Salford City Council

Salford City Council
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms
Logo
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Robin Garrido
since 27 May 2026[1]
Paul Dennett,
Labour
since 6 May 2016
Stephen Young
since 1 September 2025[2]
Structure
Seats60 councillors plus elected mayor[3]
Graph of the party split among 60 seats.
Political groups
Administration (34)
    Labour (34)
Other parties (26)
    Reform (14)
    Conservative (6)
    Green (3)
    Independent (2)
    Liberal Democrats (1)
Joint committees
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
7 May 2026
Next election
6 May 2027
Motto
Salus populi suprema lex
(The welfare of the people is the highest law)
Meeting place
Salford Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester, M27 5AW
Website
salford.gov.uk

Salford City Council is the local authority for the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough with city status in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the city. The council has been a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2011.

The council has been under Labour majority control since the metropolitan borough was created in 1974. Since 2012 the council has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Salford, which post has been held by Paul Dennett of the Labour Party since 2016. The council is based at Salford Civic Centre in Swinton.

History

The settlement of Salford had anciently been administered as a township within the parish of Manchester, which in turn formed part of the Salford Hundred.[4] Around 1230 the settlement was given a charter by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, who was the lord of the manor at the time, making it a seigneurial borough with a limited degree of self-government.[5] In 1791 a body of improvement commissioners was established to administer the town, largely superseding the old manorial authorities.[6]

Former Town Hall, Salford: Completed 1827, meeting place of the old city council until 1974

Salford was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1844, after which it was governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Salford', generally known as the corporation or town council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Salford 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.[7] Salford was granted city status in 1926, after which the corporation was also known as the city council.[8][9]

The larger metropolitan district of Salford 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 five outgoing authorities, being the borough councils of Salford, Eccles and Swinton and Pendlebury and the urban district councils of Irlam and Worsley. 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.[10] Salford's borough and city statuses both passed to the new district, allowing the council to take the name Salford City Council and appoint a mayor, continuing Salford's series of mayors dating back to 1844.[11][12]

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 Salford City Council, with some services provided through joint committees.[13]

Between 2005 and 2020 some services, including property, highways and infrastructure, planning and building control were provided by Urban Vision, a public-private partnership formed between the city council, Capita and Galliford Try.[14] The contract with Urban Vision finished in 2020 and was not renewed, with services being brought back in-house to the council.[15]

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 Salford City Council continues to be responsible for most local government functions.[16][17]

In 2012 the council changed to having a directly elected mayor as its political leader. The position is called the Mayor of Salford, or the "city mayor". Prior to 2012 the title Mayor of Salford had been used for the council's chairperson and ceremonial figurehead, performing non-political civic duties. The more ceremonial role continues, but now renamed the ceremonial mayor.[18]

Governance

Salford City Council provides metropolitan borough services. Some strategic functions in the area are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; the Mayor of Salford sits on the combined authority as Salford's representative.[19] There are no civil parishes in the city.[20]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 1974 reforms.[21][22]

PartyPeriod
Labour1974–present

Leadership

Prior to 2012, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leaders from 1974 to 2012 were:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Les Hough[23]Labour197426 Apr 1987
Ken Edwards[24][25]Labour20 May 1987May 1988
Bill Hinds[25][26]LabourMay 1988May 2003
John Merry[27][28]LabourMay 20036 May 2012

In 2012 the council changed to having a directly elected mayor as its political leader. The mayors since 2012 have been:[a]

MayorPartyFromTo
Ian Stewart[30][31]Labour7 May 20128 May 2016
Paul Dennett[31]Labour9 May 2016

Composition

Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council, excluding the city mayor's seat is:[32]

Party Councillors
Labour34
Reform14
Conservative6
Green3
Independent2
Liberal Democrats1
Total 60

The next election is due in May 2027.[33]

Elections

Since the last boundary changes took effect in 2021, 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.[34]

Wards and councillors

Ward Councillor Party Term of office
Barton and Winton John Mullen Labour 2026-30
Michael James Felse Reform 2026-30
Jacqui Fahy Labour 2024-28
Blackfriars and Trinity Emma Cammell Labour 2023-27
Jane Hamilton Labour 2024-28
David Jones Green 2026-30
Boothstown and Ellenbrook Jan Barrington Conservative 2026-30
Darren Ward Conservative 2023-27
Bob Clarke Conservative 2024-28
Broughton John Merry Labour 2026-30
Jim King Labour Co-op 2023-27
Maria Brabiner Labour Co-op 2024-28
Cadishead and Lower Irlam James Richard Hart Reform 2026-30
Hannah Robinson-Smith Labour 2023-27
Leighton James Medley Reform 2026-30
Claremont Christopher Bates Reform 2026-30
Mike Pevitt Labour 2023-27
Barbara Bentham Labour 2024-28
Eccles Nathaniel Tetteh Labour 2026-30
Mike McCusker Labour 2023-27
Lisa Muir Labour 2026-30
Higher Irlam and Peel Green Christopher Evans Reform 2026-30
John David Walsh Labour Co-op 2023-27
Tracy Kelly Labour 2024-28
Kersal and Broughton Park Andrew Walters Independent 2026-30
Ari Leitner Conservative 2023-27
Arnold Saunders Conservative 2024-28
Little Hulton Lewis Croden Reform 2026-30
Rob Sharpe Labour 2023-27
Tony Davies Labour 2024-28
Ordsall Benjamin Grogan Labour 2023-27
Martyn Stockley Green 2026-30
Tanya Burch Labour 2024-28
Pendlebury and Clifton Natalie Anne Rowland Reform 2026-30
Barry Warner Labour 2023-27
Su Matthews Labour 2024-28
Pendleton and Charlestown Daryl Stone-Shaw Reform 2026-30
Wilson Nkurunziza Labour 2023-27
Michelle Barnes Labour 2024-28
Quays Jake Rowland Labour 2023-27
Andrea Romero O'Brien Green 2026-30
Jonathan Moore Liberal Democrats 2024-28
Swinton and Wardley Peter Charles Jones Reform 2026-30
Bill Hinds Independent[b] 2023-27
Jim Dawson Labour 2024-28
Swinton Park Monika Katarzyna Puchalska Reform 2026-30
Jim Cammell Labour 2023-27
Heather Fletcher Labour 2024-28
Walkden North Miles Henderson Reform 2026-30
Samantha Bellamy Labour 2023-27
Adrian Brocklehurst Labour Co-op 2024-28
Walkden South Ivan Voronov Reform 2026-30
Hilaria Asumu Labour 2023-27
Joshua Mark Brooks Labour 2024-28
Weaste & Seedley Paul Doyle Reform 2026-30
Charlotte Youd Labour 2023-27
Philip Cusack Labour 2024-28
Worsley and Westwood Park Kaiden Jason Morrison Reform 2026-30
Robin Garrido Conservative 2023-27
James Prady Labour 2024-28

Premises

The council is based at Salford Civic Centre on Chorley Road in Swinton. The building had been completed in 1938 as Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, originally serving as the headquarters of Swinton and Pendlebury Borough Council.[36] The council has additional offices at Turnpike House at 631 Eccles New Road.[37]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mayoral terms of office run from the fourth day after polling day.[29]
  2. ↑ Bill Hinds was elected as a Labour Party councillor but quit in May 2025[35]

References

  1. ↑ "Salford welcomes its new Ceremonial Mayor". Salford City Council.
  2. ↑ "Salford City Council welcomes new Chief Executive". About Manchester. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections". opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Salford Chapelry / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  5. ↑ Ballard, Adolphus; Tait, James, eds. (1923). British Borough Charters 1216–1307. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. lxxv–lxxvi. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  6. ↑ A History of the County of Lancaster. London: Victoria County History. 1911. pp. 204–217. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  7. ↑ "Salford Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  8. ↑ "No. 33154". The London Gazette. 23 April 1926. p. 2776.
  9. ↑ "No. 41596". The London Gazette. 2 January 1959. p. 89.
  10. ↑ "Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch. 1), retrieved 30 May 2024
  11. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "No. 46255". The London Gazette. 4 April 1974. p. 4400.
  13. ↑ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  14. ↑ "About us". urbanvision.org.uk. Urban Vision. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  15. ↑ "Urban Vision". salford.gov.uk. Salford City Council. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2011/908, retrieved 30 May 2024
  17. ↑ "Understand how your council works". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Ceremonial Mayor of Salford". sccdemocracy.salford.gov.uk. Salford City Council. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "GMCA Members". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  20. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  21. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Salford" in search box to see specific results.)
  22. ↑ "Salford". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  23. ↑ "Last respects to council leader". Salford Advertiser. 7 May 1987. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  24. ↑ "A new era for council". Salford Advertiser. 28 May 1987. p. 18. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  25. 1 2 "Council has new leader". Salford Advertiser. 19 May 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  26. ↑ Keeling, Neal (13 April 2011). "Ex-Salford Labour council leader Bill Hinds rapped over 'bust up in town hall corridor' with Lib Dem leader Norman Owen". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  27. ↑ "Health and Wellbeing Board member". Partners in Salford. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  28. ↑ "Local election 2012: Lib Dems dumped out of Salford council". Manchester Evening News. May 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  29. ↑ "The Local Authorities (Elected Mayors) (Elections, Terms of Office and Casual Vacancies) (England) Regulations 2001: Regulation 6", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2001/2544 (reg. 6)
  30. ↑ "Labour's Ian Stewart is Salford's first directly-elected mayor". BBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  31. 1 2 "Salford mayor named as Paul Dennett". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  32. ↑ "Salford election result - Local Elections 2026". BBC News.
  33. ↑ "Salford". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "The Salford (Electoral Changes) Order 2019", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2019/1125, retrieved 2 June 2024
  35. ↑ "Another high-profile resignation from Labour party by Salford councillor". 10 May 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  36. ↑ "Civic Centre history". Salford City Council. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  37. ↑ "How to find us". Salford City Council. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
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