Chester was a non-metropolitan local government district of

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

, England from 1974 to 2009. It had the status of a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

, and the local authority was called Chester City Council. Apart from

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

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

Tarvin Tarvin is a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 2,693 people at the 2001 UK census, rising to 2,728 at the 2011 Census, and the ward covers about . ...

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, by the merger of the existing city and

county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent te ...

with the Chester Rural District and

Tarvin Rural District Tarvin was, from 1894 to 1974, a rural district in the administrative county of Cheshire, England. The district was named after the village of Tarvin, and saw considerable boundary changes throughout its life. Creation The district was created ...

. It was a non-metropolitan district, with county-level services for the area provided by

Cheshire County Council Cheshire County Council was the county council of Cheshire. Founded on 1 April 1889, it was officially dissolved on 31 March 2009, when it and its districts were superseded by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East. ...

. The new district was awarded

borough status Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, ...

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 The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local governme ...

considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure as part of the

2009 structural changes to local government in England Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a "two-tier" system of counties and districts. In five s ...

. 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 A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

Cheshire West and Chester Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It was established on 1 April 2009 as part of the 2009 local government changes, by virtue of an order under the Local Gover ...

from 1 April 2009. Chester's city charter is retained through the appointment of

charter trustees In England and Wales, charter trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a town charter or city charter after a district with the status of a borough or city has been abolished, until such time as a parish council is established. Duties ar ...

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 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

, the mayor's title was raised to

Lord Mayor of Chester The position of Lord Mayor of Chester was created on 10 March 1992 when the dignity was conferred on the city of Chester, England by Letters Patent as part of celebrations of 40th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. Prior to tha ...

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 The royal arms of England are the arms first adopted in a fixed form at the start of the age of heraldry (circa 1200) as personal arms by the Plantagenet kings who ruled England from 1154. In the popular mind they have come to symbolise the ...

(three golden lions on a red shield) combined with three gold wheatsheaves on blue of the

Earldom of Chester The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and a ...

. 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 In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the c ...

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 Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

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 A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of a parish cou ...

. * Agden * Aldersey *

Aldford Aldford is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Aldford and Saighton, in the county of Cheshire, England. (). The village is approximately to the south of Chester, on the east bank of the River Dee, Wales, River Dee. The Aldf ...

Ashton Hayes Ashton Hayes is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Ashton Hayes and Horton-cum-Peel, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located about 8 miles east of Chest ...

* Bache * Backford * Barrow * Barton * Beeston *

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the no ...

* Bradley *

Bridge Trafford Bridge Trafford is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Mickle Trafford and District, situated near to Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet lies ...

* Broxton * Bruen Stapleford * Buerton * Burton *

Burwardsley Burwardsley is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish also includes the small villages of Burwardsley, Burwardsley Hill, ...

* Caldecott *

Capenhurst Capenhurst is a village and civil parish in Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire England. According to the 2001 Census, Capenhurst had a population of 237, increasing to 380 at the 2 ...

* Carden * Caughall * Chester Castle * Chidlow * Chorlton * Chorlton by Backford * Chowley * Christleton *

Church Shocklach Church Shocklach is a former civil parishes in England, civil parish, now in the parish of Shocklach Oviatt and District, in the Cheshire West and Chester, Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 ...

Churton by Aldford Churton by Aldford is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Churton, in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 it had a population of 136. The parish included the northern part of t ...

Churton by Farndon Churton by Farndon is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Churton, in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 it had a population of 146, increasing to 153 at the 2011 Census. The ...

* Churton Heath * Claverton * Clotton Hoofield * Clutton *

Coddington Coddington may refer to: Places * Coddington, Cheshire, United Kingdom * Coddington, Derbyshire, United Kingdom * Coddington, Herefordshire, United Kingdom * Coddington, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom * Coddington, Wisconsin, United States * Co ...

Cotton Abbotts Cotton Abbotts is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Waverton, in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales ...

Cotton Edmunds Cotton Edmunds is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Christleton, in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wa ...

* Crewe by Farndon * Croughton * Cuddington *

Dodleston Dodleston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village is situated to the south west of Chester, very close to the England–Wales border. The c ...

Duckington Duckington is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated some 10½ miles (17 km) south-east of Chester, 10 miles (16 km) east of ...

Duddon Duddon is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Duddon and Burton, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is on the A51 road and is east of the city of Chester. ...

Dunham on the Hill Dunham-on-the-Hill is a village and former civil parishes in England, civil parish, now in the parish of Dunham-on-the-Hill and Hapsford, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester, and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It i ...

Eaton Eaton may refer to: Buildings Canada * Eaton Centre, the name of various shopping malls in Canada due to having been anchored by an Eaton's store * Eaton's / John Maryon Tower, a cancelled skyscraper in Toronto * Eaton Hall (King City), a conferen ...

* Eccleston *

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...

* Edgerley *

Elton Elton may refer to: Places England * Elton, Cambridgeshire (formerly Huntingdonshire), a village ** Elton Hall, a baronial hall * Elton, Cheshire, a village and civil parish * Elton, County Durham, a village and civil parish * Elton, Derbyshire ...

* Farndon *

Foulk Stapleford Foulk Stapleford is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Hargrave and Huxley, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 ...

* Golborne Bellow * Golborne David * Grafton *

Great Boughton Great Boughton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the villages of Boughton Heath and Vicars Cross. It had a population of 2,627 according to the 201 ...

* Guilden Sutton * Hampton * Handley *

Hapsford Hapsford is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dunham-on-the-Hill and Hapsford, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the A5117 road, with Hels ...

* Harthill * Hatton * Hockenhull *

Hoole Village Hoole Village is a village and former civil parish near Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish was abolished in 2015 to form Mickle Trafford and District, ...

* Horton by Malpas * Horton cum Peel * Huntington * Huxley * Iddinshall * Kelsall *

Kings Marsh Kings Marsh is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Farndon, in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to t ...

Larkton Larkton is a former civil parish, now in the parish of No Man's Heath and District, in the Cheshire West and Chester district and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 it had a population of 28. The name Larkton is likely derived f ...

* Lea Newbold * Lea by Backford * Ledsham *

Little Stanney Little Stanney is a suburban village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the Wirral Peninsula between Chester and Ellesmere Port. At the 2011 ce ...

* Littleton *

Lower Kinnerton Lower Kinnerton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dodleston, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, close to the England–Wales border. The neighbouring vi ...

* Macefen * Malpas ''(town)'' * Marlston cum Lache *

Mickle Trafford Mickle Trafford is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Mickle Trafford and District, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the area known as Plemst ...

* Mollington * Moston *

Mouldsworth Mouldsworth is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is about 8 miles north east of Chester city centre on the B5393 road ...

* Newton by Malpas * Newton by Tattenhall * Oldcastle * Overton * Picton * Poulton *

Prior's Heys Prior's Heys is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Tarvin, in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land border ...

* Puddington * Pulford * Rowton *

Saighton Saighton (; ) is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Aldford and Saighton, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, a few miles south of Chester. The 2011 Census rec ...

Saughall Saughall is a village and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Located between Shotwick and Blacon, it is approximately north west of Chester and from Sealan ...

Shocklach Oviatt Shocklach Oviatt is a former civil parishes in England, civil parish, now in the parish of Shocklach Oviatt and District, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish of Shockla ...

Shotwick Shotwick is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Puddington, on the southern end of the Wirral Peninsula in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village ...

Shotwick Park Shotwick Park is a small settlement and former civil parish, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Located between the villages of Shotwick and Saughall, it is approximately north ...

* Stockton * Stoke * Stretton *

Tattenhall Tattenhall is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Tattenhall and District, south-east of Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In the 2001 census, ...

* Thornton le Moors *

Threapwood Threapwood is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is close to the villages of Shocklach, Worthenbury and Malpas, Che ...

Tilston Tilston is a village and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census, the population was recorded ...

Tilstone Fearnall Tilstone Fearnall is a village and former civil parishes in England, civil parish, now in the parishes of Tiverton and Tilstone Fearnall, in the Cheshire West and Chester district and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 the parish h ...

* Tiverton * Tushingham cum Grindley * Upton by Chester * Waverton * Wervin *

Wigland Wigland is a civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It, along with the neighbouring parishes of Agden, Chidlow, Stockton and Wychough, has a population of 182 (2011 Census). The ...

* Willington * Wimbolds Trafford * Woodbank *

Wychough Wychough is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Malpas, in the Cheshire West and Chester district, and ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. In 2001 it had a population of 11. The civil parish was abolished in 2015 and merged into ...

The main built-up part of Chester was an

unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unpa ...

, 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

, 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:

Leadership

The leaders of the council were:

Premises

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 Chester Town Hall is in Northgate Street in the centre of the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. History In 1698 an exchange was built to ...

, where council and committee meetings were held.

Council elections

* 1973 Chester City Council election * 1976 Chester City Council election *

1979 Chester City Council election Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

(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 The 1986 Chester City Council election took place on 8 May 1986 to elect members of Chester City Council in Cheshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections. Summary Election result Ward results Barrow ...

2004 Chester City Council election 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

* 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

(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.

By-election results

External links

Chester City Council

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chester (District) Council elections in Cheshire Politics of Chester District council elections in England English districts abolished in 2009 Districts of England established in 1974 Former non-metropolitan districts of Cheshire

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

Former boroughs in England