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]
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]
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:[11][12]
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:[13]
Composition
Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in February 2024, the composition of the council was:[17][18]
The next election is due in 2027.
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.[19]
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.[20]
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.[21] The former urban districts of Leyland and Walton-le-Dale are unparished areas.[10]
^ a bUK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – South Ribble Local Authority (E07000124)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^Faulkner, Paul (24 May 2024). "I'm the new mayor of South Ribble - and this is why I think my mayoress and I could be unique". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
^Faulkner, Paul (18 July 2024). "New leader for South Ribble Borough Council as last one departs for Parliament". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
^Aldred, Tim (22 April 2022). "Chorley Council and South Ribble Borough Council appoint shared chief executive". Lancashire Business View. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
^"Your Councillors". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ a b c"Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
^"Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
^"South Ribble". BBC News Online. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
^"Council minutes". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
^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.
^"Labour takes over scandal-hit South Ribble council". BBC News. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
^"South Ribble clocks up another leader - and it's a familiar face". Lancashire Post. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
^"Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
^"South Ribble". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
^"Contact us". South Ribble Borough Council. Retrieved 25 August 2022. Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, Lancashire, PR251DH
^"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.