Chester (district)

Chester was a non-metropolitan local government district of Cheshire, England, from 1974 to 2009. It had the status of a city and a borough, and the local authority was called Chester City Council.

Apart from Chester itself, which was the principal settlement, the district covered a large rural area. Other settlements included Malpas and Tarvin.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the existing city and county borough of Chester with the Chester Rural District and Tarvin Rural District. It was a non-metropolitan district, with county-level services for the area provided by Cheshire County Council.

The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor. The city status which had previously attached to the old county borough of Chester was extended to cover the enlarged district on 28 May 1974, a few weeks after the changes came into effect, allowing the council to call itself Chester City Council.

In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. The decision to merge Vale Royal with the districts of Chester and Ellesmere Port and Neston to create a single unitary authority was announced on 25 July 2007, following a consultation period in which a proposal to create a single Cheshire unitary authority was rejected.

The Chester district was abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester from 1 April 2009. Chester's city charter is retained through the appointment of charter trustees.

Lord mayoralty and shrievalty

The office of mayor of Chester was continued in 1974 by virtue of the charter, the title being borne by the chairman of the council. The mayor of Chester had, since at least 1528, enjoyed the additional honorific title of "Admiral of the Dee". The title was confirmed by letters patent dated 15 May 1974. In 1992, as part of celebrations of the fortieth anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II, the mayor's title was raised to Lord Mayor of Chester by letters patent dated 10 March 1992.

Under the charter granted in 1974 the new council was permitted to continue to appoint any traditional "officers of dignity" that the predecessor city and county borough had been entitled to appoint. Accordingly, in June 1974 it was decided to continue the office of Sheriff of Chester that dated from the early twelfth century.

The offices of lord mayor and sheriff of Chester were held by serving councillors, and there was an annual rotation of the posts between the three main parties.

Coat of arms

In 1977 the city council was regranted a "differenced" version of the sixteenth century arms of the predecessor Corporation of the City and County Borough of Chester. The historic arms of Chester was based on the Royal Arms of England (three golden lions on a red shield) combined with three gold wheatsheaves on blue of the Earldom of Chester. A gold border bearing acorns was added to the arms to represent the rural areas added in 1974. The crest of the corporation was a depiction of the city sword. To this was added two branches of oak for the two rural districts combined with the county borough. The supporters of the city arms were a gold lion representing England and a white wolf for Hugh Lupus, 1st Earl of Chester. In 1977 they were altered slightly by the addition of red castles hanging about their necks. The Latin motto was Antiqui Colant Antiquum Dierum or Let the ancients worship the ancient of days.

Civil parishes

Chester district contained a comparatively large number of civil parishes. There were 46 parish councils operating in the district in 2008, some of which were grouped parish councils covering more than one civil parish. Some smaller parishes were not covered any parish council, leaving parish level representation to be administered through a parish meeting.

• Agden
• Aldersey
• Aldford
• Ashton Hayes
• Bache
• Backford
• Barrow
• Barton
• Beeston
• Bickley
• Bradley
• Bridge Trafford
• Broxton
• Bruen Stapleford
• Buerton
• Burton
• Burwardsley
• Caldecott
• Capenhurst
• Carden
• Caughall
• Chester Castle
• Chidlow
• Chorlton
• Chorlton by Backford
• Chowley
• Christleton
• Church Shocklach
• Churton by Aldford
• Churton by Farndon
• Churton Heath
• Claverton
• Clotton Hoofield
• Clutton
• Coddington
• Cotton Abbotts
• Cotton Edmunds
• Crewe by Farndon
• Croughton
• Cuddington
• Dodleston
• Duckington
• Duddon
• Dunham on the Hill
• Eaton
• Eccleston
• Edge
• Edgerley
• Elton
• Farndon
• Foulk Stapleford
• Golborne Bellow
• Golborne David
• Grafton
• Great Boughton
• Guilden Sutton
• Hampton
• Handley
• Hapsford
• Harthill
• Hatton
• Hockenhull
• Hoole Village
• Horton by Malpas
• Horton cum Peel
• Huntington
• Huxley
• Iddinshall
• Kelsall
• Kings Marsh
• Larkton
• Lea Newbold
• Lea by Backford
• Ledsham
• Little Stanney
• Littleton
• Lower Kinnerton
• Macefen
• Malpas (town)
• Marlston cum Lache
• Mickle Trafford
• Mollington
• Moston
• Mouldsworth
• Newton by Malpas
• Newton by Tattenhall
• Oldcastle
• Overton
• Picton
• Poulton
• Prior's Heys
• Puddington
• Pulford
• Rowton
• Saighton
• Saughall
• Shocklach Oviatt
• Shotwick
• Shotwick Park
• Stockton
• Stoke
• Stretton
• Tarvin
• Tattenhall
• Thornton le Moors
• Threapwood
• Tilston
• Tilstone Fearnall
• Tiverton
• Tushingham cum Grindley
• Upton by Chester
• Waverton
• Wervin
• Wigland
• Willington
• Wimbolds Trafford
• Woodbank
• Wychough

File:Chester District civil parish boundaries.jpg

Map of civil parishes within the former City of Chester district

The main built-up part of Chester was an unparished area, corresponding to the area of the former county borough. One anomaly was that there was a small civil parish just covering the area around Chester Castle, which was surrounded by the unparished area. This was the civil parish of Chester Castle, which had not been part of the pre-1974 Chester County Borough, but had been a detached part of the Chester Rural District.

Political control

The city of Chester had been a county borough, independent from any county council, from 1889 to 1974. The first elections to the enlarged district created under the Local Government Act 1972 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:

Party in control		Years
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 1974–1986
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 1986–2007
REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || 2007–2009

Leadership

The leaders of the council were:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Cecil Eimerl	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|1 Apr 1974 || align=right|9 May 1976
Hugh Jones	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|19 May 1976 || align=right|May 1979
Derek Owens-Kaye	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|May 1979 || align=right|May 1985
Cecil Eimerl	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|May 1985 || align=right|21 May 1986
John Bramall	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|21 May 1986 || align=right|May 1989
Richard Short	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|May 1989 || align=right|May 1990
John Price	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|21 May 1990 || align=right|May 1991
Richard Short	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|May 1991 || align=right|20 May 1992
No leader			20 May 1992	Jan 1993
Richard Short	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|Jan 1993 || align=right|May 1993
No leader			May 1993	May 1995
John Price	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|May 1995 || align=right|14 May 2003
David Evans	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|14 May 2003 || align=right|2006
Paul Roberts	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|2006 || align=right|2007
Margaret Parker	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color Template:Redirect category shell || align=right|2007 || align=right|2009

Premises

File:Chester Town Hall.jpg

Chester Town Hall, Northgate Street, with The Forum shopping centre and municipal offices in background to its left.

The council had its main offices at The Forum on Northgate Street, Chester, being offices above a shopping centre. The offices at The Forum had been opened on 4 April 1973 for the old city council when it was a county borough, but in anticipation of the reforms due to come into effect in 1974. The offices immediately adjoined Chester Town Hall, where council and committee meetings were held.

Council elections

• 1973 Chester City Council election
• 1976 Chester City Council election
• 1979 Chester City Council election (New ward boundaries)
• 1980 Chester City Council election
• 1982 Chester City Council election
• 1983 Chester City Council election
• 1984 Chester City Council election
• 1986 Chester City Council election
• 1987 Chester City Council election
• 1988 Chester City Council election (City boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
• 1990 Chester City Council election
• 1991 Chester City Council election
• 1992 Chester City Council election
• 1994 Chester City Council election
• 1995 Chester City Council election
• 1996 Chester City Council election
• 1998 Chester City Council election
• 1999 Chester City Council election (New ward boundaries)
• 2000 Chester City Council election
• 2002 Chester City Council election
• 2003 Chester City Council election
• 2004 Chester City Council election
• 2006 Chester City Council election
• 2007 Chester City Council election

2006 Election

The Conservative Party gained 5 seats in Lache, Newton St. Michael's, Handbridge, Elton and Upton Grange. Labour lost three seats to the Conservatives, and avoided losing Boughton and City to the Conservatives, and College to the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats lost two seats to the Conservatives, and only avoided losing a safe seat, Vicars Cross, to the Conservatives. In addition, a Liberal Democrat Councillor (Jeff Clarke, Waverton) defected to the Conservatives. The Conservatives also won a by-election in Autumn 2006, taking another seat from the Liberal Democrats.

2007 Election

The Conservative party gained 7 seats in Lache, Newton Brook, Huntington, Tattenhall, Upton Grange, Kelsall and Boughton Heath. They also regained Christleton after the seat had been vacant for four months. The Liberal Democrats were defeated in five seats, Labour in one, and one long-serving Independent (Doug Haynes, Tattenhall) was beaten. Labour were beaten into fourth place in one ward (Malpas) by the English Democrats. The Liberal Democrats narrowly avoided finishing in fourth place in Blacon Hall and Blacon Lodge. Labour held College by just 7 votes, with the Liberal Democrats in second place.

2008 Election

The 2008 elections were cancelled due to local government re-organisation. Elections to a shadow Cheshire West and Chester (CWC) unitary authority were instead held. This meant that councillors elected in 2004 served for an additional year before the city council was disbanded. Therefore, the Conservatives remained the governing party until April 2009, when the new CWC Council replaced the city council.

Results maps

• 1980 results map
  1980 results map
• 1982 results map
  1982 results map
• 1983 results map
  1983 results map
• 1984 results map
  1984 results map
• 1986 results map
  1986 results map
• 1987 results map
  1987 results map
• 1988 results map
  1988 results map
• 1990 results map
  1990 results map
• 1991 results map
  1991 results map
• 1992 results map
  1992 results map
• 1994 results map
  1994 results map
• 1995 results map
  1995 results map
• 1996 results map
  1996 results map
• 1998 results map
  1998 results map
• 1999 results map
  1999 results map
• 2000 results map
  2000 results map
• 2002 results map
  2002 results map
• 2003 results map
  2003 results map
• 2004 results map
  2004 results map
• 2006 results map
  2006 results map
• 2007 results map
  2007 results map

By-election results

Vicars Cross By-Election 1 May 1997

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Kenneth Holding	1,466	42.5
		Sara Barnsley	1,151	33.3
		Peter Moore-Dutton	834	24.2
Majority			315	9.2
Turnout			3,451
	hold		Swing

College By-Election 26 June 1997

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			664	74.9
			120	13.5
			53	6.0
			50	5.6
Majority			544	61.4
Turnout			887	16.0
	hold		Swing

Newton Brook By-Election 21 September 2000

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Jordan?	572	55.1
			401	38.6
			65	6.3
Majority			171	16.5
Turnout			1,038	33.8
	hold		Swing

College By-Election 7 June 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			1,150	51.8
			570	25.6
			502	22.6
Majority			580	26.2
Turnout			2,222
	hold		Swing

Hoole Groves By-Election 7 June 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alex Black	886	41.4
			811	37.9
			406	19.1
			35	1.6
Majority			75	3.5
Turnout			2,103
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Malpas By-Election 6 September 2001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Keith Ebben	482	54.3
			405	45.7
Majority			77	8.6
Turnout			887	20.8
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Blacon Hall By-Election 1 August 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alan Tushingham	592	77.1
			119	15.5
			57	7.4
Majority			473	61.6
Turnout			768	13.8
	hold		Swing

Blacon Hall By-Election 14 August 2003

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Norman Stainthorp	714	66.2
		Charles Isaac	204	18.9
			160	14.8
Majority			510	47.3
Turnout			1,078	20.0
	hold		Swing

Boughton By-Election 29 July 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Susan Atkinson	427	44.9
		Mark Williams	377	39.6
		Joanne Crotty (?)	147	15.5
Majority			50	5.3
Turnout			951	35.0
	hold		Swing

Blacon Lodge By-Election 18 November 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ethel Price	505	62.9
		John Burke ?	243	30.3
			55	6.8
Majority			262	32.6
Turnout			803	21.5
	hold		Swing

Hoole All Saints By-Election 5 May 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Barry Sullivan	765	51.2
			496	33.2
			233	15.6
Majority			269	18.0
Turnout			1,494	65.0
	hold		Swing

Curzon & Westminster By-Election 27 October 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Max Drury	875	63.8
		Allan Stobie	258	18.8
		Alexandra Tate	238	17.4
Majority			617	45.0
Turnout			1,371	41.0
	hold		Swing

Newton St. Michaels By-Election 26 October 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Adrian Walmsley	518	41.9
		Molly Hale	497	40.2
		Alex Black	197	15.9
		Diana Wilderspin-Jones	24	1.9
Majority			21	1.7
Turnout			1,236	46.2
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

External links

• Chester City Council