Billinge and Winstanley Urban District facts for kids

Billinge (which later became Billinge and Winstanley) was a special area in Lancashire, England. From 1872 to 1974, it had its own local government. This meant people living there had a group of elected officials who looked after local services.

How Billinge Got Its Own Government

In 1872, Billinge became a "local government district." This was like a small area that could manage its own affairs. It was run by a group called a local board.

Three Parishes Unite

The district included three separate areas, or parishes:

• Billinge Chapel End
• Billinge Higher End
• Winstanley

Before this, these areas were part of a larger parish called Wigan. But in 1866, they became their own official parishes. This happened because they started choosing their own "overseers of the poor." These were people who helped look after those in need in the community.

Taking Control of Local Health

In August 1872, these three parishes were briefly part of the Wigan Rural Sanitary District. This district was in charge of public health, like keeping areas clean. However, the people of Billinge wanted to manage their own health services.

So, on October 24, 1872, a meeting was held. They decided to form their own group called the Billinge Local Government District. This allowed them to set up their own board. It also meant they became a separate "urban sanitary district." This made them independent from the Wigan Rural Sanitary District. The government officially approved this on December 16, 1872.

Becoming an Urban District

A new law in 1894 changed how local areas were governed. Because of this law, local boards became "urban districts." This change happened on December 31, 1894.

Merging Parishes and Renaming

The three parishes within the Billinge district were considered "urban parishes." This meant they didn't have their own separate parish councils. Instead, the Billinge Urban District Council managed them directly.

On April 1, 1924, the three parishes officially joined together. They formed one single parish called Billinge and Winstanley. This new parish covered the same area as the urban district. Even though they were one parish, the old parish areas were still used as "wards." These wards were like smaller sections used for voting for councillors.

A few years later, on May 5, 1927, the urban district itself was officially renamed. It became known as Billinge and Winstanley.

The End of the District

In 1974, another big change happened in local government. A new law, the Local Government Act 1972, abolished many urban districts, including Billinge and Winstanley.

Billinge and Winstanley was one of only a few urban districts that were split up. Its different parts went into two new larger districts:

• The Billinge Chapel End ward became a parish again. It joined the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside.
• The rest of the urban district, which included Billinge Higher End and Winstanley wards, became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester.