Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme explained

The Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme is a local government district with borough status in Staffordshire, England.

It is named after the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, where the council is based. The borough also includes the town of Kidsgrove and several villages and surrounding rural areas lying generally to the west of Newcastle itself. Most of the borough's built-up areas form part of The Potteries Urban Area.

The neighbouring districts are Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Shropshire and Cheshire East.

History

The town of Newcastle-under-Lyme was an ancient borough, established in the 12th century. It is known to have been granted a charter (since lost) around 1173 by Henry II.[1] [2] The earliest surviving charter dates from 1235. The borough was formally incorporated in 1590 under a new charter from Elizabeth I.[3]

The borough was reformed in 1836 to become a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which reformed many boroughs across the country. The municipal borough was enlarged several times, notably in 1932 when it took in what had been the Wolstanton United Urban District, covering the parishes of Chesterton, Silverdale and Wolstanton, and at the same time also absorbed the parish of Clayton from Newcastle-under-Lyme Rural District.[4]

The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 covering three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[5]

The new district was named Newcastle-under-Lyme after its largest town.[6] The district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Newcastle's series of mayors dating back to 1318.[7] [8]

Governance

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Logo Pic:Newcaslte-under-Lyme Borough Council logo.svg
Logo Res:180px
House Type:Non-metropolitan district
Leader1:Barry Panter
Election1:15 May 2024[9]
Leader2:Simon Tagg
Election2:5 December 2017
Leader3:Gordon Mole
Election3:8 July 2024[10]
Members:44 councillors
Structure1:Newcastle-under-Lyme_Borough_Council_2022.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Political Groups1:
Administration (25)
  • Other parties (19)
  • Next Election1:7 May 2026
    Session Room:Castle House, Newcastle-under-Lyme (5) (geograph 5688535).jpg
    Session Res:250px
    Meeting Place:Castle House, Barracks Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST51BL

    Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Staffordshire County Council. Parts of the borough are also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[11] [12]

    Political control

    The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2021.

    The first elections to the enlarged borough council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[13] [14]

    Party in control Years
    1974–1979
    1979–2002
    2002–2004
    2004–2006
    2006–2012
    2012–2017
    2017–2021
    2021–present

    Leadership

    The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Newcastle-under-Lyme, with political leadership provided instead by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:[15]

    Councillor Party From To
    Reg Lane[16] 1 Apr 1974 18 May 1976
    George Poole[17] 18 May 1976 1978
    Brian Westrup 1978 1979
    Bill Welsby[18] 1979 1984
    Mike Brereton[19] 1984 9 May 1994
    Eddie Boden[20] 18 May 1994 4 May 2003
    David Leech 21 May 2003 24 May 2006
    Simon Tagg 24 May 2006 18 May 2011
    Stephen Sweeney 18 May 2011 16 May 2012
    16 May 2012 25 May 2014
    Mike Stubbs 4 Jun 2014 20 May 2015
    Elizabeth Shenton 20 May 2015 5 Dec 2017
    Simon Tagg 5 Dec 2017

    Composition

    Following the 2022 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in November 2023, the composition of the council was:[21]

    PartyCouncillors
    25
    18
    1
    Total 44

    The next election is due in 2026.

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2018 the council has comprised 44 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. The wards are:[22] [23]

    Premises

    The council is based at Castle House on Barracks Road in the centre of Newcastle. The building was purpose-built for the council as a shared facility with Staffordshire County Council and the police, and opened in 2018.[24] Prior to that the council was based at the Civic Offices on Merrial Street which had been completed in 1967 for the old borough council.[25]

    Demography

    Comparative census information
    Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme England
    Total population122,03049,138,831
    White98%91%
    Asian0.6%4.6%
    Black0.2%2.3%
    Christian78.5%72%
    Muslim0.5%3.1%
    Hindu0.2%1.1%
    No religion13.1%15%
    Bachelor's degree or higher20%20% -->
    Unemployed2%3.3%
    In the 2001 census, the borough was recorded as having a population of 122,030 with 51.5% being female. In terms of religious affiliation, 78.5% identified themselves as Christian, 13.1% having no religion, 0.5% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu or other and 0.1% stating Jewish or Sikh.[26] In terms of economic occupation, 61.2% were classed as economically active, with 22.6% working in manufacturing, 18.5% in wholesale or retail, 11.6% in health/social work, and 11.6% in financial and other business related activities.[27]

    Education

    Newcastle-under-Lyme was chosen for the campus of University College of North Staffordshire, established in 1949 at Keele Hall in the village of Keele, two miles from the town centre, and which was granted full university status as Keele University in 1962. Keele University Medical School is based in the grounds of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire at Hartshill in Stoke-on-Trent, about a mile from the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

    Media

    In terms of television, the area is served by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central broadcasting from Birmingham. Television signals are received the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter [28] and the Fenton relay transmitter. [29] However, Kidsgrove is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada, broadcast from Salford. Television signals in the town are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.[30]

    Radio stations for the area are BBC Radio Stoke, Signal 1, Greatest Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire, 6 Towns Radio and HitMix Radio, a community based station that broadcast from Newcastle-under-Lyme.

    The Sentinel is the local newspaper that covers the area.[31]

    Towns and parishes

    An area roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 municipal borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme (less the parish of Silverdale, created in 2002) is an unparished area; over half the borough's population live in this area.[32] The rest of the borough is divided into eleven civil parishes.[12] The parish council for Kidsgrove has declared that parish to be a town, allowing it to take the style "town council".[33]

    The parishes are:

    Freedom of the Borough

    The following people, military units and organisations and groups have received the Freedom of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

    Individuals

    Military units

    Organisations and Groups

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Jenkins . J. G. . A History of the County of Stafford: Volume 8 . 1963 . Victoria County History . London . 24–39 . 28 December 2023.
    2. Web site: History of Newcastle . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 20 January 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090321182014/http://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/leisure_content.asp?id=-A78083C8&cat=1263 . 21 March 2009 . dmy-all.
    3. Book: Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 3 . 1835 . 1951 . 28 December 2023.
    4. Web site: Newcastle under Lyme Chapelry / Civil Parish . A Vision of Britain through Time . GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth . 28 December 2023.
    5. si. The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 17 November 2023.
    6. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 31 May 2023.
    7. Web site: District Councils and Boroughs . . 4 December 2021 . 28 March 1974.
    8. Web site: The history and role of the mayor . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 28 December 2023.
    9. Web site: Council minutes, 15 May 2024 . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 21 July 2024.
    10. Web site: Top officer starts work . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 21 July 2024 . 8 July 2024.
    11. act. Local Government Act 1972. 1972. 70. 31 May 2023.
    12. Web site: Election Maps . Ordnance Survey . 27 December 2023.
    13. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 9 September 2022.
    14. News: Newcastle-Under-Lyme . 2009-09-16 . . 2008-04-19.
    15. Web site: Council minutes . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 15 September 2022.
    16. News: Set for new role at Newcastle . 29 December 2023 . Evening Sentinel . 4 March 1974 . Stoke-on-Trent . 16.
    17. News: Council houses for sale soon? . 29 December 2023 . Evening Sentinel . 19 May 1976 . Stoke-on-Trent . 1.
    18. News: Tribute to work of late leader . 29 December 2023 . Evening Sentinel . 4 October 1984 . Stoke-on-Trent . 7.
    19. News: Council leader in shock defeat . 15 September 2022 . Evening Sentinel . Stoke-on-Trent . 6 May 1994 . 17.
    20. News: New leader comes in fighting... . 15 September 2022 . Evening Sentinel . Stoke-on-Trent . 11 May 1994 . 4.
    21. News: Boothroyd . David . Scottish Labour steels seat . 28 December 2023 . Local Councils . Thorncliffe . 17 November 2023.
    22. si. The Newcastle-under-Lyme (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. 2017. 1079. 28 December 2023.
    23. Web site: E07 Non-metropolitan District: Newcastle-under-Lyme: Related: E05 Electoral Wards/Divisions in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Office for National Statistics. 29 March 2021.
    24. News: Corrigan . Phil . Take a look around new £15.4m council HQ and library which has finally opened after a 9-month delay . 28 December 2023 . Stoke-on-Trent Live . 23 July 2018.
    25. News: £500,000 centre a milestone for Newcastle . 28 December 2023 . Evening Sentinel . 20 September 1967 . Stoke-on-Trent . 7.
    26. Web site: Newcastle-under-Lyme Social Profile . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 2007-01-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201903/http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8541174C-7ECB-4763-9BDE-A9819AE6E865/22519/nbcSocial1.pdf . 2007-09-27 .
    27. Web site: Newcastle-under-Lyme Economic Profile . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 2007-01-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201401/http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8541174C-7ECB-4763-9BDE-A9819AE6E865/22530/nbcEconomic1.pdf . 2007-09-27 .
    28. Web site: Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter. 1 May 2004. UK Free TV. 17 April 2024.
    29. Web site: Full Freeview on the Fenton (Stoke-on-Trent, England) transmitter. 1 May 2004. UK Free TV. 17 April 2024.
    30. Web site: Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter . May 2004 . UK Free TV . 17 April 2024.
    31. Web site: The Sentinel. 22 September 2013. British Papers. 17 April 2024.
    32. Web site: Newcastle-under-Lyme . City Population . 28 December 2023.
    33. Web site: Parish councils contact information . Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council . 28 December 2023.
    34. News: Gordon Banks given freedom of Newcastle-under-Lyme award. BBC News. 20 July 2020.
    35. Web site: Former Stoke City kit man given Freedom of the Borough. Signal1. 27 November 2015. 22 November 2020.
    36. Web site: Royal Stoke awarded Freedom of the Borough for 'selfless work' during pandemic . 22 May 2021 .