Editing Cheshire (section)

===Current===
<imagemap>
File:Cheshire unitary labell.png|220px|thumb|The ceremonial county showing the four unitary authorities. Click on the map for more information
poly 132 343 74 237 19 152 25 129 215 134 231 120 255 121 298 172 293 195 263 221 221 222 179 257 152 293 175 350 [[Cheshire West and Chester]]
poly 168 293 241 241 285 239 325 225 382 264 383 272 316 308 312 348 225 368 [[Cheshire East]]
poly 333 175 269 130 267 103 300 82 357 102 480 90 491 189 410 239 [[Cheshire East]]
poly 313 228 334 183 419 219 354 293 [[Cheshire East]]
poly 131 105 166 58 182 73 182 94 201 99 207 91 218 105 210 129 183 127 161 121 131 107 [[Borough of Halton|Halton]]
poly 188 75 192 30 266 9 296 73 267 82 251 107 234 112 [[Borough of Warrington|Warrington]]
desc none
</imagemap>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Unit
! Admin-HQ
! Population<br />({{English statistics year}})
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Density (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Head
! colspan="2" | [[Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom#Unitary authorities|Party]]
|-
| [[Cheshire East]]
| [[Sandbach]]
| {{English district population|GSS=E06000049}}
| {{English district area|GSS=E06000049}}
| {{English district density|GSS=E06000049}}
|Sam Corcoran
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|No overall control}}" |
|<!--{{English district control|GSS=E06000049}}-->
|-
| [[Cheshire West & Chester]]
| [[Winsford]], [[Ellesmere Port]]
| {{English district population|GSS=E06000050}}
| {{English district area|GSS=E06000050}}
| {{English district density|GSS=E06000050}}
|Louise Gittins
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|{{English district control|GSS=E06000050}}
|-
| [[Borough of Halton|Halton]]
| [[Widnes]]
| {{English district population|GSS=E06000006}}
| {{English district area|GSS=E06000006}}
| {{English district density|GSS=E06000006}}
| Mike Wharton
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| {{English district control|GSS=E06000006}}
|-
| [[Borough of Warrington|Warrington]]
| [[Warrington]]
| {{English district population|GSS=E06000007}}
| {{English district area|GSS=E06000007}}
| {{English district density|GSS=E06000007}}
| Russ Bowden
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| {{English district control|GSS=E06000007}}
|}
Cheshire has no county-wide elected local council, but it does have a [[Lord Lieutenant]] under the [[Lieutenancies Act 1997]] and a [[High Sheriff of Cheshire|High Sheriff]] under the [[Sheriffs Act 1887]].

Local government functions apart from the Police and Fire/Rescue services are carried out by four smaller unitary authorities: [[Cheshire East]], [[Cheshire West and Chester]], [[Halton (borough)|Halton]], and [[Borough of Warrington|Warrington]]. All four unitary authority areas have [[Borough status in the United Kingdom|borough status]].

Policing and fire and rescue services are still provided across the county as a whole. The [[Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service|Cheshire Fire Authority]] consist of members of the four councils, while governance of [[Cheshire Constabulary]] is performed by the elected [[Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner]].

Winsford is a major administrative hub for Cheshire with the Police and Fire & Rescue Headquarters based in the town as well as a majority of Cheshire West and Chester Council. It was also home to the former Vale Royal Borough Council and Cheshire County Council.

Devolution talks for the county were scheduled for Autumn 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-17 |title=Cheshire: County to start devolution talks 'within weeks' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c703z3l6j0zo |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Plans to establish a [[Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority]] were approved by the UK government in February 2025.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cre85qnxvnvo.amp</ref> Halton Borough has been a member of the [[Liverpool City Region Combined Authority]] since that authority was established in 2014.