Hyndburn Borough Council
Hyndburn borders the boroughs of Ribble Valley to the north, Burnley to the east, Rossendale to the south, and Blackburn with Darwen to the west.
History
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a non-metropolitan district covering the territory of six former districts, which were abolished at the same time, plus a single parish from a seventh district:
- Accrington Municipal Borough
- Altham parish from Burnley Rural District
- Church Urban District
- Clayton-le-Moors Urban District
- Great Harwood Urban District
- Oswaldtwistle Urban District
- Rishton Urban District
The new district was given the name Hyndburn, taken from the River Hyndburn which passes through the district. The new district was awarded borough status on the day that it came into being, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.
In 2007, the council proposed changing the name from Hyndburn to "Accrington and Districts", to aid recognition of the borough by those not familiar with the area. After a public consultation, the change of name did not go ahead.
Governance
Hyndburn Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
David Welsby | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 35 councillors |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Blackburn Road, Accrington, BB5 1LA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Hyndburn Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Altham is a civil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough.
In March 2010, Hyndburn Borough Council was voted the 10th best council in The Times "Best Public Sector Places to Work". The borough also made it to The Times Best Companies Guide.
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2022. Following the 2023 election a Conservative minority administration formed.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1980 | |
| Labour | 1980–1984 | |
| Conservative | 1984–1986 | |
| Labour | 1986–1999 | |
| No overall control | 1999–2000 | |
| Conservative | 2000–2002 | |
| Labour | 2002–2003 | |
| Conservative | 2003–2010 | |
| No overall control | 2010–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–2022 | |
| No overall control | 2022–2024 | |
| Labour | 2024–present | |
Leadership
The role of Mayor of Hyndburn is largely ceremonial, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallace Haines | Labour | 1974 | 1976 | |
| Donald McNeil | Conservative | 1976 | 1980 | |
| Michael Hindley | Labour | 1980 | 1984 | |
| Nigel Bramley-Haworth | Conservative | 1984 | 1986 | |
| Edward Saville | Labour | 1986 | 1988 | |
| George Slynn | Labour | 1988 | 1999 | |
| Peter Britcliffe | Conservative | 1999 | 2002 | |
| Ian Ormerod | Labour | 2002 | 2002 | |
| Jean Battle | Labour | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Peter Britcliffe | Conservative | 2003 | 2011 | |
| Miles Parkinson | Labour | 2011 | 24 Mar 2022 | |
| Independent | 24 Mar 2022 | 7 May 2023 | ||
| Marlene Haworth | Conservative | 18 May 2023 | 23 May 2024 | |
| Munsif Dad | Labour | 23 May 2024 | ||
Composition
Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 22 | |
| Conservative | 11 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | |
The next election is due in 2026.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2002 the council has comprised 35 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with roughly a third of the council elected each time for a four year term of office. Lancashire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.
Premises
The council's main offices are at Scaitcliffe House on Ormerod Street in Accrington, being part of a converted textile mill. The council moved there in 2002. Full council meetings are usually held at Accrington Town Hall.
Education
There are approximately nine state secondary schools in Hyndburn. These include The Hyndburn Academy, St Christopher's Church of England High School, Accrington Academy, Rhyddings, Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, The Hollins, along with Broadfield Specialist School, and North Cliffe School.
The percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C has increased from 43.7% in 2001 up to 75.9% in 2011. Absences dropped from 12,052 in 2006 to 9,545 in 2011, mainly due to schools competing.
Geography
The district is polycentric and is located between the larger settlements of Blackburn and Burnley. It is linked to both areas by the M65 motorway and the East Lancashire railway line.
The borough had a population of 80,734 at the 2011 census. Much of the borough forms part of the Accrington/Rossendale Built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics, which covers the borough and parts of the neighbouring borough of Rossendale. The Acrrington/Rossendale built-up area extends from the town of Accrington to Rawtenstall and Bacup, taking in parts of the boroughs of Hyndburn and Rossendale. The Accrington/Rossendale built-up area was recorded at having a population of 125,059 at the 2011 census.
Places in Hyndburn
- Accrington
- Altham
- Baxenden
- Belthorn (part)
- Church
- Clayton-le-Moors
- Great Harwood
- Huncoat
- Knuzden (considered a suburb of Blackburn)
- Oswaldtwistle
- Rishton
- Tottleworth
- Whitebirk (part) (considered a suburb of Blackburn)
Civil parishes
Altham is the only civil parish in Hyndburn. The rest of the borough is an unparished area.
Mayors
The role of mayor is usually held by a different councillor each year. They chair meetings of the full council and are expected to be politically impartial during their term of office, but they do get an additional casting vote in the event of a tie. The mayors since 1974 have been:
- 1974–1975: Wallace Haines
- 1975–1976: Donald John McNeil
- 1976–1977: Allan Critchlow
- 1977–1978: Jessie Marie Hall
- 1978–1979: Doris Grant
- 1979–1980: Joseph Kenneth Hargreaves
- 1980–1981: Christopher Dillon
- 1981–1982: Jennie Jackson
- 1982–1983: Phyllis Hargreaves
- 1983–1984: Thomas Wilfred Renshaw
- 1984–1985: Jack Grime
- 1985–1986: Edward Francis Hill
- 1986–1987: Leonard Dickinson
- 1987–1988: William Parkinson
- 1988–1989: Clifford Westell
- 1989–1990: Alan Dunwoodie Lund
- 1990–1991: William Birch Sumner
- 1991–1992: John Culshaw
- 1992–1993: Mary Catherine Thom
- 1993–1994: Sonia Mary Bramley-Howarth
- 1994–1995: Reginald George Goggin
- 1995–1996: Jean Battle
- 1996–1997: Mirza Mohammed Yousaf
- 1997–1998: Maurice Samuel Cowell
- 1998–1999: Ian James Ormerod
- 1999–2000: Bernard Dawson
- 2000–2001: Douglas Hayes
- 2001–2002: David Parkins
- 2002–2003: Sandra Katherine Hayes
- 2003–2004: Winifred Margaret Frankland
- 2004–2005: Miles Parkinson
- 2005–2006: Janet Storey
- 2006–2007: Mohammed Rahman
- 2007–2008: Anthony Dobson
- 2008–2009: Pamela Barton
- 2009–2010: Paul Barton
- 2010–2011: Malcolm Pritchard
- 2011–2012: Colette McCormack
- 2012–2013: John Broadley
- 2013–2014: Judith Addison
- 2014–2015: Munsif Dad
- 2015–2016: Marlene Howarth
- 2016–2017: Tim O'Kane
- 2017–2018: Peter Britcliffe
- 2018–2019: Mohammad Ayub
- 2019–2021: June Harrisson
- 2021–2022: Kathleen Pratt
- 2022–2023: Abdul Khan
- 2023–2024: Terry Hurn
- 2024–2025: Mike Booth
Freedom of the Borough
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Hyndburn.
 |
Individuals
- Ronald Hill: 10 July 2012
- Julie Hesmondhalgh: 28 January 2015
- David Lloyd: 6 July 2018
- Bernard Dawson: 6 July 2018
Military Units
- The Queen's Lancashire Regiment: 29 June 2002.
References
- ^ UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Hyndburn Local Authority (E07000120)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Hyndburn Local Authority". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
- ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 22 August 2022
- ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Should it be Hyndburn or Accrington?". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Name change bid on ice". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Meet the Mayor of Hyndburn". Hyndburn Borough Council. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- ^ "Hyndburn Council in top 75 places to work". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ "Hyndburn". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ "Council minutes". Hyndburn Borough Council. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Jacobs, Bill (25 March 2022). "Hyndburn Council leader quits Labour Party 'blaming people behind the scenes'". Lancs Live. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Ian (2 May 2024). "Hyndburn local election results 2024 in full". Lancs Live. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "The Borough of Hyndburn (Electoral Changes) Order 2001", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2001/2469, retrieved 11 October 2023
- ^ "Council seeks title for new HQ". Lancashire Telegraph. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "Council agenda, 30 June 2022". Hyndburn Borough Council. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "A to Z of services - Secondary Schools in Hyndburn". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
- ^ "Lancashire County Council: Lancashire Profile". Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Accrington/Rossendale Built-up area". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "The Mayor's Office". Hyndburn Borough Council. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ "Ron Hill receives Freedom of the Borough of Hyndburn". BBC News. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Julie Hesmondhalgh awarded Freedom of Hyndburn". BBC News. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ Pike, Stuart (6 July 2018). "Cricket star David Lloyd and Bernard Dawson receive Freedom of the Borough". Lancs Live. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Queen's Lancashire Regiment Freedom of the Borough (Accrington Pals)". War Memorials Online. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Accrington Web Hyndburn's local community forum
- Civic Arts Centre Listings for what's on at the Civic Arts Centre
