| Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council | |
| Logo Pic: | Knowsley Council.svg |
| Logo Res: | 150px |
| Coa Pic: | Coat of arms of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.png |
| Coa Res: | 150px |
| Coa Alt: | Arms of Knowsley Council |
| House Type: | Metropolitan borough council |
| Leader1 Type: | Mayor |
| Leader1: | Ken McGlashan |
| Party1: | Labour |
| Election1: | 17 May 2024[1] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Graham Morgan |
| Party2: | Labour |
| Election2: | 18 May 2018 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Mike Harden |
| Election3: | 30 October 2014 |
| Seats: | 45 councillors[2] |
| Structure1: | KMBC-chamber-2023.png |
| Structure1 Res: | 280 |
| Structure1 Alt: | Knowsley Council composition |
| Political Groups1: |
|
| Joint Committees: | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
| Last Election1: | 2 May 2024 |
| Next Election1: | 7 May 2026 |
| Session Room: | Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council building, Huyton.jpg |
| Session Res: | 220 |
| Meeting Place: | Municipal Buildings, Archway Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L369UX |
Knowsley Council, or Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, 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 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority since 2014.
The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974. It is based at the Municipal Buildings in Huyton.
The metropolitan borough of Knowsley and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of three former districts and parts of another two, all of which were abolished at the same time:
The area was transferred from Lancashire to become one of the five districts in the new metropolitan county of Merseyside. The first election to the new council was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities. 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.[3]
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[4] The council styles itself Knowsley Council rather than its full formal name of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.[5]
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by Merseyside County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Merseyside's five borough councils, including Knowsley, with some services provided through joint committees.[6]
Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across the region, but Knowsley Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[7] [8]
Knowsley Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; the leader of Knowsley Council sits on the combined authority as Knowsley's representative.[9] Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas.[10]
The council has been under Labour majority control since its creation in 1974.[11] [12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–present | ||
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Knowsley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The first leader, David Tempest, was formerly leader of Kirkby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessors.[13] The leaders of Knowsley since 1974 have been:[14]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Tempest[15] | Apr 1974 | May 1975 | ||
| Peter Longworth[16] | May 1975 | May 1978 | ||
| Jim Lloyd | May 1978 | May 1987 | ||
| Jim Keight[17] | May 1987 | 4 May 2003 | ||
| Ron Round | 21 May 2003 | 22 May 2015 | ||
| Andy Moorhead | 22 May 2015 | May 2018 | ||
| Graham Morgan | 18 May 2018 | |||
Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[18]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 3 | |||
| Total | 45 | ||
The next election is due in May 2026.
Since the last boundary changes in 2016, the council has comprised 45 councillors representing 15 wards, each 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.[19]
The council's main offices and meeting place are at the Municipal Buildings in Archway Road in Huyton.[20] The building was completed in 1963 as the headquarters of Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council, one of Knowsley's predecessor authorities.[21] [22] [23] [24]