Hyndburn is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Accrington, the largest town, and the borough also covers the outlying towns of Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood, Oswaldtwistle and Rishton. The borough was created in 1974 and takes its name from the River Hyndburn. It had a population of 80,734 at the 2011 Census. 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 the Conservative and Labour parties have controlled the council at different times, as well as periods when no party has had a majority.
Hyndburn borders the boroughs of Ribble Valley to the north, Burnley to the east, Rossendale to the south, and Blackburn with Darwen to the west.
History The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a non-metropolitan district covering the territory of six former districts, which were abolished at the same time, plus a single parish from a seventh district: Accrington Municipal Borough Altham parish from Burnley Rural District Church Urban District Clayton-le-Moors Urban District Great Harwood Urban District Oswaldtwistle Urban District Rishton Urban District
The new district was given the name Hyndburn, taken from the River Hyndburn which passes through the district. 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.
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. After a public consultation, the change of name did not go ahead.
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 Pennine Lancashire unitary authority.
Governance
Hyndburn Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Altham is a civil parish, which forms a third tier of local government for that part of the borough.
In March 2010, Hyndburn Borough Council was voted the 10th best council in The Times "Best Public Sector Places to Work". The borough also made it to The Times Best Companies Guide.
Political control The council has been under no overall control since the 2026 election. Labour is the largest party, and runs the council as a minority administration.
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: (Put "Hyndburn" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1974–1976 1976–1980 1980–1984 1984–1986 1986–1999 1999–2000 2000–2002 2002–2003 2003–2010 2010–2011 2011–2022 2022–2024 2024–2026 2026-present
Leadership The role of Mayor of Hyndburn is largely ceremonial, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1981 have been:
Councillor Party From To Michael Hindley Oct 1981 1984 Nigel Bramley-Haworth 1984 May 1986 Ed Saville May 1986 Jan 1988 George Slynn Jan 1988 May 1999 Peter Britcliffe May 1999 May 2002 Ian Ormerod May 2002 May 2003 Peter Britcliffe 2003 May 2011Miles Parkinson May 2011 24 Mar 2022 24 Mar 2022 May 2023 Marlene Haworth 18 May 2023 23 May 2024 Munsif Dad 23 May 2024
Composition Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was:
The next election is scheduled to take place in 2027.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2002 the council has comprised 35 councillors representing 16 wards, 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.
Premises
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. Full council meetings are usually held at Accrington Town Hall.
Education There are approximately nine state secondary schools in Hyndburn. These include The 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.
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.
Geography The district is polycentric and is located between the larger settlements of Blackburn and Burnley. It is linked to both areas by the M65 motorway and the East Lancashire railway line.
The borough had a population of 80,734 at the 2011 census. Much of the borough forms part of the Accrington/Rossendale Built-up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics, which covers the borough and parts of the neighbouring borough of Rossendale. The Accrington/Rossendale built-up area extends from the town of Accrington to Rawtenstall and Bacup, 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.
Places in Hyndburn
Accrington Altham Baxenden Belthorn (part) Church Clayton-le-Moors Great Harwood Huncoat Knuzden (considered a suburb of Blackburn) Oswaldtwistle Rishton Tottleworth Whitebirk (part) (considered a suburb of Blackburn)
Civil parishes Altham is the only civil parish in Hyndburn. The rest of the borough is an unparished area.
Media
The principal local radio station is Central Radio North West broadcasting on DAB across Blackburn, Burnley and most of Lancashire, providing local news, talk, and music. The former local radio station The Bee, which ceased broadcasting in July 2018. Hyndburn also falls in the coverage area of BBC Radio Lancashire, Hits Radio Lancashire, Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire, Smooth North West and Heart North West.
Mayors 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:
Freedom of the Borough The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Hyndburn.
Individuals Ronald Hill: 10 July 2012 Julie Hesmondhalgh: 28 January 2015 David Lloyd: 6 July 2018 Bernard Dawson: 6 July 2018
Military Units The Queen's Lancashire Regiment: 29 June 2002.
References
External links