North West Regional Assembly
Encyclopedia
The North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) was the regional assembly
for the North West England
region of the United Kingdom
. It was based at Wigan
, in Greater Manchester
. It was abolished in July 2008.
and of the Regional Employers Organisation.
The NWRA acted as the representative voice of the region and worked to promote the economic, environmental and social well-being of the North West of England. The key functions of the assembly were:
, it was proposed in July 2007 that they will be axed, losing their role by 2010..
A regional leaders forum known as 4NW' was established on 15 July 2008 and the NWRA ceased to exist.
, Cheshire
, Lancashire
, Greater Manchester
and Merseyside
and had 80 members nominated by Local Authorities, business, trade unions, further and higher education, environmental interests, and the voluntary, cultural and community sectors including sport and tourism.
Regional Assemblies in England
The Regional Assemblies of England were a group of indirectly elected regional bodies established originally under the name Regional Chambers by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. They were abolished on 31 March 2010 and replaced by Local Authority Leaders’ Boards...
for the 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...
region of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was based at Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It was abolished in July 2008.
Creation and functions
The assembly was created by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. The first meeting was held in 1999. In July 2003 the assembly was reconstituted to combine its existing functions with those of the regional arm of the Local Government AssociationLocal Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
and of the Regional Employers Organisation.
The NWRA acted as the representative voice of the region and worked to promote the economic, environmental and social well-being of the North West of England. The key functions of the assembly were:
- Co-ordinate the public expenditure of local authorities
- Act as regional planning body
- Scrutinise the work of the Northwest Regional Development AgencyNorthwest Regional Development AgencyThe Northwest Regional Development Agency is the regional development agency for the North West England region and is a non-departmental public body.....
Abolition
Following criticism of the regional assembliesRegional Assemblies in England
The Regional Assemblies of England were a group of indirectly elected regional bodies established originally under the name Regional Chambers by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. They were abolished on 31 March 2010 and replaced by Local Authority Leaders’ Boards...
, it was proposed in July 2007 that they will be axed, losing their role by 2010..
A regional leaders forum known as 4NW' was established on 15 July 2008 and the NWRA ceased to exist.
Organisation
Membership of the NWRA was not by direct election. The NWRA represented the interests of CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
and 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...
and had 80 members nominated by Local Authorities, business, trade unions, further and higher education, environmental interests, and the voluntary, cultural and community sectors including sport and tourism.
Senior Officers
| Position | Holder |
|---|---|
| Chief Executive | Phil Robinson |
| Director of Planning, Transport and Housing | Michael Gallagher |
| Director of Strategy - Scrutiny, Europe and Sustainability | Steve Barwick |
NWRA Political Group Leaders
| Political Group | Leader | Local Authority | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... Group |
Cllr Les Byrom | Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Sefton Council is the governing body for the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, north-western England. The council has been under no overall control since the 1980s and is run as an all party coalition of the Liberal Democrats, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, It consists of... |
|
| Liberal Democrat Group Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
Cllr Mike Ash | Cumbria County Council Cumbria Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in... |
|
| Labour Group 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... |
Cllr Val Stevens | Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by... |