City of Lancaster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lancaster
City and non-metropolitan district
From left to right Top: Lancaster Castle and Priory Church Middle: Bolton-le-Sands village centre and Carnforth town centre Bottom: Heysham Harbour and Morecambe Beach
Coat of arms of Lancaster City Council
Motto(s):  "Luck to Loyne"
Lancaster shown within Lancashire
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	North West England
Ceremonial county	Lancashire
City status	14 May 1937
Administrative HQ	Lancaster (Town Hall) Morecambe (Town Hall)
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district
• Body	Lancaster City Council
Area
• Total	222.4 sq mi (575.9 km2)
Area rank	79th
Population  (2005 est.)
• Total	146,038
• Rank	146th
• Ethnicity	97.8% white
Ethnicity (2021)
• Ethnic groups	List 93.1% White 3.6% Asian 1.5% Mixed 0.9% other 0.9% Black
Religion (2021)
• Religion	List 51.8% Christianity 38.1% no religion 6.6% not stated 1.6% Islam 0.6% other 0.4% Hinduism 0.4% Buddhism 0.1% Sikhism 0.1% Judaism
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode areas	LA
Dialling codes	01524 (Lancaster) 015242 (Hornby-with-Farleton)
Vehicle registration prefix	P
GSS code	E07000121
NUTS 3 code	UKD44
ONS code	30UH
OS grid reference	SD475615
Motorways	M6 A601(M)
Major railway stations	Lancaster (B)
Councillors	61
MPs	Cat Smith (L) Lizzi Collinge (L)
Police area	Lancashire
Fire service	Lancashire
Ambulance service	North West

The City of Lancaster is a special area in Lancashire, England. It's called a "city" because it has a special status. The main town in this area is also called Lancaster.

The City of Lancaster district also includes other towns like Carnforth, Heysham, and Morecambe. It covers a large countryside area too. Many parts of this countryside are known for their amazing natural beauty. These include parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and special areas like Arnside and Silverdale and the Forest of Bowland.

Discovering Lancaster's Past

The town of Lancaster has a very long history. Its first known official document, called a charter, was written in 1193. This document gave the town special rights. Later, in 1337, another charter allowed Lancaster to have its own mayor.

In 1937, Lancaster was officially given "city status." This means it was recognized as an important city.

How the Modern City of Lancaster Was Formed

The current City of Lancaster district was created on April 1, 1974. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1972. Several smaller areas joined together to form the new, larger district. These areas included:

• Carnforth Urban District
• Lancaster Municipal Borough
• Lancaster Rural District
• Lunesdale Rural District
• Morecambe and Heysham Municipal Borough

When the new district was formed, it was given "borough status." This allowed the head of the local council to be called a mayor, continuing a tradition that goes all the way back to 1337. The special "city status" that old Lancaster had was also passed on to this new, larger district.

Since 2016, a small part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park has also been included in the district.

How Lancaster is Governed

Sign at the border of the City of Lancaster district, showing its name.

The City of Lancaster is managed by the Lancaster City Council. This council handles local services like waste collection and housing. Bigger services, like education and major roads, are managed by the Lancashire County Council.

Many smaller areas within the district have their own local councils called civil parishes. These are the third level of local government.

Who Leads the Council?

Lancaster City Council
Leadership
Mayor	Abi Mills, Green Since 10 May 2024
Leader	Caroline Jackson, Green Since 22 May 2023
Chief Executive	Mark Davies Since 2022
Structure
Seats	61 councillors
Political groups	Administration (33)      Green (23)      Liberal Democrat (7)      MB Independents (3) Other parties (28)      Labour (21)      Conservative (5)      Independent (2)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Town Hall, Marine Road East, Morecambe, LA4 5AF

The mayor in Lancaster has a mostly symbolic role. The real political decisions are made by the leader of the council.

Here are the leaders of the council since 1993:

Who is on the Council?

After the elections in 2023, the council is made up of different political groups:

The next local election is planned for 2027.

Where Does the Council Meet?

Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster

The council uses two main buildings for its meetings: Lancaster Town Hall and Morecambe Town Hall. The larger meetings are held in Morecambe Town Hall. Lancaster Town Hall is used for smaller meetings and for the council's offices.

Understanding Lancaster's People

Population pyramid of the City of Lancaster in 2020

In 2011, the City of Lancaster had about 138,375 people living there. About 33.5% of homes were married couples. Around 31.9% were single-person homes.

The population density was about 233 people per square kilometer. This means how many people live in a certain area. For every 100 females, there were about 91.8 males.

Population Changes Over Time

The number of people living in the City of Lancaster has changed a lot since 1801. The table below shows how the population has grown over the years.

Religions in Lancaster

In 2011, most people in Lancaster identified as Christian (65.9%). About 24.5% said they had no religion. Other religions like Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, and Sikh were also present.

The area has churches for different Christian groups.

Lancaster's Economy and Jobs

In 2001, there were about 97,365 people aged 16 to 74 in the City of Lancaster. Many of these people were working.

The most common jobs in Lancaster were in:

• Shops and wholesale (16.7%)
• Health and social work (14.2%)
• Education (11.4%)
• Manufacturing (11.2%)

Other jobs included property services, construction, hotels, transport, and public administration. A higher percentage of people worked in agriculture compared to the rest of England.

Media and Local News

People in the Lancaster area can watch TV from BBC North West and ITV Granada.

For radio, there are stations like BBC Radio Lancashire and BBC Radio Cumbria. Local stations include Heart North West, Smooth North West, and Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire. There's also a community radio station called Beyond Radio for Lancaster and Morecambe.

Towns and Villages in the District

Local Parishes

Map showing the civil parishes in the City of Lancaster district.

Most of the district is divided into smaller areas called civil parishes. Some of these parishes, like Carnforth and Morecambe, have their own "town councils."

Here are some of the civil parishes in the City of Lancaster district:

Lancaster's Twin Towns

Lancaster has special friendships with several towns and cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." They often share cultural events and visits.

• Perpignan, France (since 1962)
• Rendsburg, Germany (since 1968)
• Aalborg, Denmark (since 1982)
• Lublin, Poland (since 1994)
• Växjö, Sweden (since 1996)

Associate Towns

Lancaster also has "associate towns," which are similar friendships:

• Almere, Netherlands
• Viana do Castelo, Portugal