# Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, also known as Calderdale Council, is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. Since 2014 the council has been a constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019. It is based at Halifax Town Hall.

## History

The metropolitan district of Calderdale was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the area of eight former districts and part of a ninth, which were all abolished at the same time:
* Brighouse Municipal Borough
* Elland Urban District
* Halifax County Borough
* Hebden Royd Urban District
* Hepton Rural District
* Queensbury and Shelf Urban District (Shelf part only, Queensbury went to Bradford)
* Ripponden Urban District
* Sowerby Bridge Urban District
* Todmorden Municipal Borough
The county borough of Halifax had provided all local government services in its area. The other eight districts had been lower-tier authorities with West Riding County Council providing county-level services. The new Calderdale district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.
Calderdale was initially a district-level authority, with West Yorkshire County Council providing county-level services. However, the metropolitan county councils, including West Yorkshire County Council, were abolished in 1986 under the Local Government Act 1985. Since 1986 Calderdale Council has therefore been responsible for most local government functions.
The council has been a constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority since 2014, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire since 2021.

## Governance
### Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. County-level services were provided by West Yorkshire County Council until its abolition in 1986, when Calderdale became a unitary authority. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1974–1975 |
| Conservative | 1975–1980 |
| No overall control | 1980–1990 |
| Labour | 1990–1992 |
| No overall control | 1992–1995 |
| Labour | 1995–1999 |
| No overall control | 1999–2000 |
| Conservative | 2000–2002 |
| No overall control | 2002–2019 |
| Labour | 2019–present |

### Leadership

The role of Mayor of Calderdale is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1999 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Pamela Warhurst | Labour | May 1995 | 19 May 1999 |
| Michael Higgins | Labour | 19 May 1999 | 7 May 2000 |
| John Ford | Conservative | 17 May 2000 | 17 May 2006 |
| Ann McAllister | Conservative | 17 May 2006 | 2008 |
| Stephen Baines | Conservative | 1 Oct 2008 | 24 May 2010 |
| Janet Battye | Liberal Democrats | 24 May 2010 | 23 May 2012 |
| Tim Swift | Labour | 23 May 2012 | 30 Jul 2014 |
| Stephen Baines | Conservative | 30 Jul 2014 | 27 May 2015 |
| Tim Swift | Labour | 27 May 2015 | 17 May 2023 |
| Jane Scullion | Labour | 17 May 2023 | |

### Composition

Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council is:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Labour | 29 |
| | Conservative | 11 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 |
| | Green | 3 |
| | Workers Party | 1 |
| | Independent | 1 |
| Total | Total | 51 |
The next election is due in 2026.

## Premises

The council is based at Halifax Town Hall, which had been built for one of the council's predecessors, the Halifax Borough Council, in 1863.

## Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2004 the council has comprised 51 councillors representing 17 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.

### Wards

| Calder Valley | Halifax |
| 1. Todmorden 2. Calder 3. Luddendenfoot 4. Ryburn 8. Greetland and Stainland 14. Elland 15. Hipperholme and Lightcliffe 16. Brighouse 17. Rastrick | 5. Illingworth and Mixenden 6. Warley 7. Sowerby Bridge 9. Ovenden 10. Park 11. Skircoat 12. Northowram and Shelf 13. Town |

## Mayor

The mayors since 1974 have been:
| Name | Years |
| Ann Kingstone | 2024– |
| Ashley Evans | 2023–2024 |
| Angie Gallagher | 2022–2023 |
| Chris Pillai | 2021–2022 |
| Dot Foster | 2019–2021 |
| Marcus Thompson | 2018–2019 |
| Ferman Ali | 2017–2018 |
| Howard Blagbrough | 2016–2017 |
| Lisa Lambert | 2015–2016 |
| Pat Allen | 2014–2015 |
| Ann Martin | 2013–2014 |
| John Hardy | 2012–2013 |
| Nader Fekri | 2011–2012 |
| Keith Watson | 2010–2011 |
| Ann McAllister | 2010 |
| Arshad Mahmood | 2009–2010 |
| Conrad Winterburn | 2008–2009 |
| Martin Peel | 2007–2008 |
| Colin Stout | 2006–2007 |
| John Williamson | 2005–2006 |
| Olwen Jennings | 2004–2005 |
| Geraldine Carter | 2003–2004 |
| Patrick Phillips | 2002–2003 |
| Chris O'Connor | 2001–2002 |
| Peter Coles | 2000–2001 |
| Graham Hall | 1999–2000 |
| Alan Worth | 1998–1999 |
| Alan Worth | 1997–1998 |
| Susan Tucker | 1997 |
| Dawn Neal | 1996–1997 |
| Graham Reason | 1995–1996 |
| Stephen Pearson | 1994–1995 |
| Tony Mazey | 1993–1994 |
| Bill Carpenter | 1992–1993 |
| Tom McElroy | 1991–1992 |
| Joe Tolan | 1990–1991 |
| Joe Kneafsey | 1989–1990 |
| Albert Berry | 1988–1989 |
| Wilfred Sharp | 1987–1988 |
| David Fox | 1986–1987 |
| Tom Lawler | 1985–1986 |
| John Bradley | 1984–1985 |
| Kevin Lord | 1983–1984 |
| David Shutt | 1982–1983 |
| Eric Whitehead | 1981–1982 |
| Harry Wilson | 1980–1981 |
| Betty Wildsmith | 1979–1980 |
| Richard Deadman | 1978–1979 |
| Eric Dennett | 1977–1978 |
| Mona Mitchell | 1976–1977 |
| Kathleen Cawdry | 1975–1976 |
| Joe Tolan | 1974–1975 |