Cheshire East Council is the local authority for

Cheshire East Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council, which is based in the town of Sandbach. Other towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilms ...

, a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

with

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, si ...

in the

ceremonial county Ceremonial counties, formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'', are areas of England to which lord-lieutenant, lord-lieutenants are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarch's repres ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, England. The council is a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It has been under

no overall control In the context of local authorities in the United Kingdom no overall control (NOC; ) is a situation in which no single political group achieves a majority of seats, comparable to a hung parliament. Of the 248 councils who had members up for elec ...

since 2019, being run by a coalition of Labour, local parties and

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

councillors. It is currently led by Labour councillor Nick Mannion.

History

The council and district were created in 2009, covering the combined area of the former districts of

Congleton Congleton is a market town and civil parish in Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is on the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 28,497 and the built-up area ha ...

Crewe and Nantwich Crewe and Nantwich was, from 1974 to 2009, a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Cheshire, England. It had a population (2001 census) of 111,007. It contained 69 ci ...

and

Macclesfield Macclesfield () is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is sited on the River Bollin and the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east; the town lies south of Ma ...

. The new council also took on the functions of the abolished

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. ...

in the area. Cheshire East is both a

non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of Districts of England, local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties (colloquially ''s ...

and a

non-metropolitan county A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a subdivision of England used for local government. The non-metropolitan counties were originally created in 1974 as part of a reform of local government in England and Wales, and ...

, but there is no separate county council; instead the district council performs both district and county functions, making it a unitary authority. For the purposes of

lieutenancy Lieutenancy may refer to: United Kingdom Places * Lieutenancy area, a separate area appointed a lord-lieutenant, including: **Ceremonial counties of England, formally known as "counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies" **Lieutenancy areas of ...

and

shrievalty A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...

, Cheshire East remains part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire. The new district was awarded borough status from its creation on 1 April 2009, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The council's full legal name is therefore Cheshire East Borough Council, although it styles itself Cheshire East Council.

Governance

The council provides both district-level and county-level functions. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, and it is responsible for town planning,

housing Housing refers to a property containing one or more Shelter (building), shelter as a living space. Housing spaces are inhabited either by individuals or a collective group of people. Housing is also referred to as a human need and right to ...

, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a

local education authority Local education authorities (LEAs) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902, which transferred education powers from school bo ...

, and is responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal. The whole borough is covered by

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

es, which form a second tier of local government.

Political control

Until May 2019 the council was controlled by the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

. At the 2019 elections the council was left under

. On 22 May 2019, the newly elected councillors met for the first time and elected Labour's Sam Corcoran as leader, after the party came to an agreement with independent councillors. A similar coalition, still led by Corcoran, continued to form the council's administration following the 2023 elections.. Corcoran stepped down in 2024 and was replaced by Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion. The first election to the council was held in 2008, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 2009. Political control of the council since 2009 has been as follows:

Leadership

The role of

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

is largely ceremonial in Cheshire East; the mayor is appointed annually and a list of mayors since 2009 is shown on the council's website. Political leadership is provided by the

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

. The first leader, Wesley Fitzgerald, had been the last leader of the old Macclesfield Borough Council. The leaders of Cheshire East Council since 2009 have been:

Composition

Following the 2023 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2024, the composition of the council was as follows: Nine of the independent councillors sit with the local parties Residents of Wilmslow and Alderley First as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration in coalition with Labour. The other three independents (one of whom describes herself as "independent socialist") do not form part of a group. The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

The council's administrative offices are at Delamere House in Crewe and Macclesfeild Town Hall. The council's previous main administrative offices were at Westfields on Middlewich Road in

Sandbach Sandbach (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire East borough of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements: Sandbach, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock, Cheshire, Wheelock. At the 2021 United Kingd ...

. Westfields was opened in 2008 as the headquarters of the former Congleton Borough Council, one of Cheshire East's predecessors. Council and committee meetings are held at various venues across the borough, including

Crewe Municipal Buildings Crewe Municipal Buildings is a municipal building in Earle Street, Crewe, Cheshire, England. The buildings, which formed the headquarters of Crewe and Nantwich, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, are Grade II listed building, listed. History A ...

Macclesfield Town Hall Macclesfield Town Hall is a Georgian municipal building in the Market Place of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Dating originally from 1823–24, it was designed by Francis Goodwin in the Greek Revival style, and extended in 1869–71 by James ...

, and

Sandbach Town Hall Sandbach Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Sandbach, Cheshire, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Sandbach Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. History The first town hall in Sandbach was a medi ...

. In 2023 the council decided to close Westfields and make its existing building at Delamere House in

Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...

the headquarters instead. Delamere House was completed in 1974 as a joint facility for both the old Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council and Cheshire County Council, and has served as Cheshire East Council's local offices in Crewe since the reorganisation in 2009. Westfields closed in December 2024.

Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2011 the council has comprised 82

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

s representing 52

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

Arms

References

{{Authority control Unitary authority councils of England Local education authorities in England Local authorities in Cheshire Billing authorities in England 2009 establishments in England Borough of Cheshire East