Borough of Hyndburn | |
|---|---|
 Accrington, the largest town and administrative centre of Hyndburn | |
 Coat of Arms | |
 Shown withinLancashire and England | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | North West England |
| Ceremonial county | Lancashire |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Admin. HQ | Accrington |
| Government | |
| • Type | Hyndburn Borough Council |
| • MPs: | Sarah Smith |
| Area | |
• Total | 28 sq mi (73 km2) |
| • Rank | 226th |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 86,058 |
| • Rank | Ranked 274th |
| • Density | 3,100/sq mi (1,200/km2) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (British Summer Time) |
| Postcode | BB1, BB5, BB6 |
| Area code | 01254 |
| ONS code | 30UG (ONS) E07000120 (GSS) |
Hyndburn/ˈhaɪndbərn/ is alocal government district withborough status inLancashire, England. Its council is based inAccrington, the largest town, and the borough also covers the outlying towns ofClayton-le-Moors,Great Harwood,Oswaldtwistle andRishton. The borough was created in 1974 and takes its name from theRiver Hyndburn. It had a population of 80,734 at the2011 Census.[2] Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 35 seats on the council being elected at each election. Both theConservative andLabour parties have controlled the council at different times, as well as periods when no party has had a majority.
Hyndburn borders the boroughs ofRibble Valley to the north,Burnley to the east,Rossendale to the south, andBlackburn with Darwen to the west.
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, as anon-metropolitan district covering the territory of six former districts, which were abolished at the same time, plus a single parish from a seventh district:[3]
The new district was given the name Hyndburn, taken from theRiver Hyndburn which passes through the district.[4] The new district was awarded borough status on the day that it came into being, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor.[5]
In 2007, the council proposed changing the name from Hyndburn to "Accrington and Districts", to aid recognition of the borough by those not familiar with the area.[6] After a public consultation, the change of name did not go ahead.[7]
Hyndburn Borough Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
David Welsby | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 35 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Blackburn Road, Accrington, BB5 1LA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Hyndburn Borough Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byLancashire County Council.Altham is acivil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough.[9]
In March 2010, Hyndburn Borough Council was voted the 10th best council inThe Times "Best Public Sector Places to Work".[10] The borough also made it toThe Times Best Companies Guide.
The council has been underLabour majority control since the2024 election.
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:[11][12]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1980 | |
| Labour | 1980–1984 | |
| Conservative | 1984–1986 | |
| Labour | 1986–1999 | |
| No overall control | 1999–2000 | |
| Conservative | 2000–2002 | |
| Labour | 2002–2003 | |
| Conservative | 2003–2010 | |
| No overall control | 2010–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–2022 | |
| No overall control | 2022–2024 | |
| Labour | 2024–present | |
The role ofMayor of Hyndburn is largely ceremonial, with political leadership instead provided by theleader of the council. The leaders since 1981 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Hindley[13] | Labour | Oct 1981 | 1984 | |
| Nigel Bramley-Haworth[14] | Conservative | 1984 | May 1986 | |
| Ed Saville[15][16][17] | Labour | May 1986 | Jan 1988 | |
| George Slynn[16][18][19] | Labour | Jan 1988 | May 1999 | |
| Peter Britcliffe[20][21] | Conservative | May 1999 | May 2002 | |
| Ian Ormerod[21][22] | Labour | May 2002 | May 2003 | |
| Peter Britcliffe[23][24] | Conservative | 2003 | May 2011 | |
| Miles Parkinson[25][26][27] | Labour | May 2011 | 24 Mar 2022 | |
| Independent | 24 Mar 2022 | May 2023 | ||
| Marlene Haworth[28][29] | Conservative | 18 May 2023 | 23 May 2024 | |
| Munsif Dad[29] | Labour | 23 May 2024 | ||
Following the2024 election,[30] and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:[31]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 21 | |
| Conservative | 13 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | |
The next election is due in 2026.[31]
Since the last boundary changes in 2002 the council has comprised 35councillors representing 16wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with roughly a third of the council elected each time for a four year term of office.Lancashire County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[32]
The council's main offices are at Scaitcliffe House on Ormerod Street in Accrington, being part of a converted textile mill. The council moved there in 2002.[33] Full council meetings are usually held atAccrington Town Hall.[34]
There are approximately nine state secondary schools in Hyndburn. These includeThe Hyndburn Academy,St Christopher's Church of England High School,Accrington Academy,Rhyddings,Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School,The Hollins, along with Broadfield Specialist School, and North Cliffe School.[35]
The percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C has increased from 43.7% in 2001 up to 75.9% in 2011. Absences dropped from 12,052 in 2006 to 9,545 in 2011, mainly due to schools competing.[36]
The district is polycentric and is located between the larger settlements of Blackburn and Burnley. It is linked to both areas by theM65 motorway and theEast Lancashire railway line.
The borough had a population of 80,734 at the 2011 census.[2] Much of the borough forms part of theAccrington/Rossendale Built-up area as defined by theOffice for National Statistics, which covers the borough and parts of the neighbouring borough ofRossendale. The Accrington/Rossendale built-up area extends from the town of Accrington toRawtenstall andBacup, taking in parts of the boroughs of Hyndburn and Rossendale. The Accrington/Rossendale built-up area was recorded at having a population of 125,059 at the 2011 census.[37]
Altham is the onlycivil parish in Hyndburn. The rest of the borough is anunparished area.[38]
The role of mayor is usually held by a different councillor each year. They chair meetings of the full council and are expected to be politically impartial during their term of office, but they do get an additional casting vote in the event of a tie. The mayors since 1974 have been:[39]
The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Borough of Hyndburn.
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