Cheshire West and Chester Council is the local authority for Cheshire West and Chester. It is a unitary authority created on 1 April 2009, succeeding the non-metropolitan districts of Chester City Council, Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, and Vale Royal Borough Council, and the non-metropolitan county of Cheshire County Council. The council was first elected on 1 May 2008, a year before coming into its legal powers on 1 April 2009.

When created in 2009, the council inherited several administrative buildings from its predecessors, notably including Chester Town Hall and the adjoining offices at The Forum from Chester City Council, the Ellesmere Port Council Offices at 4 Civic Way in Ellesmere Port from Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council, and Wyvern House on The Drumber in Winsford from Vale Royal Borough Council. The abolished Cheshire County Council's former headquarters at County Hall passed jointly to both Cheshire West and Chester Council and its neighbour Cheshire East Council. County Hall was sold to the University of Chester in 2010, and Cheshire West and Chester Council moved its main offices to a new building called HQ Chester at 58 Nicholas Street in Chester, whilst retaining the other buildings as local offices and additional accommodation.^[3][4][5][6]

The HQ Chester building did not contain a council chamber, and most full council meetings were held at Wyvern House in Winsford, except the annual council meeting which was usually held at Chester Town Hall. Committee meetings were held at various venues. This pattern continued until March 2020 when in-person meetings were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the resumption of in-person meetings in May 2021, most committee meetings have been held at Ellesmere Port Library, whilst larger venues have been hired for full council meetings.^[7] In 2022, the council moved its main offices to a new building called The Portal on Wellington Road in Ellesmere Port, and vacated most of the space it had formerly occupied at HQ Chester.^[8]

Since the 2023 election, the council has been under Labour control, with Louise Gittins serving as leader of the council. The next election is due in 2027.

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  Winsford Salt of the Earth