Councils
Councils, sometimes called Local Authorities, are a level of government and administration in England. They operate under national government and are responsible for much of the local services and policy areas that may impact a person’s daily life. There are different types of councils in England and different types of councils in the North West depending on where you live.
Most places in the North West only have one council, known as a Unitary Authority (such as Cheshire West and Chester Council) or a Metropolitan Borough (such as Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council). In these areas, one council is in charge of all local services.
Some places in the North West have two councils: a County Council and a District Council. This is the case in some parts of Lancashire that has a County Council (Lancashire County Council) but also has smaller District Councils (such as Preston City Council). In these areas the two councils split the services.
Councils in England are in charge of a lot of services that many residents rely on, or that have an impact on their lives. These include:
- Social Care
- Schools
- Housing
- Planning
- Waste Collection
- Local Roads
Fore more information on what local government does please visit What is local government? on the Local Government Association website and Understand how your council works: Types of council on GOV.UK.
All councils in England are democratically elected. Councillors serve smaller local areas called wards, and represent them at council meetings. Elections for councillors differ across areas, please refer to your specific council for more information. You can find your local councillor by searching on the Find your local councillors page on GOV.UK.
You can find your local council on the Find your local council page on GOV.UK.
Local elections take place regularly to select local councillors to represent your area. Please visit our Voting page for more information.