Allerdale
Allerdale is a non-metropolitan district of Cumbria, England, with borough status. Its council is based in Workington and the borough has a population of 93,492 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 96,422 at the 2011 Census. The Borough of Allerdale was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the municipal borough of Workington, the urban districts of Maryport, Cockermouth and Keswick; and the rural districts of Cockermouth and Wigton, all of which were within the administrative county of Cumberland. In 1995 Allerdale was granted borough status. The name derives  from the ancient region of Allerdale, represented latterly by the two wards of Cumberland, called Allerdale-above-Derwent and Allerdale-below-Derwent, the present borough corresponding largely to the latter with parts of the former. Much of the area during the medieval period was a royal forest subject to forest law. In July 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that in April 2023, Cumbria will be reorganised into two unitary authorities. Allerdale Borough Council is to be abolished and its functions transferred to a new authority, to be known as Cumberland, which will cover the current  districts of Allerdale, Carlisle, and Copeland. Settlements. Workington is the largest settlement in the borough, and is the seat of the borough council. Allerdale House in Workington is the meeting place and primary office space used by the council. The building is known locally as "Perry's Palace" after former council leader Tony Perry, who was responsible for its construction. Other settlements in the borough include: Abbeytown, Allonby, Aspatria, Bolton Low Houses, Bothel, Brigham, Broughton, Great Clifton, Cockermouth, Crosby, Dean, Dearham, Fletchertown, Flimby, Ireby, Keswick, Kirkbride, Maryport, Mawbray, Plumbland, Seaton, Silloth, Tallentire, Thursby, Waverton, Westnewton, and Wigton. Freedom of the  Borough. The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Allerdale. Politics. Elections to the borough council are held every four years with 49 councillors being elected from 23 wards. No party has had a majority on the council since Labour lost their majority at the 2003 election. As of the 2019 election, the council is jointly administered by the Conservative Party and independents. The current leader is Marion Fitzgerald, an Independent, and the deputy leader is Mike Johnson of the Conservative Party, who replaced Mark Jenkinson, when Jenkinson became the Member of Parliament (MP ) for Workington. Derwent 7 parishes. The Derwent 7 Community Led Planning Group was set up in 2007 by the town and parish councils of Above Derwent, Bassenthwaite, Borrowdale, Keswick, St John's, Castlerigg and Wythburn, Threlkeld and Underskiddaw, with funding from Alerdale Borough Council, and was still in existence in 2017. It had four subgroups including one on transport, and a co-ordinating "Cluster group". The term "Derwent Seven Parishes" is used in defining the collecting scope of Keswick Museum, as Keswick is at the heart of the area covered by these parishes. A map illustrating the area of the  parishes is included in an appendix to a document produced by Sustainable Keswick.