# Vale Royal

Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.

## History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 covering the area of three former districts and part of a fourth, which were abolished at the same time:
* Northwich Rural District
* Northwich Urban District
* Runcorn Rural District (part)
* Winsford Urban District
The district took its name from Vale Royal Abbey, formerly one of the largest in England, which was situated near the village of Whitegate near the centre of the district. The name was suggested in 1972 by a joint committee of the previous district councils, on the basis of the historic use of the name for the general area of the new district. The district was granted borough status on 5 May 1988, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.
In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England. 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.
Vale Royal was abolished on 31 March 2009, with the area becoming part of the new unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester from 1 April 2009.

## Civil parishes

The district comprised the following civil parishes:
* Acton Bridge
* Allostock
* Alvanley
* Anderton with Marbury
* Antrobus
* Aston
* Barnton
* Bostock
* Byley
* Comberbach
* Crowton
* Cuddington
* Darnhall
* Davenham
* Delamere
* Dutton
* Frodsham
* Great Budworth
* Hartford
* Helsby
* Kingsley
* Lach Dennis
* Little Budworth
* Little Leigh
* Lostock Gralam
* Lower Peover
* Manley
* Marston
* Moulton
* Norley
* Northwich
* Oakmere
* Rudheath
* Rushton
* Sproston
* Stanthorne
* Sutton
* Tarporley
* Utkinton
* Weaverham
* Whitegate and Marton
* Whitley
* Wimboldsley
* Wincham
* Winsford

## Political control

The first elections to the council 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:
| Party in control | Years |
| No overall control | 1974–1991 |
| Labour | 1991–2003 |
| No overall control | 2003–2007 |
| Conservative | 2007–2008 |
| No overall control | 2008–2009 |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council from 1988 were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Marie Birkenhead | Conservative | | 5 May 1988 |
| Arthur Neil | Labour | align=right|5 May 1988 | 11 May 1989 |
| David Broster | Conservative | align=right|11 May 1989 | 10 May 1990 |
| Bernard Burton | Conservative | align=right|10 May 1990 | 1991 |
| Arthur Neil | Labour | 1991 | Apr 2000 |
| Bob Mather | Labour | Apr 2000 | May 2003 |
| Keith Musgrave | Conservative | May 2003 | May 2007 |
| Les Ford | Conservative | May 2007 | 31 Mar 2009 |

### Composition

The political composition of the council at its abolition in 2009 was:
| Party | Councillors |
| Conservative | 26 |
| Labour | 17 |
| Liberal Democrat | 11 |
| Weaverham Independents | 3 |

## Premises

Until 1990 the council operated from the various offices it had inherited from its predecessors, being Whitehall in Hartford (from Northwich Rural District Council), the Council House in Northwich (from Northwich Urban District Council), Castle Park House in Frodsham (from Runcorn Rural District Council), and Over Hall in Winsford (from Winsford Urban District Council). In 1990 the council consolidated its offices into a new purpose-built headquarters called Wyvern House on The Drumber in Winsford. Wyvern House was formally opened by Princess Margaret on 19 July 1991. Since the council's abolition in 2009, Wyvern House has been used as one of the offices of its successor, Cheshire West and Chester Council.

## Council elections

* 1973 Vale Royal District Council election
* 1976 Vale Royal District Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 1979 Vale Royal District Council election
* 1983 Vale Royal District Council election (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1987 Vale Royal District Council election
* 1991 Vale Royal Borough Council election (Borough boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)
* 1995 Vale Royal Borough Council election
* 1999 Vale Royal Borough Council election (New ward boundaries)
* 2003 Vale Royal Borough Council election
* 2007 Vale Royal Borough Council election

### Results maps

* 2003 results map
* 2007 results map

### By-election results

Castle By-Election 25 July 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | | 535 | 61.9 |
| | Conservative | | 201 | 23.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 128 | 14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 334 | 38.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 864 | 18.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Vale Royal By-Election 24 October 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | | 637 | 61.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 218 | 21.2 |
| | Conservative | | 174 | 16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 419 | 40.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,029 | 21.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Davenham and Moulton By-Election 10 April 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 695 | 42.3 |
| | Labour | | 486 | 29.6 |
| | Conservative | | 461 | 28.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 209 | 12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,642 | 33.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | |
Tarporley By-Election 10 April 1997 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | | 372 | 58.3 |
| | Labour | | 138 | 21.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 128 | 20.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 234 | 36.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 638 | 30.7 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Northwich Witton By-Election 7 June 2001 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | | 1,413 | 60.5 |
| | Conservative | | 456 | 19.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 320 | 13.7 |
| | Independent | | 146 | 6.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 957 | 41.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,335 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
Kingsley By-Election 25 September 2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 364 | 53.2 | +14.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 187 | 27.3 | −29.3 |
| | Labour | | 133 | 19.4 | +14.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 177 | 25.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 684 | 40.7 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Frodsham South By-Election 4 March 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 263 | 47.9 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 166 | 30.2 | −1.5 |
| | Labour | | 120 | 21.9 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 97 | 17.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 549 | 31.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Lostock and Wincham By-Election 26 August 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 414 | 46.1 | +21.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 274 | 30.5 | −17.8 |
| | Labour | | 185 | 20.6 | −6.3 |
| | Independent | | 26 | 2.9 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 140 | 15.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 899 | 26.9 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Winsford Swanlow By-Election 20 January 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brandon Parkey | 326 | 48.9 | −20.3 |
| | Conservative | | 183 | 27.5 | +13.4 |
| | Labour | | 157 | 23.6 | +6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 143 | 21.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 666 | 19.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Winsford Verdin By-Election 20 January 2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Gannon | 336 | 56.4 | +18.7 |
| | Labour | | 188 | 31.5 | −8.6 |
| | Conservative | | 72 | 12.1 | −12.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 148 | 24.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 596 | 12.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | | |
Leftwich and Kingsmead By-Election 9 February 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Helen Burder | 334 | 36.2 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glyn Roberts | 296 | 32.1 | +2.5 |
| | Conservative | Kathryn Birtwistle | 293 | 31.7 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 4.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 923 | 16.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
Leftwich and Kingsmead By-Election 1 May 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Helen Weltman | 855 | 54.8 | +24.5 |
| | Labour | Paul Dolan | 383 | 24.5 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glyn Roberts | 323 | 20.7 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 472 | 30.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,561 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |