Cheshire West and Chester Council is the local authority for Cheshire West and Chester. It is a unitary authority created on 1 April 2009, succeeding the non-metropolitan districts of Chester City Council, Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, and Vale Royal Borough Council, and the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire County Council. The council was first elected on 1 May 2008, a year before coming into its legal powers on 1 April 2009.

Premises

When created in 2009, the council inherited several administrative buildings from its predecessors, notably including Chester Town Hall and the adjoining offices at The Forum from Chester City Council, the Ellesmere Port Council Offices at 4 Civic Way in Ellesmere Port from Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, and Wyvern House on The Drumber in Winsford from Vale Royal Borough Council. The abolished Cheshire County Council's former headquarters at County Hall passed jointly to both Cheshire West and Chester Council and its neighbour Cheshire East Council. County Hall was sold to the University of Chester in 2010, and Cheshire West and Chester Council moved its main offices to a new building called HQ Chester at 58 Nicholas Street in Chester, whilst retaining the other buildings as local offices and additional accommodation.[3][4][5][6]

The HQ Chester building did not contain a council chamber, and most full council meetings were held at Wyvern House in Winsford, except the annual council meeting which was usually held at Chester Town Hall. Committee meetings were held at various venues. This pattern continued until March 2020 when in-person meetings were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the resumption of in-person meetings in May 2021, most committee meetings have been held at Ellesmere Port Library, whilst larger venues have been hired for full council meetings.[7] In 2022, the council moved its main offices to a new building called The Portal on Wellington Road in Ellesmere Port, and vacated most of the space it had formerly occupied at HQ Chester.[8]

Political control

Since the 2023 election, the council has been under Labour control, with Louise Gittins serving as leader of the council. The next election is due in 2027.

Council seats since 2008
Election Conservative Independent Green Labour Liberal Democrats Unaligned Independent Winsford Salt of the Earth Total
2008 55 0 0 13 4 0 0 72
2011 42 0 0 32 1 0 0 75
2015 36 1 0 38 0 0 0 75
2019 28 4 1 35 2 0 0 70
2023 23 5 2 39 1 0 0 70
Current 23 2 2 37 1 3 2 70

Councillors

Councillors[1]
Ward Councillor Council profile Year first elected
Blacon Carol Gahan Profile 2015
Sheila Little Profile 2019
Alan Smith Profile 2023
Central and Grange Robert Bisset Profile 2015
Karen Shore Profile 2015
Chester City and The Garden Quarter Paul Chamberlain Profile 2023
Katrina Kerr Profile 2023
Ben Walker Profile 2023
Christleton and Huntington Stuart Parker MBE Profile 2008
Mark Williams Profile 2008
Davenham, Moulton and Kingsmead Dan Marr Profile 2023
Gaynor Sinar Profile 2011[a]
Farndon Adrian Waddelove Profile 2023
Frodsham Michael Garvey Profile 2023
Lucy Sumner Profile 2023
Gowy Rural Graham Heatley Profile 2011[b]
Margaret Parker Profile 2011
Great Boughton Steve Collings Profile 2019
Elizabeth MacGlashan Profile 2023
Handbridge Park Matt Carter Profile 2023
Razia Daniels Profile 2008
Hartford and Greenbank Martin Loftus Profile 2023
Patricia Parkes Profile 2015
Helsby Chris Copeman Profile 2023
Lache Alex Tate Profile 2008[c]
Ledsham and Manor Christine Warner Profile 2019
Peter Wheeler Profile 2019
Little Neston Louise Gittins Profile 2011
Malpas Rachel Williams Profile 2019
Marbury Lynn Gibbon Profile 2015
Phil Marshall Profile 2019
Norman Wright Profile 2008
Neston Keith Millar Profile 2021
Netherpool Katie Kendrick Profile 2023
Newton and Hoole Richard Beacham Profile 2015
Adam Langan Profile 2019
Gill Watson Profile 2015
Northwich Leftwich Andrew Cooper Profile 2019
Northwich Winnington and Castle Felicity Davies Profile 2023
Arthur Neil Profile 2023
Northwich Witton Sam Naylor Profile 2014
Parkgate Martin Barker Profile 2015
Rudheath Olwyn Dean Profile 2023
Sandstone Hugo Deynem Profile 2008
Saughall and Mollington Simon Eardley Profile 2019
Shakerley Mark Stocks Profile 2008
Strawberry Gareth Gould Profile 2019
Sutton Villages Paul Donovan Profile 2008
Caroline Ellis Profile 2023
Tarporley Charles Hardy Profile 2023
Tarvin and Kelsall Tom Cooper Profile 2023
Ted Lush Profile 2023
Tattenhall Mike Jones Profile 2008
Upton Sherin Akhtar Profile 2023
Matt Bryan Profile 2015
Weaver and Cuddington Gillian Edwards Profile 2019
Phil Rimmer Profile 2023
Lynn Stocks Profile 2023
Westminster Lisa Denson Profile 2019
Whitby Groves Jimmy Shannon Profile 2023
Whitby Park John Roach Profile 2023
Willaston and Thornton Myles Hogg Profile 2008
Winsford Dene Mandy Clare Profile 2019
Winsford Gravel Martin Beveridge Profile 2023
Winsford Over and Verdin Stuart Bingham Profile 2023
Tommy Blackmore Profile 2011
Gina Lewis Profile 2019
Winsford Swanlow Simon Boone Profile 2023
Winsford Wharton Nathan Pardoe Profile 2019
Wolverham Michael Edwardson Profile 2018

  Conservative
  Green
  Independent
  Labour
  Liberal Democrats
  Winsford Salt of the Earth


Cabinet and committees

Cabinet (Labour)[d]

As of 9 November 2023

Website
  Louise Gittins (Chair, Leader of the Council, Culture and Arts)
  Lisa Denson (A Fairer Future (Poverty, Public Health and Mental Health))
  Paul Donovan (Democracy, Workforce and Communities)
  Carol Gahan (Finance and Legal)
  Adam Langan (Children and Young People)
  Sheila Little (Adult Social Care)
  Nathan Parode (Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation)
  Karen Shore (Deputy Leader of the Council, Environment, Highways and Transport)
  Christine Warner (Homes, Planning and Safer Communities)

Shadow cabinet (Conservative)[d]

As of 16 July 2023

  Margaret Parker (Conservative group leader, Fairer Futures, Poverty and Mental Health)
  Simon Eardley (Environment, Highways and Transport, Climate Emergency, Energy and Green Spaces)
  Lynn Gibbon (Deputy Conservative group leader, Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation)
  Charles Hardy (Leisure, Culture and the Visitor Economy)
  Mike Jones (Finance and Legal)
  Martin Loftus (Homes, Planning and Safer Communities)
  Phil Marshall (Democracy, Workforce and Communities)
  Lynn Stocks (Children and Young People)
  Rachel Williams (Adult Social Care)

Other parties

As of 16 July 2023

  John Roach (Green group leader)
  Gillian Edwards (Independent group leader)
  Simon Boone (Winsford Salt of the Earth group leader)

Committees

Cheshire West and Chester Council committees
Committee Membership
(Cheshire West and Chester) Overview and Scrutiny
As of 24 July 2023
  Martin Barker (Chair),   Steve Collings (Deputy chair),   Sherin Akhtar,   Stuart Bingham,   Hugo Deynem,   Keith Millar,   Mark Stocks,   Lucy Sumner,   Adrian Waddelove
Website
Planning
As of 23 July 2023
  Gina Lewis (Chair),   Michael Edwardson (Deputy chair),   Stuart Bingham,   Tommy Blackmore,   Gilian Edwards,   Myles Hogg,   Katrina Kerr,   Stuart Parker,   Gaynor Sinar,   Alex Tate,   Norman Wright
Website
Shared Services[e]
As of 23 July 2023
  Paul Donovan,   Carol Gahan,   Karen Shore
Website


Notes

  1. ^ Not elected in 2019, elected in 2023.
  2. ^ Not elected in 2015, elected in 2019.
  3. ^ Did not stand in 2015 and 2019, elected in 2023.
  4. ^ a b Portfolios listed in paranthses.
  5. ^ Joint committee with Cheshire East Council.

References

  1. ^ a b "Your Councillors". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Chief Executive and directors". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ Holmes, David (23 September 2010). "Cheshire West and Chester Council HQ is 21st century workplace". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Chester West & Chester Council to sell County Hall to University of Chester and move into HQ building". Cheshire Live. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ^ Holmes, David (3 March 2011). "Cheshire's County Hall sale 'rushed', says auditor, but was still value for money". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Customer service centres". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Council minutes". Cheshire West and Chester Council. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  8. ^ Porter, Gary (5 April 2022). "New Cheshire West and Chester Council HQ in Ellesmere Port to open in May". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 6 September 2022.