacre By-Election 6 September 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			327	53.7
			158	25.9
			77	12.6
			33	5.4
			14	2.3
Majority			169	27.8
Turnout			609	26.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Cambrian By-Election 10 June 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Simon Edwards	341	42.8
			281	35.3
			174	21.9
Majority			60	7.5
Turnout			796	39.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Royton & West Felton 29 September 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			unopposed
	hold		Swing

Castle By-Election 3 November 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frances Burman	255	55.3
		Elaine Channon	206	44.7
Majority			49	10.6
Turnout			461	23.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Sweeney Trefonen By-Election 3 November 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Joyce Barrow	314	71.0
		Romer Hoseason	128	29.0
Majority			186	42.0
Turnout			442	14.5
	hold		Swing

Whittington By-Election 30 November 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			314	57.2
			121	22.0
			114	20.7
Majority			193	35.2
Turnout			549	30.8
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Llanyblodwell and Pant By-Election 21 June 2007

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			254	73.6
			91	19.8
			81	17.6
			34	7.4
Majority			163
Turnout			460	24.0
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Sweeney and Trefonen By-Election 1 May 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			684	54.9
			562	45.1
Majority			122	9.8
Turnout			1,246	40.4
	hold		Swing

Castle By-Election 2 October 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Romer Hoseason	198	38.7
		Phil May	174	34.1
		Alan Davies	139	27.2
Majority			59	4.6
Turnout			511	22.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

References

• By-election results Template:Webarchive