Rochdale Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale 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 2011. It is based at Number One Riverside.
History
The town of Rochdale had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1825. In 1856 the town was incorporated as a municipal borough, governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Rochdale', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Rochdale was considered large enough for its existing council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a county borough, independent from the new Lancashire County Council, whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Lancashire.
The larger Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale 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 six outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton and the urban district councils of Littleborough, Milnrow and Wardle. 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, continuing Rochdale's series of mayors dating back to 1856. The council styles itself Rochdale Borough Council rather than its full formal name of Rochdale 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 Rochdale, 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 Rochdale Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.
Governance Rochdale Borough Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the leader of Rochdale Council sits on the combined authority as Rochdale's representative. There are no civil parishes in the borough.
Political control Rochdale has been under Labour majority control since 2011.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms took effect has been as follows: (Put "Rochdale" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1974–1975 1975–1976 1976–1979 1979–1980 1980–1982 1982–1986 1986–1992 1992–1996 1996–2003 2003–2007 2007–2010 2010–2011 2011–present
Leadership The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Rochdale. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1974 have been:
Councillor Party From To Derrick Walker 1 Apr 1974 1976 Edward Collins 1976 May 1980 Stephen Moore May 1980 May 1982 Edward Collins May 1982 Jan 1986 Ron Lewis Jan 1986 May 1986 Richard Farnell May 1986 May 1992 Paul Rowen 13 May 1992 May 1996 Jim Dobbin May 1996 May 1997 Peter Roberts May 1997 2006 Alan Taylor 2006 Jan 2010 Irene Davidson Jan 2010 24 Nov 2010 Colin Lambert 15 Dec 2010 4 Jun 2014 Richard Farnell 4 Jun 2014 8 Dec 2017 Allen Brett 13 Dec 2017 May 2021 Neil Emmott 19 May 2021
Composition Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was:
The next election is due in May 2027.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised 60 councillors representing 20 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 of the council's 20 wards is represented by three councillors. WardCouncillorPartyTerm of office BamfordStephen Anstee 2021–2027Angela Smith 2018–2026Philip Beal 2024–2028 Balderstone and KirkholtJordan Tarrant-Short 2025–2027Ashley-Louise Gilbert 2026-2030Daniel Meredith 2024–2028 CastletonAisling-Blaise Gallagher 2024–2028Aasim Rashid 2023–2027Dave Jones 2026-2030 Central RochdaleFarooq Ahmed 2024–2028Waqar Khan 2026-2030Sameena Zaheer 2023–2027 East MiddletonGeorgina Jaques 2026-2030Terry Smith 2023–2027Dylan James Williams 2024–2028 HealeyTricia Ayrton 2022–2027Mark Stephens 2026-2030Shah Wazir 2024–2028 Hopwood HallStephen Potter 2026-2030Peter Hodgkinson 2023–2027Carol Wardle 2024-2028 KingswayShakil Ahmed 2026-2030Daalat Ali 2024–2028Rachel Massey 2023–2027 Littleborough LakesideTom Besford 2024–2028Victoria Howard 2026-2030Richard Jackson 2023–2027 Milkstone and DeeplishMohammed Shafiq 2026-2030Minaam Ellahi 2024–2028Aiza Rashid 2023–2027 Milnrow and NewheyDavid Bamford 2023–2027Anthony Gilbert 2026-2030Andy Kelly 2024–2028 NordenPaul Eillison 2026-2030Michael Holly 2023–2027Peter Winkler 2024–2028 North HeywoodMichael Howard 2026-2030Bev Place 2023–2027Paul O'Neill 2024–2028 North MiddletonLee Wolf 2026-2030Elizabeth Atewologun 2023–2027Kath Bromfield 2024–2028 Smallbridge and FirgroveJohn Blundell 2024–2028Mohammed Khizer 2026-2030Amna Mir 2023-2027 South MiddletonPatricia Mary Dale 2023–2027June West 2024–2028Matthew Pilkington 2026-2030 Spotland and FalingeCarl Faulkner 2026-2030Amber Nisa 2023–2027Faisal Rana 2024–2028 Wardle, Shore & West LittleboroughPhilip Barrett 2026-2030Adam Branton 2024–2028John Taylor 2023–2027 West HeywoodStuart Crawford 2026-2030Peter Joinson 2024–2028Linda Robinson 2023–2027 West MiddletonTrevor Taylor 2026-2030Neil Emmott 2023–2027Susan Smith 2024–2028
Premises The council is based at Number One Riverside on Smith Street in the centre of Rochdale. It was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2013. Prior to 2013 the council met and had some offices at Rochdale Town Hall, which had been completed in 1871 for the old borough council, with additional offices spread across numerous other buildings. The Town Hall is still used for certain ceremonial functions, including the annual council meeting when new mayors are appointed.
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