Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Council logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Lynne Ridsdale since 1 March 2023[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 51 councillors[3] |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel |
| Elections | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
.jpg) | |
| Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0SW | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, also known as Bury Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011. It is based at Bury Town Hall.
History
[edit]The town of Bury had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1846. They were replaced in 1876 when the town was incorporated as a municipal borough, after which it was governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Bury', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.[4] When elected county councils were established in 1889, Bury was considered large enough for its existing council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.[5]
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Bury and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's six outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Bury, Prestwich and Radcliffe, and the urban district councils of Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield. The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.[6]
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Bury's series of mayors dating back to 1876.[7] The council styles itself Bury Council rather than its full formal name of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council.[8]
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Bury, with some services provided through joint committees.[9]
Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Bury Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[10][11]
Governance
[edit]Bury Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Bury Council sits on the combined authority as Bury's representative.[12] There are no civil parishes in the borough; the whole area is unparished.[13]
Political control
[edit]The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[14][15]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1975 | |
| Conservative | 1975–1986 | |
| Labour | 1986–1992 | |
| No overall control | 1992–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–2006 | |
| No overall control | 2006–2008 | |
| Conservative | 2008–2010 | |
| No overall control | 2010–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–present | |
Leadership
[edit]The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Bury. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1986 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Little[16][17] | Conservative | Apr 1974 | May 1986 | |
| Laurie Bullas[18][19] | Labour | May 1986 | May 1988 | |
| Colin Jones[19][20] | Labour | May 1988 | May 1993 | |
| John Byrne[21][22] | Labour | May 1993 | May 1997 | |
| Derek Boden[22][23] | Labour | May 1997 | 2001 | |
| John Byrne[24][25] | Labour | 2001 | 18 May 2005 | |
| Wayne Campbell[25][26] | Labour | 18 May 2005 | 16 May 2007 | |
| Bob Bibby[26][27][28] | Conservative | 16 May 2007 | 18 May 2011 | |
| Mike Connolly[29][30] | Labour | 18 May 2011 | 18 May 2016 | |
| Rishi Shori[31][32] | Labour | 18 May 2016 | 10 Jul 2019 | |
| David Jones[33][34] | Labour | 10 Jul 2019 | 20 May 2020 | |
| Eamonn O'Brien[35] | Labour | 20 May 2020 | ||
Composition
[edit]Following the 2024 election,[36] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was:[37]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 32 | |
| Radcliffe First | 8 | |
| Conservative | 6 | |
| Independent | 5 | |
| Total | 51 | |
The next election is due in May 2026.[37]
Elections
[edit]Since the last boundary changes in 2022, 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.[38]
Wards and councillors
[edit]Each ward is represented by three councillors.[39]
1 Ramsbottom
2 North Manor
3 Tottington
4 Elton
5 Moorside
6 Bury West
7 Bury East
8 Redvales
9 Radcliffe North & Ainsworth
10 Radcliffe East
11 Radcliffe West
12 Unsworth
13 Pilkington Park
14 Besses
15 St. Mary's
16 Holyrood
17 Sedgley
| Parliamentary constituency | Ward | Councillor | Party | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bury North constituency | Bury East | Ayesha Arif | Labour | 2022-26 | |
| Ummrana Farooq | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Gavin McGill | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Bury West | Shahbaz Arif | Conservative | 2023-27 | ||
| Jackie Harris | Conservative | 2022-26 | |||
| Dene Vernon | Conservative | 2024-28 | |||
| Elton | Martin Hayes | Labour | 2024-28 | ||
| Charlotte Morris | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Jack Rydeheard | Conservative | 2022-26 | |||
| Moorside | Ciaron Boles | Labour | 2024-28 | ||
| Babar Ibrahim | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Sandra Walmsley | Labour | 2022-26 | |||
| North Manor | Roger Brown | Conservative | 2022-26 | ||
| Khalid Hussain (Mayor) | Conservative | 2023-27 | |||
| John Southworth | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Radcliffe North and Ainsworth | Donald Berry | Radcliffe First | 2022-26 | ||
| Andrea Booth | Radcliffe First | 2024-28 | |||
| Jo Lancaster (Conservative Group Deputy Leader) | Conservative | 2023-27 | |||
| Ramsbottom | Clare Cummins | Labour | 2022-26 | ||
| Tom Pilkington | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Gareth Staples-Jones | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Redvales | Nikki Frith | Labour | 2022-26 | ||
| Shaheena Haroon | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Tamoor Tariq (Labour Group Deputy Leader) | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Tottington | Iain Gartside | Conservative | 2023-27 | ||
| Luis McBriar | Conservative | 2024-28 | |||
| Yvonne Wright | Independent | 2022-26 | |||
| Bury South constituency | Besses | Noel Bayley | Labour | 2022-26 | |
| Miriam Rahimov | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Lucy Smith | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Holyrood | Elliot Moss | Labour | 2022-26 | ||
| Imran Rizvi | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Lynn Ryder | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Pilkington Park | Russell Bernstein (Conservative Group Leader) | Conservative | 2022-26 | ||
| Elizabeth Fitzgerald | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Michael Rubinstein | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Radcliffe East | Carol Birchmore | Radcliffe First | 2022-26 | ||
| Ken Simpson | Radcliffe First | 2024-28 | |||
| Mary Walsh | Radcliffe First | 2023-27 | |||
| Radcliffe West | Des Duncalfe | Radcliffe First | 2024-28 | ||
| Glyn Marsden | Radcliffe First | 2022-26 | |||
| Mike Smith (Radcliffe First Group Leader) | Radcliffe First | 2023-27 | |||
| Sedgley | Richard Gold | Labour | 2022-26 | ||
| Alan Quinn | Labour | 2024-28 | |||
| Debbie Quinn | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| St. Mary's | Debra Green | Labour | 2024-28 | ||
| Eamonn O'Brien (Labour Leader and Leader of the Council) | Labour | 2022-26 | |||
| Sean Thorpe | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
| Unsworth | Nathan Boroda | Labour | 2024-28 | ||
| Joan Grimshaw | Labour | 2022-26 | |||
| Tahir Rafiq | Labour | 2023-27 | |||
Premises
[edit]The council is based at the Town Hall on Knowsley Street in Bury. The building was officially opened in 1954 for the old Bury Borough Council; construction had begun fifteen years earlier but had been interrupted by the Second World War.[40] In 2023 the council announced plans to refurbish the building, allowing the council to consolidate its other offices into the Town Hall, notably from Knowsley Place opposite.[41]
References
[edit]- ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2025" (PDF). Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Mutch, James (2 March 2023). "Bury Council chief executive using first 100 days to form priorities". Bury Times. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Councillor information - Bury Council".
- ^ "Records of Bury Improvement Commissioners/Bury County Borough". Bury Archives Catalogue. Metropolitan Borough of Bury. Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Bury Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch. 1), retrieved 30 May 2024
- ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Find your local council". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
- ^ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2011/908, retrieved 30 May 2024
- ^ "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "GMCA Members". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Bury" in search box to see specific results.)
- ^ "Bury". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ Jackson, Norman (29 October 1973). "Men of the future". Manchester Evening News. p. 10. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Tory chief loses seat". Manchester Evening News. 9 May 1986. p. 36. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Carry on, Madam Mayor!". Rossendale Free Press. Rochdale. 24 May 1986. p. 34. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ a b Spencer, Peter (9 May 1988). "Laurie quits as leader". Manchester Evening News. p. 4. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Leader to quit". Rossendale Free Press. Rochdale. 9 April 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Industry aid lifeline threat". Rossendale Free Press. Rochdale. 28 May 1993. p. 2. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ a b Tansey, Louise (13 May 1997). "Derek takes over leading council role". Bolton News. p. 5. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Britton, Paul (11 April 2016). "Tributes after death of respected former Bury councillor Derek Boden". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "New Chief Executive appointed at Bury MBC". Local Government Chronicle. 29 June 2001. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 18 May 2005". Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Council minutes, 16 May 2007" (PDF). Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Doherty, Peter (17 May 2007). "The Tories take the reins". Bury Times. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Outgoing Bury council leader resigns as Tory boss". BBC News. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2011". Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Maidment, Adam (26 October 2021). "Tributes as former Bury mayor and council leader Mike Connolly dies". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2016". Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Keeling, Neal (3 July 2019). "Bury council leader to step down - and work for Birmingham City Council". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Council minutes, 10 July 2019". Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Timan, Joseph; Vesty, Helena (13 May 2020). "Bury council leader to step down after less than a year in charge". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2020" (PDF). Bury Council. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Bury". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ "The Bury (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/131, retrieved 30 May 2024
- ^ "Your Councillors". bury.gov.uk. Bury MBC. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Frain, Sean (2013). The Bury Book of Days. History Press. ISBN 9780752489629. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Mutch, James (13 April 2023). "Plans to refurb Bury Town Hall to 'develop single service hub'". Bury Times. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
