Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district

Non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...

 with borough status

Borough status in the United Kingdom

Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...

 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...

, England. It contained the towns of Northwich

Northwich

Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...

, Winsford

Winsford

Winsford is a town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver south of Northwich and west of Middlewich, and grew around the salt mining industry after the river was canalised in the...

 and Frodsham

Frodsham

Frodsham is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population is 8,982. It is approximately south of Runcorn, 16 miles south of Liverpool, and approximately south-west of Manchester...

.

Creation

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972

Local 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....

 by merging Northwich and Winsford 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, Northwich Rural District

Northwich Rural District

Northwich Rural District was a rural district surrounding, but not including the towns of Northwich and Winsford in Cheshire. It was created in 1894 from the Runcorn Rural Sanitary District....

 and part of Runcorn Rural District

Runcorn Rural District

Runcorn was a rural district in Cheshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It was named after but did not include Runcorn, a town on the River Mersey to the north-west of the district, which formed its own urban district....

.

It took its name from Vale Royal Abbey

Vale Royal Abbey

Vale Royal Abbey is a medieval abbey, and later country house, located in Whitegate, between Northwich and Winsford in Cheshire, England.The abbey was founded in 1270 by Edward I for monks of the austere Cistercian order...

, formerly one of the largest in England, which was situated near the village of Whitegate near the centre of the district.

Civil Parishes

The district comprised the following civil parishes:

• Acton Bridge
  Acton Bridge
  right|thumb|Map of the civil parish of Acton Bridge within the former borough of Vale RoyalActon Bridge is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. Located within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester on the River Weaver, it is near the Trent and Mersey Canal at approximately...
  
  
• Allostock
  Allostock
  thumb|right|200px|Map of Allostock civil parish within the former borough of Vale RoyalAllostock is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about five miles south of Knutsford. It has a population of 783...
  
  
• Alvanley
  Alvanley
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Alvanley within the former borough of [[Vale Royal]].Alvanley is a small rural village and civil parish near the village of Helsby, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England...
  
  
• Anderton with Marbury
  Anderton with Marbury
  right|thumb|Map of civil parish of Anderton with Marbury within the former borough of Vale RoyalAnderton with Marbury is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 582 according to the 2001 census, and...
  
  
• Antrobus
• Aston
  Aston, Vale Royal
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Aston within the former borough of Vale RoyalAston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 111...
  
  
• Barnton
  Barnton
  Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
  
  
• Bostock
  Bostock
  right|200px|thumb|Map of civil parish of Bostock in the former borough of Vale RoyalBostock is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 229. The village is...
  
  
• Byley
  Byley
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Byley within the former borough of Vale RoyalByley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about 2½ miles north of Middlewich....
  
  
• Comberbach
  Comberbach
  Comberbach is a civil parish and small village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, located between Northwich and Warrington. The village sports a new Memorial Hall , a Bowling Club, two pubs - the Spinner and Burgamot, and the Drum...
  
  
• Crowton
  Crowton
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Crowton within borough of Vale RoyalCrowton is a civil parish and village within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located approximately 6 miles west of Northwich.-External links:...
  
  
• Cuddington
  Cuddington, Vale Royal
  Cuddington is a civil parish and rural village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, about six miles west of Northwich and fourteen miles east of Chester....
  
  
• Darnhall
  Darnhall
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Darnhall within the former Borough of Vale RoyalDarnhall is a civil parish and small village to the south west of Winsford in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England...
  
  
• Davenham
  Davenham
  Davenham is a rural village and civil parish approximately south of the town of Northwich, part of the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It has a population of 5,655. The village is close to the A556 and A533 roads and both the River Dane and...
  
  
• Delamere
  Delamere, Cheshire
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Delamere within the former borough of Vale RoyalDelamere is a civil parish and village in Cheshire. It is situated approximately 7 miles to the west of Northwich, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester.The village is well-known for the...
  
  
• Dutton
  Dutton, Cheshire
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Dutton within the former borough of Vale RoyalDutton is a civil parish and village within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located approximately east of Runcorn.-External links:...
  
  
• Frodsham
  Frodsham
  Frodsham is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population is 8,982. It is approximately south of Runcorn, 16 miles south of Liverpool, and approximately south-west of Manchester...
  
  
• Great Budworth
  Great Budworth
  Great Budworth is a civil parish and village, approximately north of Northwich, England, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It lies off the A559 road, east of Comberbach, northwest of Higher Marston and southeast of Budworth Heath...
  
  
• Hartford
  Hartford, Cheshire
  Hartford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies at the intersection of the A559 road and the West Coast Mainline and is less than south west of the town of Northwich...
  
  
• Helsby
  Helsby
  Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
  
  
• Kingsley
  Kingsley, Cheshire
  Kingsley is a civil parish and a village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is approximately 5 miles south east of the town of Frodsham....
  
  
• Lach Dennis
  Lach Dennis
  Lach Dennis is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located approximately east of Northwich.- History :...
  
  
• Little Budworth
  Little Budworth
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Little Budworth within the former borough of Vale RoyalLittle Budworth is a civil parish and village between Winsford and Chester, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England...
  
  
• Little Leigh
  Little Leigh
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Little Leigh within the former borough of Vale RoyalLittle Leigh is a civil parish and village within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located approximately 2 miles north of Weaverham...
  
  
• Lostock Gralam
  Lostock Gralam
  Lostock Gralam is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated to the east of Northwich. The civil parish of Lostock Gralam also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green...
  
  
• Lower Peover
  Lower Peover
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Nether Peover within the former borough of Vale RoyalLower Peover is a village in the civil parish of Nether Peover in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, approximately 6 miles east of Northwich...
  
  
• Manley
  Manley, Cheshire
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Manley within the former borough of Vale RoyalManley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England.-External links:...
  
  
• Marston
  Marston, Cheshire
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Marston within the former borough of Vale RoyalMarston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in the north west of England, on the River Weaver, close to Anderton and the...
  
  
• Moulton
  Moulton, Cheshire
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Moulton within the former borough of Vale RoyalMoulton is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and near the centre of the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated south of Northwich and north of...
  
  
• Norley
  Norley
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Norley within the former borough of Vale RoyalNorley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies to the north of Delamere Forest, near the village of Cuddington...
  
  
• Northwich
  Northwich
  Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
  
  
• Oakmere
  Oakmere
  Oakmere is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.Oakmere is situated on the A556 road, approximately west of Frodsham...
  
  
• Rudheath
  Rudheath
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rudheath within the former borough of Vale RoyalRudheath is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Northwich.This...
  
  
• Rushton
  Rushton, Cheshire
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rushton within the former borough of Vale RoyalRushton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 6 miles west of Winsford and 2 miles...
  
  
• Sproston
  Sproston
  Sproston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles east of Middlewich....
  
  
• Stanthorne
  Stanthorne
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Rushton within the former borough of Vale RoyalStanthorne is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles west of...
  
  
• Sutton
  Sutton, Vale Royal
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Sutton within the former borough of Vale RoyalSutton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England. It lies to the north east of Frodsham and contains the village...
  
  
• Tarporley
  Tarporley
  Tarporley is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England....
  
  
• Utkinton
  Utkinton
  thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Utkinton within the former borough of Vale RoyalUtkinton is a civil parish and small village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is approximately 8 miles west of Winsford and north of Tarporley...
  
  
• Weaverham
  Weaverham
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Weaverham within former borough of Vale RoyalWeaverham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. Just off the A49, it is just to the west of Northwich and south of the River...
  
  
• Whitegate and Marton
  Whitegate and Marton
  thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Whitegate and Marton within the former borough of Vale RoyalWhitegate and Marton is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire...
  
  
• Whitley
  Whitley, Cheshire
  Whitley is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is surrounded by the parishes of Antrobus, Comberbach, Little Leigh and Dutton...
  
  
• Wimboldsley
  Wimboldsley
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Wimboldsley within the former borough of Vale RoyalWimboldsley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the north west of England, approximately 2 miles south of...
  
  
• Wincham
  Wincham
  right|thumb|200px|Map of civil parish of Wincham in the former borough of Vale RoyalWincham is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated about three miles north of Northwich in the Cheshire Plain...
  
  
• Winsford
  Winsford
  Winsford is a town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver south of Northwich and west of Middlewich, and grew around the salt mining industry after the river was canalised in the...
  
  

Elections and political control

The political composition of the council at its abolition in 2009 was:

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	26
	Labour	17
	Liberal Democrat	11
	Weaverham Independents	3

Abolition

In 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government

The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...

 considered reorganising Cheshire's administrative structure as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England

2009 structural changes to local government in England

Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...

. The decision to merge Vale Royal with the districts of Chester

Chester (district)

Chester was a non-metropolitan local government district of Cheshire, England, with the status of a city and a borough.Apart from Chester itself, which was the principal settlement, the district covered a large rural area...

 and Ellesmere Port and Neston

Ellesmere Port and Neston

Ellesmere Port and Neston was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It covered the southern part of the Wirral Peninsula, namely that part which is not included in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral....

 to create a single unitary authority was announced on 25 July 2007, following a consultation period in which a proposal to create a single Cheshire unitary authority was rejected.

Vale Royal was abolished on 1 April 2009, when the new 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...

unitary authority was formed.