Failsworth - Governance

Governance

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Failsworth during the Middle Ages formed a township in the parish of Manchester, and hundred of Salford.

Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, Failsworth formed part of the Manchester Poor Law Union, an inter-parish unit established to provide social security. Failsworth's first local authority was a local board of health established in 1863; Failsworth Local Board of Health was a regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation in the township. Following the Local Government Act 1894, the area of the local board became the Failsworth Urban District, a local government district within the administrative county of Lancashire. In 1933, there was a small exchange of land with the neighbouring City of Manchester, and in 1954, parts of the Limehurst Rural District was added to Failsworth Urban District. Under the Local Government Act 1972, the Failsworth Urban District was abolished, and Failsworth has, since 1 April 1974, formed an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, a local government district of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. Failsworth contains two of the twenty wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham; Failsworth East and Failsworth West.

Failsworth forms part of the Ashton-under-Lyne parliamentary constituency and is represented in the House of Commons by David Heyes MP, a member of the Labour Party.