View source for North Shropshire

{{short description|Former local government district in England}}
{{for|the parliamentary constituency|North Shropshire (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{coord|52.856|-2.723|display=title|region:GB_scale:50000}}
{{Infobox historic subdivision| 
 |Name=                North Shropshire District
 |HQ=                  [[Wem]]
 |Status=              District
 |Origin=              Market Drayton Rural District<br>North Shropshire Rural District
 |Start=               1 April 1974
 |End=                 31 March 2009
 |Replace=             [[Shropshire (district)|Shropshire]]
 |Map=                 [[Image:ShropshireNorth.png|135px|North Shropshire]]<br>''Shown within Shropshire non-metropolitan county''
 |Image=               
 |Arms=                
 |Civic=                
 |Motto=               
 |Government=          North Shropshire District Council
 |Divisions=           
 |DivisionsNames=      
 |DivisionsMap=        
 |CodeName=            [[ONS coding system|ONS code]]
 |Code=                39UC
 }}
'''North Shropshire''' was a [[Non-metropolitan district|local government district]] in [[Shropshire]], England from 1974 to 2009. The district council was based at Edinburgh House in [[Wem]]. Other settlements included the towns of [[Ellesmere, Shropshire|Ellesmere]], [[Market Drayton]] and [[Whitchurch, Shropshire|Whitchurch]], as well as the large villages of [[Shawbury]] and [[Baschurch]]. The district bordered onto [[Wales]], [[Cheshire]] and [[Staffordshire]] as well as the Shropshire districts of [[Oswestry (borough)|Oswestry]], [[Shrewsbury and Atcham]] and the unitary [[Telford and Wrekin]].

==History==
The [[Districts of England|district]] was formed on 1 April 1974, under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], by a merger of [[Market Drayton Rural District]] and [[North Shropshire Rural District]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|accessdate=6 September 2022}}</ref>

The district and its council were abolished as part of the [[2009 structural changes to local government in England]]. Its functions were taken over from 1 April 2009 by Shropshire County Council, which was renamed [[Shropshire Council]] at the same time.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008|year=2008|number=1866|accessdate=18 September 2022}}</ref>

==Settlements==
The district council classified Wem, Market Drayton, Whitchurch and Ellesmere as the market towns of North Shropshire, while it gave the classification of "main service villages" to Baschurch, [[Cheswardine]], [[Clive, Shropshire|Clive]], [[Cockshutt, Shropshire|Cockshutt]], [[Dudleston Heath]], [[Hadnall]], [[Hinstock]], [[Hodnet, Shropshire|Hodnet]], [[Prees]], Shawbury, [[Tilstock]], [[Welshampton]] and [[Woore]]. The district also included many other smaller villages and hamlets.

==Infrastructure==
The main roads in the district were the [[A41 road|A41]], [[A49 road|A49]] and the [[A53 road|A53]]. There were no [[motorway]]s.

There were four railway stations in the district: ([[Yorton railway station|Yorton]], [[Wem railway station|Wem]], [[Prees railway station|Prees]] and [[Whitchurch railway station (Shropshire)|Whitchurch]]), all on the [[Welsh Marches Line]]. The [[Shrewsbury to Chester Line]] ran through the district as well, but the only station on that section of the line within North Shropshire had been at Baschurch, which had closed in 1965, prior to the district's creation. The [[Shropshire Union Canal]] and [[Ellesmere Canal]]/[[Llangollen Canal]] both ran through the district.

==Governance==
===Political control===
The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 2009 was as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "North Shropshire" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || 1974–2003
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2003–2007
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 2007–2009
|}

===Leadership===
The last [[leader of the council]] was David Minnery, a Conservative.

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| David Minnery<ref>{{cite news |title=Council leaves positive legacy after tough time |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/03/26/council-leaves-positive-legacy-after-tough-time/ |access-date=18 September 2022 |work=Shropshire Star |date=26 March 2009}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right| || align=right|31 Mar 2009
|}

===Premises===
[[File:Wem Police Station - geograph.org.uk - 4218423.jpg|thumb|Edinburgh House, New Street, Wem]]
When created in 1974, the council inherited various offices from its predecessors, including a relatively new office building on New Street in Wem, which had been completed in 1970 for the old North Shropshire Rural District Council.<ref>{{cite news |title=R.D.C. offices open at cost of £80,000 |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0005901%2F19701009&page=3 |access-date=7 July 2025 |work=Shropshire Journal |date=9 October 1970 |location=Wellington |page=3}}</ref> That building was extended in the late 1980s to allow the council's offices to be consolidated there. The extended building was formally re-opened by [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] on 21 July 1989, when it was renamed Edinburgh House in recognition of his visit.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dromgool |first1=John |title=Royal seal of approval for council offices |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0000401%2F19890728&page=8 |access-date=7 July 2025 |work=Shrewsbury Chronicle |date=28 July 1989 |page=8}}</ref> On the council's abolition in 2009, Edinburgh House passed to [[Shropshire Council]], which subsequently sold it to a housing association in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Broad |first1=Gill |title=New base opens in Wem |url=https://www.whitchurchherald.co.uk/news/15860734.new-base-opens-in-wem/ |access-date=7 July 2025 |work=Whitchurch Herald |date=21 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sheridan |first1=Mike |title=Wem: Edinburgh House site will be redeveloped after appeal |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-68140571 |access-date=7 July 2025 |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2024}}</ref>

==Council elections==
*[[1973 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[1976 North Shropshire District Council election]] (New ward boundaries)<ref>legislation.gov.uk - [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1976/196/made The District of North Shropshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1976]. Retrieved on 19 November 2015.</ref>
*[[1979 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[1983 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[1987 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[1991 North Shropshire District Council election]] (District boundary changes took place but the number of seats remained the same)<ref>legislation.gov.uk - [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1987/1737 The Shropshire (District Boundaries) Order 1987]. Retrieved on 6 November 2015.</ref>
*[[1995 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[1999 North Shropshire District Council election]]
*[[2003 North Shropshire District Council election]] (New ward boundaries)<ref>legislation.gov.uk - [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1419/made The District of North Shropshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2000]. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.</ref><ref>legislation.gov.uk - [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/2618/made The District of North Shropshire (Electoral Changes) (Amendment) Order 2006]. Retrieved on 3 November 2015.</ref>
*[[2007 North Shropshire District Council election]]

===Results maps===
<gallery>
File:North Shropshire UK ward map 2003.svg|2003 results map
File:North Shropshire UK ward map 2007.svg|2007 results map
</gallery>

===By-election results===
{{Election box begin | title=Market Drayton North By-Election 3 October 1996}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Labour Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 405
 |percentage = 61.9
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 249
 |percentage = 38.1
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 156
 |percentage = 23.8
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 634
 |percentage = 23.2
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
 |winner = Labour Party (UK)
 |swing = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Prees By-Election 19 November 1998}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 277
 |percentage = 55.4
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 233
 |percentage = 46.6
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 44
 |percentage = 8.8
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 510
 |percentage = 23.0
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |loser = Independent (politician)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wem Rural By-Election 22 June 2000}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 290
 |percentage = 82.9
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 60
 |percentage = 17.1
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 230
 |percentage = 65.8
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 350
 |percentage = 40.0
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |swing = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Sutton By-Election 27 July 2000}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 111
 |percentage = 55.2
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 66
 |percentage = 32.8
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 24
 |percentage = 11.9
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 45
 |percentage = 22.4
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 201
 |percentage = 32.0
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |loser = Independent (politician)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Weston Rhyn By-Election 26 April 2001}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 369
 |percentage = 60.8
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = 238
 |percentage = 39.2
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 131
 |percentage = 21.6
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 607
 |percentage = 31.4
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
 |loser = Labour Party (UK)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Clive By-Election 13 September 2001}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = 
 |votes = unopposed
 |percentage = 
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |loser = Liberal Democrats (UK)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Whitchurch South By-Election 6 October 2005}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = Gerald Dakin
 |votes = 204
 |percentage = 51.6
 |change = +24.5
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = Andrew Richardson
 |votes = 191
 |percentage = 48.4
 |change = +2.6
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 13
 |percentage = 3.2
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 395
 |percentage = 17.4
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |loser = Independent (politician)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Hordley, Tetchill and Lyncal By-Election 19 October 2006}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = Stephen Davenport
 |votes = 169
 |percentage = 59.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = William Lewis
 |votes = 74
 |percentage = 26.1
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Independent (politician)
 |candidate = Jennifer Wright
 |votes = 40
 |percentage = 14.1
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 95
 |percentage = 33.6
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 283
 |percentage = 26.5
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |loser = Independent (politician)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

==See also==
*[[Shropshire North (UK Parliament constituency)|North Shropshire constituency]] - the name of the UK [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] constituency which covers the former North Shropshire district and also the former [[Oswestry (borough)|Oswestry]] borough.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Shropshire elections}}
{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009}}
[[Category:District council elections in England]]
[[Category:Council elections in Shropshire]]
[[Category:Districts of England established in 1974]]
[[Category:English districts abolished in 2009]]
[[Category:Former non-metropolitan districts of Shropshire]]