Westhoughton - Governance

Governance

Lying within the boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane, in the Salford hundred. In 1837, Westhoughton joined with other townships (or civil parishes) to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area. In 1872, a Local Board of Health was established for the township, and was superseded in 1894 when Westhoughton became an Urban District of the administrative county of Lancashire. In 1898 most of Over Hulton became part of the Urban District. Under the Local Government Act 1972, Westhoughton Urban District was abolished in 1974 and its area became a civil parish of the newly created Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester.

Westhoughton Town Hall was built in 1903 to a plan by Bradshaw and Gass, Architects, of Bolton. It replaced the Local Board Offices at the junction of Market Street and Wigan Road.

Westhoughton has six councillors who are elected in two borough wards – Westhoughton North and Chew Moor ward and Westhoughton South ward – and they represent the area on the metropolitan borough council of Bolton.

Westhoughton civil parish, gained town council status in 1985, and has eighteen town councillors who are elected in six town council wards – Central, Chequerbent, Daisy Hill, Hoskers and Hart Common, White Horse, and Wingates. Each year, Westhoughton Town Council elects a Town Mayor who as the town's First Citizen represents it at functions and events.