Trafford Council, or Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019. It is based at Trafford Town Hall in Stretford.
History The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of ten metropolitan districts within the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. The first election was held in 1973. For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's seven outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Altrincham, Sale and Stretford, the urban district councils of Bowdon, Hale, and Urmston, and the Bucklow Rural District Council (in respect of four of its parishes only). The new metropolitan district and its council formally came into being on 1 April 1974, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished.
The metropolitan district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. The council styles itself Trafford Council rather than its full formal name of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
From 1974 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater Manchester County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to Greater Manchester's ten borough councils, including Trafford, with some services provided through joint committees.
Since 2011 the council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. The combined authority provides strategic leadership and co-ordination for certain functions across Greater Manchester, notably regarding transport and town planning, but Trafford Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.
Governance Trafford Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Trafford Council sits on the combined authority as Trafford's representative. There are four civil parishes in the borough at Carrington, Dunham Massey, Partington and Warburton, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas; the rest of the borough is unparished.
Political control The council has been under Labour majority control since 2019.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows: (Put "Trafford" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1974–1986 1986–1988 1988–1995 1995–1996 1996–2003 2003–2004 2004–2018 2018–2019 2019–present
Leadership The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Trafford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1976 have been:
Councillor Party From To Raymond LittlerHe's the last, and proud of it, Manchester Evening News, May 19, 1973, p.7 1 April 1974 1974 Frank EadieNine lives in a new county, Manchester Evening News, February 25, 1975, p.8 1974 1975 Mike King 1976 1977 Colin Warbrick 1976 1977 Mike King 1977 1978 Jonathan Taylor 1978 1982 Mike King 1982 1985 Colin Warbrick 1985 May 1986 Barry Brotherton May 1986 May 1988 Colin Warbrick May 1988 May 1993 Frank Eadie May 1993 May 1995 Beverley Hughes May 1995 May 1997 David Acton May 1997 May 2004 Susan Williams May 2004 19 May 2009 Matthew Colledge 19 May 2009 13 Mar 2014 Sean Anstee 13 Mar 2014 23 May 2018 Andrew Western 23 May 2018 4 Jan 2023 Tom Ross 4 Jan 2023
Composition Following the May 2026 election and a subsequent party suspension in June 2026, the composition of the council was as follows:
The next election is due in May 2027.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 63 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.
Wards and councillors Each ward is represented by three councillors.
Parliamentary constituencyWardCouncillor PartyTerm of office Altrincham & SaleWest constituency AltrinchamGeraldine Coggins 2023–27Michael Welton 2024–28Daniel Jerrome 2026–30 Ashton upon MerseyShona Gilbert 2023–27Tony O'Brien 2024–28Ben Hartley 2026-30 BowdonPhil Eckersley 2023–27Shengke Zhi 2026–30Lisa Hancock 2024–28 BroadheathKaushik Chakraborty 2025–27Ulrich Savary 2024–28Prakash Nathani 2026–30 Hale Barns & Timperley SouthDylan Butt 2023–27Michael Taylor 2024–28Nathan Evans 2026-30 HaleJane Leicester 2023–27Natalie Shalom 2025–28Rupert Kelly 2026-30 ManorRob Duncan 2023–27Keleigh Glenton 2024–28Rupali Paul 2026-30 Timperley CentralShaun Ennis 2023–27Simon Lepori 2024–28Julian Newgrosh 2026-30 Timperley NorthJane Brophy 2023–27Meena Minnis 2024–28Will Frass 2026–30 Stretford & Urmston constituency Bucklow-St. MartinsFrances Cosby 2023–27James Wright 2024–28Charlotte Waterworth 2026-30 DavyhulmeSue Maitland 2023–27Barry Winstanley 2024–28Billy Burke 2026-30 FlixtonGed Carter 2023–27Simon Thomas 2024–28Dolores O'Sullivan 2026-30 Gorse Hill & CornbrookDavid Acton 2023–27George Devlin 2024–28Aaron Fradley 2026-30 LongfordSarah Haughey 2023–27Dave Jarman 2024–28Gareth Twose 2026-30 Lostock & BartonJill Axford 2023–27Shirley Procter 2024–28Mark Tobin 2026-30 Old TraffordWaseem Hassan 2023–27Sophie Taylor 2024–28Jennie Wadsworth 2026-30 Stretford & Humphrey ParkStephen Adshead 2023–27Tom Ross 2024–28Jane Slater 2026–30 UrmstonJoanne Harding 2023–27Kevin Procter 2024–28Claire Sheridan 2026-30 Wythenshawe & SaleEast constituency BrooklandsWill Jones 2023–27Bilal Babar 2024–28Rose Thompson 2026-30 Sale CentralBarry Brotherton 2023–27Zak Deakin 2024–28Eve Parker 2026-30 Sale MoorJoanne Bennett 2023–27Olly Baskerville 2024–28Liz Patel 2026–30
Elected in a by-election in October 2025 following the death in office of Labour councillor Denise Western. Elected as Labour, resigned from the Labour party in July 2025 and joined the Lib Dems in September 2025. Elected in a by-election in November 2025 following the resignation of Green councillor Owain Sutton.
Premises The council is based at Trafford Town Hall, on Talbot Road in Stretford. The building was originally called Stretford Town Hall, having been completed in 1933 for the former Stretford Borough Council, one of Trafford Council's predecessors. Most of the council's offices are in a modern extension to the rear of the building which opened in 2013, replacing an earlier office extension of 1983 on the same site.
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