The new Leader of Halton Borough Council is Cllr Mike Wharton, replacing Cllr Rob Polhill who has stepped down after 10 years in the role.

Cllr Wharton was elected to the Council in 2002, representing Hale Village and now the new ward of Ditton, Hale Village and Halebank.   He has been Deputy Leader for 11 years, and has held the Resources portfolio for the past 15 years, with responsibility for the Council’s budget – a post he is well qualified for having spent his working life in finance in the retail sector.

Says Cllr Wharton: “I am delighted and honoured that my colleagues in the Labour Group have entrusted me to lead the Council.  I recognise that there are many challenges ahead but I am extremely optimistic that the borough has a great future.

“While nationally the election results were disappointing for the Labour Party, in Halton we bucked the trend and residents have continued to support us.  It is testimony to the continuous development of the borough and the excellent services the Council provides.

“Despite the pandemic, the Council has managed to protect our most vulnerable citizens, and we will continue to support our residents and businesses as we come out of lockdown. We will look to take the borough forward, ensuring we take advantage of the many opportunities available to us and build on Halton’s successes.”

The new Deputy Council Leader is Cllr Dave Thompson who represents the Halton Lea ward.

Following a boundary review, and Thursday’s all-out election on 6 May, Halton Borough Council now has 54 elected members, comprising 18 wards.

The new Council make-up is now: Labour 48, Liberal Democrat, 3, Conservative, 2, Green, 1.

There are nine new faces on the Council following the election. They are:

Laura Bevan                     Labour Party                    Bankfield

Louise Goodall                 Labour Party                    Bankfield

Angela Ball                       Labour Party                    Birchfield

Noel Hutchinson             Labour Party                    Central and West Bank

Andrew Dyer                   Green Party                      Daresbury, Moore and Sandymoor

Aimee Teeling                  Labour Party                    Farnworth

Victoria Begg                    Labour Party                    Mersey and Weston

Irene Bramwell                Labour Party                    Norton North

Tom Stretch                     Labour Party                    Norton South and Preston Brook

A full list of members can be found on the Council website www.halton.gov.uk