Blackpool Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Neil Jack since 21 July 2011[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 42 councillors[3] |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large[a] | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Motto | |
| Progress | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Town Hall, Talbot Square, Blackpool, FY1 1GB | |
| Website | |
| blackpool | |
Blackpool Council is thelocal authority of theBorough of Blackpool, in theceremonial county ofLancashire, England. Since 1998 it has been aunitary authority, being adistrict council which also performs the functions of acounty council; it is independent fromLancashire County Council. The borough council has been a member of theLancashire Combined County Authority since its formation in 2025.
The council has been underLabour majority control since 1991. It meets atBlackpool Town Hall and has its offices in the adjoining Municipal Buildings and at Bickerstaffe Square.
Blackpool's first elected local authority was theLayton with WarbreckLocal Board, established in 1851 and named after the historictownship that included the nascent town of Blackpool.[4] The board was renamed the Blackpool Local Board in 1868.[5] In 1876 the district was elevated to become amunicipal borough, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Blackpool", but generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.[6]
From 1904 to 1974, Blackpool was acounty borough, independent fromLancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of thegeographical county of Lancashire.[7] In 1974 Blackpool was reconstituted as anon-metropolitan district under theLocal Government Act 1972. It kept the same boundaries, but became a lower tier district authority with the county council providing county-level services to the town again.[8]
The council became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998. The way the change was implemented was to create a newnon-metropolitan county of Blackpool covering the same area as the borough, but with no separate county council; instead, the existing borough council took on county council functions.[9] Blackpool remains part of the ceremonial county of Lancashire for the purposes oflieutenancy.[10]
In 2025, the council became a member of the newLancashire Combined County Authority.[11]
As a unitary authority, Blackpool Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. There are nocivil parishes in the borough.[12]
The council as a Unitary Authority has been underLabour majority control since its creation as such.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows:[13][14]
Lower tier non-metropolitan district
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1987 | |
| No overall control | 1987–1991 | |
| Labour | 1991–1998 | |
Unitary authority
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1998–present | |
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Blackpool. Political leadership is instead provided by theleader of the council. The leaders since 1991 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Taylor[15] | Labour | 1991 | 5 Jun 2000 | |
| George Bancroft[16] | Labour | Jul 2000 | 11 Jul 2001 | |
| Roy Fisher[17][18] | Labour | Aug 2001 | May 2007 | |
| Peter Callow[19][20] | Conservative | 21 May 2007 | May 2011 | |
| Simon Blackburn[21] | Labour | 23 May 2011 | Jun 2020 | |
| Lynn Williams[22] | Labour | 20 Jul 2020 | ||
Following the2023 election,[23] and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2025, the composition of the council was as follows:[24][25]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 27 | |
| Conservative | 12 | |
| Reform | 3 | |
| Total | 42 | |
The next election is due in 2027.[25]
Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 42councillors representing 21wards, with each ward electing two councillors. The whole council is elected together every four years.[26]
The council meets atBlackpool Town Hall on Talbot Square.[27] The building was completed in 1900.[28]
The council's offices are split between the Municipal Buildings on Corporation Street, immediately adjoining the rear of the Town Hall, and One Bickerstaffe Square, a modern building nearBlackpool North railway station, completed in 2014.[29][30]
