| Borough of Fylde | |
| Type: | Borough and non-metropolitan district |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Coat of Arms |
| Subdivision Type: | Sovereign state |
| Subdivision Name: | United Kingdom |
| Subdivision Type1: | Constituent country |
| Subdivision Name1: | England |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | North West England |
| Subdivision Type3: | Ceremonial county |
| Subdivision Name3: | Lancashire |
| Seat Type: | Admin. HQ |
| Seat: | Lytham St Annes |
| Government Type: | Fylde Borough Council |
| Leader Title2: | MPs |
| Leader Name2: | Mark Menzies |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1 April 1974 |
| Area Rank: | |
| Population Rank: | |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Greenwich Mean Time |
| Utc Offset: | +0 |
| Timezone Dst: | British Summer Time |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +1 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Blank Name: | ISO 3166-2 |
| Blank1 Name: | ONS code |
| Blank1 Info: | 30UF (ONS) E07000119 (GSS) |
| Blank2 Name: | OS grid reference |
| Blank3 Name: | NUTS 3 |
| Demographics Type1: | Ethnicity (2021) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Ethnic groups |
| Demographics Type2: | Religion (2021) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Religion |
The Borough of Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes. The borough also contains the towns of Kirkham, Lytham and Wesham and surrounding villages and rural areas.
The neighbouring districts are Blackpool, Wyre, Preston, South Ribble and West Lancashire.
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]
The district was named Fylde after the coastal plan.[2] It was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[3]
The coat of arms of the borough bear the motto of the former Fylde Rural District Council, "Gaudeat Ager" from Psalm 96: 'Let the field (Fylde) be joyful' - "Let Fylde Prosper". The armorial bearings comprise a complete Achievement of Arms, that is - shield, crest and helm and mantling, supporters, badge and motto. They reflect the union of the three local authorities in the area: Lytham St Annes Borough Council, Kirkham Urban District Council and Fylde Rural District Council.[4]
| Fylde Council | |
| Logo Pic: | Fylde Council logo.svg |
| Logo Res: | 220px |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Foundation: | 1 April 1974 |
| Leader1 Type: | Mayor |
| Leader1: | Karen Henshaw |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrat |
| Election1: | 8 May 2024[5] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Karen Buckley |
| Party2: | Conservative |
| Election2: | 20 July 2020 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Allan Oldfield |
| Election3: | January 2012[6] |
| Seats: | 37 councillors |
| Structure1 Res: | 250px |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Voting System1: | First past the post |
| Last Election1: | 4 May 2023 |
| Next Election1: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | St Anne's Town Hall, Lancashire - geograph.org.uk - 1610641.jpg |
| Meeting Place: | Town Hall, South Promenade, Lytham St Annes, FY81LW |
Fylde Borough Council, which styles itself "Fylde Council", provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Most of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]
The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2003.
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:[8] [9]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1991 | ||
| 1991–2003 | ||
| 2003–present | ||
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Fylde. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:[10]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Eaves[11] | 2010 | Oct 2014 | ||
| Sue Fazackerley[12] | 1 Dec 2014 | Apr 2020 | ||
| Karen Buckley | 20 Jul 2020 | |||
Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[13]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | |||
| 14 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 2 | |||
| Total | 37 | ||
Of the independent councillors, eleven sit together as a group, the other three are not aligned to any group.[14] The next election is due in 2027.
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 37 councillors, representing 17 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[15]
The council is based at Lytham St Annes Town Hall on South Promenade in St Annes. The building was originally a hotel called Southdown Hydro, but was bought in 1925 to serve as a town hall following the merger of the districts of St Annes and Lytham in 1922 to become Lytham St Annes.[16]
Some council departments, including the planning department and an office of the Registrar, were previously located at the former Fylde Rural District Council offices on Derby Road in Wesham, but in 2007 the council vacated this office. It was then used by the NHS North Lancashire Primary Care Trust until around 2013. The building has since been demolished and replaced by a new housing development.[17]
There are 15 civil parishes in Fylde. The parish councils of Kirkham, Medlar-with-Wesham and St Annes-on-the-Sea have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".[18]
Lytham is unparished.