Study conducted on whether Warrington should be Cheshire or Lancashire

The research was carried out by Independent England, a pro-democracy confederation founded in January 2020 which now has 2,600 registered members.

The historic town of Warrington has traditionally been situated in Lancashire from 1182 when the county was created.

However, in 1974, the UK government transferred the town to Cheshire.

Independent England decided to conduct a democratic survey in the town, asking residents in which county they believe Warrington be in.

This was in order to discover whether there is a general satisfaction with the current location in Cheshire, or if there is a significant desire for the town to be returned to Lancashire.

A team of four Independent England members conducted an initial investigation into the situation, near to Golden Square Shopping Centre last Saturday, May 25.

In the survey, members of the public were asked for the county that they preferred the town to be a part of.

There were 113 responses in total, with 68 (60 per cent) of them favouring Cheshire, and 45 (40 per cent) choosing Lancashire.

Of the 34 interviewees who gave an address and postcode, 17 (50 per cent) favoured Lancashire, while the same number preferred Cheshire.

The results of those with addresses in the primary survey area north of the River Mersey were 14 (52 per cent) favouring Lancashire and 13 (48 per cent) preferring Cheshire.

The results of the seven interviewees with addresses south of the river, and therefore traditionally in Cheshire, four were in favour of that county and three preferred Lancashire.

In general, younger people favoured Cheshire, largely accepting the status quo as a simple matter of fact.

In general, older people preferred Lancashire, mainly with enthusiasm and nostalgia for the tradition of Warrington being in Lancashire.

A number of people had no preference between the two options, and some people had no interest in the survey or where they live.

Jeff Kent, co-ordinator for Independent England, said: “Because of Warrington’s very long existence within Lancashire and the lack of government consultation with residents prior to its relatively recent relocation into Cheshire, Independent England decided that a democratic survey should be conducted to elicit the opinions of the townspeople about their preferred location.

“This was in order to discover whether there is a general satisfaction with the current location in Cheshire, or if there is a significant desire for the town to be returned to Lancashire.

“Independent England’s initial survey of the local population’s preference for Warrington’s wider location clearly shows a significant division of opinions.

“Our recommendations are that a much more comprehensive independent survey should be undertaken for democratic reasons.

“This is to determine where the people of Warrington wish to be, and political authorities should act upon it, according to the will of the people.”