Editing Trafford (section)

=== Council ===
{{Main|Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council}}

In 1974, Trafford Council was created to administer the newly formed Trafford Metropolitan Borough and is headquartered at [[Trafford Town Hall]], which was previously named Stretford Town Hall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Listings report, Autumn 2007 |publisher=The Twentieth Century Society |url=http://www.c20society.org.uk/docs/listings/07_autumn.html |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202063621/http://www.c20society.org.uk/docs/listings/07_autumn.html |archive-date=2 December 2008 }} Retrieved on 2 March 2014.</ref> On its formation in 1974, the council was controlled by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]; the Conservatives have been in control 1973–85, 1988–94, and 2004–2018. The only time the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] was in control was 1996–2002, and 2019 to the present. The rest of the time were periods of no overall control.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/councils/html/bu.stm |title=Trafford local elections 2007 |work=BBC Online |date=4 May 2007 | access-date=26 March 2010}} Retrieved on 6&nbsp;January 2008.</ref> The council meets to decide policy and allocate budget. Its duties include setting levels of [[council tax]], monitoring the health service in Trafford, providing social care, and funding schools.<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web |title=Trafford Council Constitution 2007 |author=Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council |publisher=Trafford.gov.uk |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/about-us/our-constitution.aspx}} Retrieved on 2 March 2014.</ref><ref name="Budget">{{cite web |title=Trafford Council Budget Report 2008/09 |publisher=Trafford MBC |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/DocMan2Document.asp?document_id=B11BBEAC-B7D9-4896-9C88-F76E0CF2C008 |format=PDF |date=19 February 2008 |pages=17, 22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224000935/http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/DocMan2Document.asp?document_id=B11BBEAC-B7D9-4896-9C88-F76E0CF2C008 |archive-date=24 February 2012 }} Retrieved on 4&nbsp;May 2009.</ref> Cllr Tom Ross is the leader of the council and Cllr Amy Whyte is the current mayor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1|title=Your Councillors|date=4 January 2021|website=democratic.trafford.gov.uk}}</ref>

In 2007 the [[Audit Commission (United Kingdom)|Audit Commission]] judged Trafford Council to be "improving strongly" in providing services for local people. Overall the council was awarded "three star" status meaning it was "performing well" and "consistently above minimum requirements", similar to 46% of all local authorities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) scorecard 2007 |publisher=[[Audit Commission (United Kingdom)|Audit Commission]] |url=http://cpa.audit-commission.gov.uk/STCCScorecard.aspx?TaxID=108549 |year=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090104030505/http%3A//cpa.audit%2Dcommission.gov.uk/STCCScorecard.aspx?TaxID%3D108549 |archive-date=2009-01-04 }} Retrieved on 11&nbsp;April 2008.</ref> In 2008–09, Trafford council had a budget of £150.5&nbsp;million. This was collected from [[council tax]] (57%) and government grants (43%). The council spent £31.8&nbsp;million on children and young people's services (21%); £60.1&nbsp;million on community services and social care (40%); £34.4&nbsp;million on "prosperity, planning, and development" (23%); and £33.8&nbsp;million on customer and corporate services (22%).<ref name="Budget"/>

[[Civil parish]]es form the bottom tier of local government; the parish councils are involved in planning, management of town and parish centres, and promoting tourism.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is a town, parish or community council? |author=National Association of Local Councils |publisher=nalc.gov.uk |url=http://www.nalc.gov.uk/About_NALC/What_is_a_parish_or_town_council/What_is_a_council.aspx |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110926170042/http://www.nalc.gov.uk/About_NALC/What_is_a_parish_or_town_council/What_is_a_council.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-09-26 }} Retrieved on 2 March 2014.</ref> In 2001, 8,484 people (4.0% of the borough's population) lived in Trafford's four civil parishes:<ref>{{cite web |title=Carrington civil parish population |publisher=Statistics.gov.uk |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790589&c=Carrington&d=16&e=15&g=356170&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1190636380788&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |access-date=24 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316125558/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790589&c=Carrington&d=16&e=15&g=356170&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1190636380788&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 |archive-date=16 March 2009 }}<br />•{{cite web | title =Dunham Massey civil parish population | publisher =Statistics.gov.uk | url =http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790590&c=Dunham+Massey&d=16&e=15&g=356097&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090316125603/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790590&c=Dunham+Massey&d=16&e=15&g=356097&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 | archive-date =2009-03-16 }} Retrieved on 14&nbsp;September 2007.<br />•{{cite web | title =Partington civil parish population | publisher =Statistics.gov.uk | url =http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790591&c=Partington&d=16&e=15&g=356171&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1190726274083&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090316125621/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790591&c=Partington&d=16&e=15&g=356171&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&r=1&s=1190726274083&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 | archive-date =2009-03-16 }} Retrieved on 25&nbsp;September 2007.<br />•{{cite web  | title =Warburton civil parish population  | publisher =Statistics.gov.uk  | url =http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790592&c=Warburton&d=16&e=15&g=356099&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779  | url-status =dead  | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090316125743/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=790592&c=Warburton&d=16&e=15&g=356099&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779  | archive-date =2009-03-16  }} Retrieved on 31&nbsp;August 2007.</ref> Carrington, Dunham Massey, Partington, and Warburton. They were all previously part of [[Bucklow Rural District]]. A rural district was a type of local government district for the administration of predominantly rural areas. The rest of Trafford is [[unparished area|unparished]]. The unparished areas are: Altrincham ([[Municipal Borough]]), Bowdon ([[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban District]]), Hale (Urban District), Sale (Municipal Borough), Stretford (Municipal Borough), and Urmston (Urban District). The status of each area prior to 1974 is shown in brackets. An urban district was a type of local government district which covered an urbanised area.

Following the 2018 local elections, the council, which was previously Conservative-held, came under Labour control in the form of a minority administration supported by the Liberal Democrats in a [[confidence and supply]] administration. There were a few shock results, such as in [[Altrincham (ward)]], where the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] gained seats from the incumbent Conservative councillors. After gaining seats in the 2019 local elections, the Labour Party was in a position to form a majority-controlling administration.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Party political make-up of Trafford Council
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Party
! colspan="9" | Seats
|-
! [[2015 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2015]]<ref>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151001044120/https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=TABLE&PIC=1 | archive-date = 1 October 2015 |url=https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=TABLE&PIC=1 |title=Trafford local election results 2015 |publisher=Trafford MBC |date=10 May 2015 |access-date =7 May 2016}}</ref>
! [[2016 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2016]]<ref>{{cite web | title = Declaration of result of poll: Trafford | url = http://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/docs/Declaration-of-results-2016.pdf | website = trafford.gov.uk | publisher = [[Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council]] | date = 5 May 2016 | access-date = 7 May 2016}}</ref>
! [[Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council elections#By-election results|2017]]<ref>{{cite web | title = Labour win the Bucklow St Martins by-election | url = http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/whereyoulive/15538103.Labour_win_the_Bucklow_St_Martins_by_election/?ref=mr&lp=5 | website = messengernewspapers.co.uk | publisher = Sale and Altrincham Messenger | date = 15 September 2017 | access-date = 16 September 2017}}</ref><ref name="MEN_160617">{{cite news | last = Britton | first = Paul | title = Former Tory councillor charged with making and distributing indecent images of children | url = http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tory-councillor-charged-making-distributing-13194771 | work = [[Manchester Evening News]] | publisher = [[Trinity Mirror]] | date = 16 June 2017 | access-date = 6 October 2017}}</ref>
! [[2018 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2018]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Local Election May 2018 results |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/Local-Election-2018-Results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
! [[2019 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2019]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Local Election May 2019 results |url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/Local-Election-2019-Results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
! [[2021 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2021]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2021 Local election results |url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/2021/local-election-results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
! [[2022 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2022]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2022 Local election results |url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/2022/local-election-results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
! [[2023 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2023]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 Local election results |url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/results/2020-2029/2023-Local-election-results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
! [[2024 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council election|2024]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2024 Local election results |url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/elections/results/2020-2029/2024-Local-election-results.aspx |website=[[Trafford Council]]}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#DC241F" | &nbsp;
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| style="text-align: right" | 26
| style="text-align: right" | 25
| style="text-align: right" | 26
| style="text-align: right" | 30
| style="text-align: right" | 36
| style="text-align: right" | 40
| style="text-align: right" | 41
| style="text-align: right" | 41
| style="text-align: right" | 43
|-
| style="background:#0087DC" | &nbsp;
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| style="text-align: right" | 34
| style="text-align: right" | 35
| style="text-align: right" | 33
| style="text-align: right" | 29
| style="text-align: right" | 20
| style="text-align: right" | 17
| style="text-align: right" | 13
| style="text-align: right" | 10
| style="text-align: right" | 8
|-
| style="background:#FDBB30" | &nbsp;
| [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 2
| style="text-align: right" | 4
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 5
| style="text-align: right" | 6
| style="text-align: right" | 6
|-
| style="background:#6AB023" | &nbsp;
| [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]]
| style="text-align: right" | 0
| style="text-align: right" | 0
| style="text-align: right" | 0
| style="text-align: right" | 2
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="text-align: right" | 4
| style="text-align: right" | 6
| style="text-align: right" | 6
|}

==== Electoral wards ====
There are 21 electoral wards in Trafford, each with 3 councillors, giving a total of 63 councillors with one-third elected three years out of four.<ref name="Constitution"/> In the following table, which lists the wards before the boundary changes of 2023, the populations for each ward are based on 2013 population estimates from the [[Office for National Statistics]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="f border:0; text-align:left; line-height:150%;"
|-
!  Ward name
! class="unsortable" |Localities covered (approximate)
!   Population
! class="unsortable"  | Ref.
|-
| [[Altrincham (ward)|Altrincham]]
| Altrincham, Broadheath, and Oldfield Brow || 11,873
| <ref name="Lab_ONS">{{cite web | title = Area profiles: demographics | url = http://www.infotrafford.org.uk/lab/portfolio/area-profiles-demographics?ward=E05000819 | website = infotrafford.org.uk | publisher = Trafford Innovation and Intelligence Lab | date = 2013 | access-date = 7 May 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160602185727/http://www.infotrafford.org.uk/lab/portfolio/area-profiles-demographics?ward=E05000819 | archive-date = 2 June 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Ashton upon Mersey (ward)|Ashton upon Mersey]]
| Ashton upon Mersey and Sale || 9,726
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Bowdon (ward)|Bowdon]]
| Altrincham, Bowdon, [[Dunham Massey]], and [[Warburton, Greater Manchester|Warburton]] || 9,284
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Broadheath (Trafford ward)|Broadheath]]
| Altrincham, Broadheath, Sale, Timperley, and West Timperley || 13,069
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Brooklands (Trafford ward)|Brooklands]]
| Brooklands and Sale || 10,572
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Bucklow-St. Martins]]
| Ashton upon Mersey, [[Carrington, Greater Manchester|Carrington]], and [[Partington]] || 10,540
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Clifford (ward)|Clifford]]
| [[Old Trafford (area)|Old Trafford]] || 12,003
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Davyhulme East]]
| [[Davyhulme]], The Trafford Centre and Urmston || 9,680
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Davyhulme West]]
| Davyhulme and Flixton || 10,006
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Flixton (ward)|Flixton]]
| Flixton || 10,828
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Gorse Hill (ward)|Gorse Hill]]
| Gorse Hill, Stretford and Trafford Park || 12,171
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Hale Barns (ward)|Hale Barns]]
| [[Hale, Greater Manchester|Hale]], Hale Barns and Timperley || 9,812
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Hale Central]]
| Altrincham and Hale || 10,543
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Longford, Greater Manchester|Longford]]
| [[Firswood]], Old Trafford, and Stretford || 12,163
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Priory (Trafford ward)|Priory]]
| Sale || 10,917
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Sale Moor (ward)|Sale Moor]]
| Sale and Sale Moor || 10,508
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[St Mary's (Trafford ward)|St. Mary's]]
| Ashton upon Mersey and Sale || 11,795
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Stretford (ward)|Stretford]]
| Stretford || 11,318
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Timperley (ward)|Timperley]]
| Brooklands and Timperley || 11,201
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Urmston (ward)|Urmston]]
| Flixton and Urmston || 11,271
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|-
| [[Village (Trafford ward)|Village]]
| Brooklands and Timperley || 10,899
| <ref name="Lab_ONS"/>
|}

{{See also|Healthcare in Greater Manchester}}

==== Coat of arms ====
[[File:Coat of arms of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.png|thumb|right|The coat of arms of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council]]
The coat of arms of Trafford Council depicts a [[griffin]] on a shield flanked by two [[unicorn]]s. The line bisecting the shield horizontally symbolises the [[River Mersey]] running through Trafford from east to west and the canals in the borough.<ref name="Coat of arms">{{cite web|title=Trafford coat of arms |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/about-your-council/about-us/mayor-of-trafford/trafford-coat-of-arms.aspx |author=Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council|publisher=Trafford.gov.uk}} Retrieved on 2 March 2014.</ref> The white legs of a lion on a red background represent the parts of Trafford previously controlled by the De Massey family, while the red body and head of an eagle on a white background represents the areas of Trafford previously controlled by the De Traffords. Both elements were taken from the coats of arms of the respective families.<ref name="Coat of arms"/> The fist holding bolts of lightning represents Stretford and the electrical industry; the cog on the arm represents Altrincham's engineering industry.<ref name="Coat of arms"/> The unicorns stand for Sale and Altrincham.<ref name="Coat of arms"/> The oak branches represent Urmston and the rural areas of Trafford.<ref name="Coat of arms"/>