Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Encyclopedia
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough
of Merseyside
, in North West England
. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses 60 square mile of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula
. Major settlements include Birkenhead
, Wallasey
, Bebington
, Heswall
, Hoylake
and West Kirby
. The city of Liverpool
over the Mersey, faces the northeastern side of the Wirral. Bordering is the River Mersey
to the east, the Irish Sea
to the north and the River Dee
to the west; the borough of Cheshire West and Chester
occupies the remainder of the Wirral Peninsula and borders the borough of Wirral to the south.
, as a merger of the county borough
s of Birkenhead and Wallasey, along with the municipal borough
of Bebington and the urban district
s of Hoylake and Wirral
.
An opinion poll conducted by MORI in 2003 showed that 45% of people polled felt they "belong[ed] to" Merseyside "very strongly" (13%) or "fairly strongly", compared to a figure of 30% for Cheshire (17% of whom felt "very strongly"). 78% felt they strongly belonged to the Wirral council area.
includes hunting and forestry
includes energy and construction
includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
In September 2006 a large scale development called Wirral Waters
was unveiled by the company Peel Holdings, that if constructed as outlined may see the creation of up to 27,000 jobs.
systems from the former County Boroughs
of Birkenhead
and Wallasey
. In the part of Wirral formerly administered by Cheshire County Council
, it inherited a selective system
of grammar
and secondary modern
non-Roman Catholic schools and a comprehensive Roman Catholic school (St John Plessington Catholic College
).
Until the implementation of the Education Reform Act 1988
, education in Wirral continued to be organised in four areas; Birkenhead, Wallasey and the former parts of Cheshire known for education purposes as "Bebington
" and "Deeside
". However this Act introduced "open enrolment", allowing parents from anywhere in the borough, and outside it, to apply for a place for their child at any secondary school. As a result significant numbers of pupils from the former "comprehensive areas" attend schools in the former "selective areas" and vice versa. The distinction between different types of school was to an extent masked, as all secondary modern and most comprehensive schools were named "High School". As a further result of this Act, St Anselm's College
and Upton Hall School
, both within the Birkenhead education area, became the only independent school
s in the country to become state funded grant-maintained school
s, retaining selective admissions policies to become Roman Catholic grammar school
s.
A further change came as a result of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
, which effectively changed secondary modern schools into comprehensives as schools were no longer permitted to select by examination failure. In summary, Wirral now has a state secondary sector made up of 16 comprehensive schools (of which two are Roman Catholic) and 6 grammar schools (of which two are Roman Catholic).
Ofsted
publishes an annual list of schools that it has judged to be "particularly successful". Wirral secondary schools that have appeared in that list are:
Ofsted has not inspected any of Wirral's independent schools.
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral was governed by a Labour Party/Liberal Democrat coalition, the second and third largest parties on the council respectively. Cllr Steve Foulkes of Labour was leader of the council with Cllr Simon Holbrook of the Liberal Democrats as deputy leader of the council. The Conservative Party
was the largest party represented, and was in opposition
with its leader Cllr Jeff Green being leader of the opposition.
After the local elections in 2010
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral was governed by a Conservative Party/Liberal Democrat coalition, which reflected the coalition at national level. The Conservative Party, continuing to be the largest party represented on the council increased its number of seats by 2 to 27 and has now entered into coalition government with the Liberal Democrats as the leading coalition partner with the leader of the Conservatives, Cllr Jeff Green, becoming the new leader of the council. The Labour Party increased its representation on the council by 4 to 24 and remained the second largest party though they are now in opposition with their leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes, who was leader of the council now leader of the opposition. The Liberal Democrats lost 4 seats decreasing their tally to 15 remaining the third largest party on the council but continuing to participate in the governing of the council as the junior coalition partner to the Conservatives with their leader, Cllr Simon Holbrook, retaining his position as deputy leader of the council. The one independent represented on the council lost their seat.
After the local elections in 2011
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is now governed by a minority Labour Party administration. Cllr Steve Foulkes is now leader of the Council with Cllr Phil Davies as deputy leader. The Liberal Democrats lost a councillor to Labour, Cllr Steve Niblock shortly after the elections. There are now no independents on Wirral Council. Labour have 30 seats, Conservatives have 27 and the Liberal Democrats 9.
s: Bidston Moss, Dibbinsdale, Heswall Dales
, Hilbre Island
and Thurstaston Common
.
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses 60 square mile of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
. Major settlements include Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
, Bebington
Bebington
Bebington is a small town and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It lies south of Liverpool and west southwest of Manchester, along the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula...
, Heswall
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
, Hoylake
Hoylake
Hoylake is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, on Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
and West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
. The city of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
over the Mersey, faces the northeastern side of the Wirral. Bordering is the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
to the east, the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to the north and the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
to the west; the borough of Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
occupies the remainder of the Wirral Peninsula and borders the borough of Wirral to the south.
History
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, as a merger of the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s of Birkenhead and Wallasey, along with the municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Bebington and the urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s of Hoylake and Wirral
Wirral Urban District
Wirral was an urban district in Cheshire, England from 1933 to 1974. It was created from part of the disbanded Wirral Rural District, and covered an area in the south-west of the Wirral Peninsula...
.
An opinion poll conducted by MORI in 2003 showed that 45% of people polled felt they "belong[ed] to" Merseyside "very strongly" (13%) or "fairly strongly", compared to a figure of 30% for Cheshire (17% of whom felt "very strongly"). 78% felt they strongly belonged to the Wirral council area.
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Wirral at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.| Year | Regional Gross Value Added | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 2,089 | 10 | 674 | 1,405 |
| 2000 | 2,609 | 5 | 814 | 1,789 |
| 2003 | 3,020 | 9 | 755 | 2,256 |
includes hunting and forestry
includes energy and construction
includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
In September 2006 a large scale development called Wirral Waters
Wirral Waters
Wirral Waters is a large scale £4.5bn development that has been proposed by the company Peel Holdings for Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England...
was unveiled by the company Peel Holdings, that if constructed as outlined may see the creation of up to 27,000 jobs.
Education
When the borough was set up in 1974, it inherited comprehensiveComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
systems from the former County Boroughs
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
and Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
. In the part of Wirral formerly administered by Cheshire County Council
Cheshire County Council
Cheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...
, it inherited a selective system
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
of grammar
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and secondary modern
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
non-Roman Catholic schools and a comprehensive Roman Catholic school (St John Plessington Catholic College
St John Plessington Catholic College
St John Plessington Catholic College is a school in Bebington, Wirral, England. In 2005 the school appointed a new Headteacher, Thomas Quinn and a new Deputy Headteacher, Ian Walker in January 2006. The school so far has a very positive and unique way of education...
).
Until the implementation of the Education Reform Act 1988
Education Reform Act 1988
The Education Reform Act 1988 is widely regarded as the most important single piece of education legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the 'Butler' Education Act 1944...
, education in Wirral continued to be organised in four areas; Birkenhead, Wallasey and the former parts of Cheshire known for education purposes as "Bebington
Bebington
Bebington is a small town and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It lies south of Liverpool and west southwest of Manchester, along the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula...
" and "Deeside
Queensferry, Flintshire
Queensferry is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the River Dee near the border with England.Queensferry lies along the B5441 and B5129 roads, and is bypassed by the A494 dual carriageway. It is contiguous with Deeside...
". However this Act introduced "open enrolment", allowing parents from anywhere in the borough, and outside it, to apply for a place for their child at any secondary school. As a result significant numbers of pupils from the former "comprehensive areas" attend schools in the former "selective areas" and vice versa. The distinction between different types of school was to an extent masked, as all secondary modern and most comprehensive schools were named "High School". As a further result of this Act, St Anselm's College
St Anselm's College, Birkenhead
St. Anselm's College is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided grammar school located in Merseyside, England. It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and one of three Irish Christian Brothers schools in the Merseyside area...
and Upton Hall School
Upton Hall School FCJ
Upton Hall School FCJ, is a single sex girls' Roman Catholic voluntary aided grammar school located in Merseyside, England. It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and was founded as a girls' convent school by Nuns of the Society of the Faithful Companions of Jesus...
, both within the Birkenhead education area, became the only independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s in the country to become state funded grant-maintained school
Grant-maintained school
Grant-maintained schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government...
s, retaining selective admissions policies to become Roman Catholic grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s.
A further change came as a result of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
School Standards and Framework Act 1998
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was the major education legislation passed by the incoming Labour government of Tony Blair.This Act:* imposed a limit of 30 on infant class sizes....
, which effectively changed secondary modern schools into comprehensives as schools were no longer permitted to select by examination failure. In summary, Wirral now has a state secondary sector made up of 16 comprehensive schools (of which two are Roman Catholic) and 6 grammar schools (of which two are Roman Catholic).
Ofsted
Office for Standards in Education
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
publishes an annual list of schools that it has judged to be "particularly successful". Wirral secondary schools that have appeared in that list are:
- Calday Grange Grammar SchoolCalday Grange Grammar SchoolCalday Grange Grammar School is a non-denominational selective state grammar school, founded in 1636, situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral . The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only...
(2001–06) - Pensby High School for GirlsPensby High School for GirlsPensby High School for Girls is an all-girls secondary school with specialist Business & Enterprise and Science College status. It is located immediately north of Heswall on some of the highest ground in the Wirral Peninsula....
(2000–01) - Ridgeway High School (2000–01)
- St Anselm's CollegeSt Anselm's College, BirkenheadSt. Anselm's College is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided grammar school located in Merseyside, England. It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and one of three Irish Christian Brothers schools in the Merseyside area...
(1999–2000 and 2004–05) - St John Plessington Catholic CollegeSt John Plessington Catholic CollegeSt John Plessington Catholic College is a school in Bebington, Wirral, England. In 2005 the school appointed a new Headteacher, Thomas Quinn and a new Deputy Headteacher, Ian Walker in January 2006. The school so far has a very positive and unique way of education...
(1997–98) - St Mary's Catholic CollegeSt Mary's College, WallaseySt Mary's Catholic College is a Catholic secondary school located in Wallasey, Wirral, in the Northwest of England. St Mary's is one of four Catholic secondary schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. The others are St Anselm's College, St John Plessington Catholic College and Upton Hall...
(2001–02) - Upton Hall School FCJUpton Hall School FCJUpton Hall School FCJ, is a single sex girls' Roman Catholic voluntary aided grammar school located in Merseyside, England. It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and was founded as a girls' convent school by Nuns of the Society of the Faithful Companions of Jesus...
(2006-7) - West Kirby Grammar SchoolWest Kirby Grammar SchoolWest Kirby Grammar School is a girls grammar school and sixth form college located in the town of West Kirby on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The school currently has 1182 students on roll of whom most are girls ....
(1994–95) - Wirral Grammar School for GirlsWirral Grammar School for GirlsWirral Grammar School for Girls is an all-girls grammar school located on the Wirral Peninsula, United Kingdom.-Admissions:It is situated on Heath Road, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula, England, next door to Wirral Grammar School for Boys. The school consists of lower school and Sixth Form ,...
(1997–98 and 2003–04) - Woodchurch High SchoolWoodchurch High SchoolWoodchurch High School is a comprehensive, co-educational secondary school for 11 to 16 year olds. Examination is unnecessary for admittance. Its qualification options vary vastly from Horticulture to separate science: Physics, Chemistry and Biology GCSE's; as well as offering an extra Mathematics...
Engineering College (1998–99 and 2004–05)
Ofsted has not inspected any of Wirral's independent schools.
Local government
After the local elections in 2008United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral was governed by a Labour Party/Liberal Democrat coalition, the second and third largest parties on the council respectively. Cllr Steve Foulkes of Labour was leader of the council with Cllr Simon Holbrook of the Liberal Democrats as deputy leader of the council. The Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
was the largest party represented, and was in opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
with its leader Cllr Jeff Green being leader of the opposition.
After the local elections in 2010
United Kingdom local elections, 2010
The 2010 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 6 May 2010, when the 2010 general election also took place. Direct elections were held to all 32 London boroughs, all 36 metropolitan boroughs, 76 second-tier district authorities, 20 unitary authorities and various Mayoral posts, all in...
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral was governed by a Conservative Party/Liberal Democrat coalition, which reflected the coalition at national level. The Conservative Party, continuing to be the largest party represented on the council increased its number of seats by 2 to 27 and has now entered into coalition government with the Liberal Democrats as the leading coalition partner with the leader of the Conservatives, Cllr Jeff Green, becoming the new leader of the council. The Labour Party increased its representation on the council by 4 to 24 and remained the second largest party though they are now in opposition with their leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes, who was leader of the council now leader of the opposition. The Liberal Democrats lost 4 seats decreasing their tally to 15 remaining the third largest party on the council but continuing to participate in the governing of the council as the junior coalition partner to the Conservatives with their leader, Cllr Simon Holbrook, retaining his position as deputy leader of the council. The one independent represented on the council lost their seat.
After the local elections in 2011
United Kingdom local elections, 2011
The 2011 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 5 May 2011. In England, direct elections were held in all 36 Metropolitan boroughs, 194 Second-tier district authorities, 49 unitary authorities and various mayoral posts, meaning local elections took place in all parts of England with...
the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is now governed by a minority Labour Party administration. Cllr Steve Foulkes is now leader of the Council with Cllr Phil Davies as deputy leader. The Liberal Democrats lost a councillor to Labour, Cllr Steve Niblock shortly after the elections. There are now no independents on Wirral Council. Labour have 30 seats, Conservatives have 27 and the Liberal Democrats 9.
| Year | Conservatives Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Liberal Democrats | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 1 |
|
| 2010 | 27 | 24 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 27 | 30 | 9 | 0 |
Parliamentary constituencies
- BirkenheadBirkenhead (UK Parliament constituency)Birkenhead is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
- WallaseyWallasey (UK Parliament constituency)Wallasey is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
- Wirral South
- Wirral West
Places of interest
Wirral council maintains five designated Local Nature ReserveLocal Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s: Bidston Moss, Dibbinsdale, Heswall Dales
Heswall Dales
Heswall Dales is an area of some of lowland heath situated close to Heswall on the Wirral Peninsula, England.It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve . Heswall Dales offers views of the Dee Estuary and over the River Dee the Clwydian Hills of Wales.-External links:* *...
, Hilbre Island
Hilbre Island
Hilbre Island is the largest of a group of three islands at the mouth of the estuary of the River Dee, which is a part of the estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. The island is currently uninhabited....
and Thurstaston Common
Thurstaston Common
Royden Park and Thurstaston Common comprise an area of almost 250 acres of parklands, wood and heath at Thurstaston, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, England....
.