City of Lancaster
Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox settlement
The City of Lancaster, or simply Lancaster (Template:IPAc-en),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a local government district with city status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, and also includes the towns of Carnforth, Heysham and Morecambe and a wider rural hinterland. The district has a population of Template:English district population (Template:United Kingdom statistics year),<ref>Template:United Kingdom district population citation</ref> and an area of Template:Convert.<ref>Template:United Kingdom district population citation</ref>
Much of the district's rural area is recognised for its natural beauty; it includes part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and parts of the designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty of Arnside and Silverdale and the Forest of Bowland. The neighbouring districts are Westmorland and Furness, North Yorkshire, Ribble Valley and Wyre.
History
The town of Lancaster was an ancient borough, with its earliest known charter dating from 1193. A later charter in 1337 gave it the right to appoint a mayor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836, governed by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Lancaster", but generally known as the corporation or town council.<ref>Municipal Corporations Act 1835</ref> In 1937 the borough was awarded city status.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the territory of five former districts which were abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
- Carnforth Urban District
- Lancaster Municipal Borough
- Lancaster Rural District
- Lunesdale Rural District
- Morecambe and Heysham Municipal Borough
The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Lancaster's series of mayors dating back to 1337.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city status which had been held by the old municipal borough of Lancaster since 1937 was also transferred to the new district on its creation.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Since 1 August 2016 the district has included a small part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Governance
Lancaster City Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Lancashire County Council. Much of the district is covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
In the part of the district within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The city council appoints one of its councillors to serve on the 25-person National Park Authority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2019. An administration led by the Green Party formed in November 2024, with cabinet positions being shared between the Greens, Liberal Democrats and local party the Morecambe Bay Independents.<ref name=McDonald/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The first election to the city council as enlarged by the Local Government Act 1972 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:<ref>Template:Cite web (Put "Lancaster" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=hold>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Party | Period | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 1974–1987 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1987–1995 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1995–1999 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1999–2017 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2017–2019 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2019–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Lancaster, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1993 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Henig<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | pre-1993 | May 1999 | |
| Tricia Heath<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | May 1999 | May 2003 | |
| Ian Barker | Template:Party name with colour | May 2003 | May 2007 | |
| Roger Mace<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=4Feb2009/> | Template:Party name with colour | 21 May 2007 | 4 Feb 2009 | |
| Abbott Bryning<ref name=4Feb2009>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 4 Feb 2009 | May 2009 | |
| Stuart Langhorn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 18 May 2009 | May 2011 | |
| Eileen Blamire<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 23 May 2011 | May 2019 | |
| Erica Lewis<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 20 May 2019 | May 2021 | |
| Caroline Jackson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 17 May 2021 | May 2023 | |
| Phillip Black<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 22 May 2023 | 13 Nov 2024 | |
| Caroline Jackson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=McDonald>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 25 Nov 2024 | ||
Composition
Following the 2023 election<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:<ref name=Thorncliffe>Template:Cite web</ref>
Two of the three independent councillors sit together as a group. The next election is due in 2027.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>
Elections
Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 61 councillors representing 27 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
The district contains parts of two parliamentary constituencies: Lancaster and Wyre and Morecambe and Lunesdale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both have been held by Labour since 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The district contains 10 of the 82 electoral divisions for elections to Lancashire County Council: Heysham, Lancaster Central, Lancaster East, Lancaster Rural East, Lancaster Rural North, Lancaster South East, Morecambe Central, Morecambe North, Morecambe South, and Skerton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Elections are held every four years. In the 2025 county council elections, Reform UK won control of the county and seven of the district's seats, the other three being won by the Green Party of England and Wales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Premises
The council has two main meeting places, both inherited from predecessor authorities: Lancaster Town Hall and Morecambe Town Hall. Full council meetings are held in the larger council chamber of Morecambe Town Hall, but Lancaster Town Hall is also used for committee meetings and houses administrative functions.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Demography
| Lancaster compared | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Lancaster<ref>Template:Citation</ref> | Lancashire<ref>Template:Citation</ref> | England | United Kingdom |
| Total population | 133,914 | 1,134,974 | 49,138,831 | 58,789,194 |
| White | 97.8% | 94.7% | 90.9% | 92.14% |
| Asian | 0.7% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 3.4% |
| Black | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2.3% | 2% |
At the 2011 UK census, the City of Lancaster had a total population of 138,375. Of the 57,822 households in the city, 33.5% were married couples living together, 31.9% were one-person households, 7.8% were co-habiting couples and 10.0% were lone parents.<ref name="Lancaster neighbourhood stats">Template:NOMIS2011</ref> These figures were similar to the national averages.
The population density was Template:Convert and for every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. Of those aged 16–74 in Lancaster, 26.7% had no academic qualifications, lower than 28.9% in all of England. The city of Lancaster had a higher proportion of white people than England.<ref name="Lancaster neighbourhood stats"/><ref>Template:NOMIS2011</ref>
Population change
The table below details the population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the last available census data. Although the City of Lancaster has existed as a district since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the city. Template:Historical populations
Religion
| 2011 UK Census | City of Lancaster<ref name="Lancaster neighbourhood stats"/> | Lancashire<ref>Template:Citation</ref> | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 138,375 | 1,134,974 | 49,138,831 |
| Christian | 65.9% | 68.8% | 59.4% |
| Muslim | 1.3% | 4.8% | 5.0% |
| No religion | 24.5% | 19.2% | 24.7% |
At the 2011 UK census, 65.9% of Lancaster's population reported themselves as Christian, 1.3% Muslim, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.3% Hindu, 0.1% Jewish, and 0.1% Sikh. 24.5% had no religion, 0.5% had an alternative religion and 7.1% did not state their religion.<ref name="Lancaster neighbourhood stats"/> The city is covered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and the Church of England Diocese of Blackburn.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>Template:Clear
Economy
| 2001 UK Census | City of Lancaster<ref name="economic activity">Template:Citation</ref> | Lancashire<ref>Template:Citation</ref> | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population of working age | 97,365 | 814,434 | 35,532,091 |
| Full-time employment | 33.5% | 39.2% | 40.8% |
| Part-time employment | 12.7% | 12.2% | 11.8% |
| Self employed | 7.8% | 8.2% | 8.3% |
| Unemployed | 3.6% | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| Retired | 14.9% | 15.0% | 13.5% |
At the United Kingdom Census 2001, the City of Lancaster had 97,365 residents aged 16 to 74. Of these people, 4.0% were students with jobs, 9.6% students without jobs, 5.1% looking after home or family, 6.0% permanently sick or disabled and 2.8% economically inactive for other reasons.<ref name="economic activity"/>
In 2001, of the 55,906 residents of the City of Lancaster in employment, the industry of employment was 16.7% retail and wholesale, 14.2% health and social work, 11.4% education, 11.2% manufacturing, 7.8% property and business services, 6.7% construction, 6.7% hotels and restaurants, 6.5% transport and communications, 5.7% public administration and defence, 2.5% finance, 2.4% energy and water supply, 2.2% agriculture, 0.4% mining, and 5.3% other. This was roughly in line with national figures, although the proportion of jobs in agriculture which was more than the national average of 1.5% and the percentage of people working in finance was below the national average of 4.8%; the proportion of people working in property was well below the national average of 13.2%.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Media
The area is served by BBC North West and ITV Granada.
Radio stations for the area are BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Cumbria, Heart North West, Smooth North West, and Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire. Beyond Radio is a voluntary, non-profit community radio station for Lancaster and Morecambe.<ref>Online broadcasting Beyond Radio Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Settlements
Civil parishes
Most of the district's area is covered by civil parishes. The parish councils for Carnforth and Morecambe have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Aldcliffe-with-Stodday
- Arkholme-with-Cawood
- Bolton-le-Sands
- Borwick
- Burrow-with-Burrow
- Cantsfield
- Carnforth
- Caton-with-Littledale
- Claughton
- Cockerham
- Ellel
- Gressingham
- Halton-with-Aughton
- Heaton-with-Oxcliffe
- Hornby-with-Farleton
- Ireby
- Leck
- Melling-with-Wrayton
- Middleton
- Morecambe
- Nether Kellet
- Over Kellet
- Over Wyresdale
- Overton
- Priest Hutton
- Quernmore
- Roeburndale
- Scotforth
- Silverdale
- Slyne-with-Hest
- Tatham
- Thurnham
- Tunstall
- Warton
- Wennington
- Whittington
- Wray-with-Botton
- Yealand Conyers
- Yealand Redmayne
Template:Div col end Most of the area of the pre-1974 city of Lancaster is an unparished area, as is the Heysham area of the former borough of Morecambe and Heysham.
Twin towns
<ref name="Lancaster.gov.uk 1">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Perpignan, France (since 1962)
- Rendsburg, Germany (since 1968)
- Aalborg, Denmark (since 1982)
- Lublin, Poland (since 1994)
- Växjö, Sweden (since 1996)
Associate towns
<ref name="Lancaster.gov.uk 1"/>
- Almere, Netherlands
- Viana do Castelo, Portugal
References
External links
Template:City of Lancaster settlements Template:City of Lancaster buildings Template:City of Lancaster
Template:Lancashire Template:Navbox Template:UK cities Template:Authority control