South Ribble is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland. The borough includes the towns and villages of Penwortham, Leyland, Farington, Farington Moss, Hutton, Longton, Walmer Bridge, Much Hoole, Coupe Green, Samlesbury, Lostock Hall, Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge. Many of the built-up areas in the borough form part of the wider Preston built-up area.
The neighbouring districts are Preston, Ribble Valley, Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley, West Lancashire and Fylde.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and parts of a third, which were abolished at the same time:[2]
- Leyland Urban District
- Preston Rural District (parishes of Cuerdale, Farington, Hutton, Little Hoole, Longton, Much Hoole, Penwortham and Samlesbury only, rest split between Preston and Ribble Valley)
- Walton-le-Dale Urban District (which included Bamber Bridge)
The new district was named South Ribble, reflecting the fact that the River Ribble forms its northern boundary.[3] The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]
Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Lancashire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new South Lancashire unitary authority.[5][6]
Governance
South Ribble Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Parts of the borough are covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10][11]
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:[12][13]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 1974–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| No overall control | 1999–2007 | |
| Conservative | 2007–2019 | |
| No overall control | 2019–2023 | |
| Labour | 2023–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in South Ribble. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2007 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Smith[14][15] | Conservative | 2007 | 20 Jul 2016 | |
| Peter Mullineaux[16][17] | Conservative | 15 Sep 2016 | 17 May 2018 | |
| Mary Green[17][18] | Conservative | 17 May 2018 | 15 Oct 2018 | |
| Paul Foster[19][18][20] | Labour | 15 Oct 2018 | 1 Nov 2018 | |
| Margaret Smith[20][21][14] | Conservative | 1 Nov 2018 | May 2019 | |
| Paul Foster[22][23] | Labour | 15 May 2019 | 17 Jul 2024 | |
| Jacky Alty[23][24] | Labour | 17 Jul 2024 | ||
Composition
Following the 2023 election,[25] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was:[26]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 28 | |
| Conservative | 17 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 | |
| Total | 50 | |
The next election is due in 2027.[26]
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 50 councillors representing 23 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[27]
The borough straddles the parliamentary constituencies of Ribble Valley and South Ribble.[11]
Premises
The council is based at the Civic Centre on West Paddock in Leyland. The building was built in the early 1970s for the former Leyland Urban District Council.[28]
Parishes
There are eight civil parishes in the borough. The parish council for Penwortham has declared its parish to be a town, allowing it to take the style "town council". The parishes of Samlesbury and Cuerdale share a grouped parish council.[29] The former urban districts of Leyland and Walton-le-Dale are unparished areas.[11]
The parishes are:
 |
Twin town
South Ribble is twinned with:[30]
- Schleswig-Flensburg, Germany
Freedom of the Borough
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of South Ribble.
Individuals
- Anthony Kelly: September 2010.[31]
Military Units
- The King's Royal Hussars: 1992.[32]
Footnotes
- 1 2 UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – South Ribble Local Authority (E07000124)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
- ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 22 August 2022
- ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ↑ "Lancashire council leaders react to local government shake-up". BBC News. 16 July 2026.
- ↑ "Local government reorganisation: decision letter to Leaders in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ "Council minutes, 14 May 2025". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ Aldred, Tim (22 April 2022). "Chorley Council and South Ribble Borough Council appoint shared chief executive". Lancashire Business View. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ↑
- ↑ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
- 1 2 3 "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "South Ribble" in search box to see specific results.)
- ↑ "South Ribble". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
- 1 2 Faulkner, Paul (4 June 2021). "'I got into local politics because I'm nosey', confesses outgoing South Ribble Tory leader who ran the borough for a decade". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ↑ "Council minutes, 20 July 2016". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ "Council minutes, 15 September 2016". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Council minutes, 17 May 2018". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Labour takes over scandal-hit South Ribble council". BBC News. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ↑ "Council minutes, 15 October 2018" (PDF). South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Council minutes, 1 November 2018". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ "South Ribble clocks up another leader - and it's a familiar face". Lancashire Post. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ↑ "Council minutes, 15 May 2019". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Council minutes, 17 July 2024". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ Faulkner, Paul (18 July 2024). "New leader for South Ribble Borough Council as last one departs for Parliament". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
- 1 2 "South Ribble". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ "The South Ribble (Electoral Changes) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2014/3288, retrieved 19 October 2023
- ↑ "Contact us". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 1DH
- ↑ "Parish council contacts". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ↑ South Ribble Borough Council, Town Twinning retrieved 21 January 2019
- ↑ "Tributes pour in for former South Ribble Mayor and council leader Tony Kelly".
- ↑ "King's Royal Hussars mark 25 years as honorary freemen with Leyland parade | South Ribble Borough Council". Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
External links
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|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
