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• The story of Knowsley

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The late Councillor Larry Nolan played a major role in bringing about the creation of Knowsley as a borough and was therefore well placed to tell the story behind it.

He did this as part of a thesis for his Master of Political Science at Liverpool John Moores University which has now been abridged and published to mark the first anniversary of his death. It is a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated 40 years of his life to community affairs and who was the only councillor to have served continuously for Knowsley since its formation.

In the abridgement, ‘Bringing About the Borough’, Larry Nolan described how the Metropolitan District of Knowsley was created in 1974 as part of the most extensive reorganisation of local government in England for more than 80 years.

However, he wrote that it only happened because the politicians from the existing diverse districts of Huyton, Kirkby, Prescot and Whiston had set aside territorial loyalties and banded together to press for a fifth Mersesyside district to avoid being swallowed up by their larger neighbours of St Helens and Liverpool.

They succeeded against the odds despite the fact that the new district did not meet the then Government’s criteria for new authorities on population size, geography or community links.

Once agreed, a steering committee was set up by the four existing districts and two names were proposed for the new authority – Knowsley and Biccford (an amalgamation of BICC and Fords, two of the largest employers in the district).

Larry Nolan wrote: “On a show of hands Knowsley was chosen…..thus was born the Metropolitan District of Knowsley.”

When created, it had only the sketchiest of identities and the extent of support for it in the local populations was unknown. But Larry observed that by the 1990s it had won the hearts and minds of the public. “Another reorganisation proposal – which would have swept Knowsley away for good – was decisively defeated by a mass campaign of public protest,” he wrote.

Cllr Ronnie Round, Leader of Knowsley Council said: “It is not often that you can say an academic thesis is a fascinating read, but in this case, it is no exaggeration. Larry was uniquely placed to write about the creation of Knowsley and this abridgement will stand as a formative work on the history of our borough.”

The abridgement will be available for loan by members of the public from any of Knowsley’s libraries. It will be launched at an event on Thursday (August 23) at Huyton Creative Learning Centre, to be attended by members of Larry Nolan’s family including his widow Lena, the Mayor and Mayoress of Knowsley, Cllr Eddie Baker and Margaret Taylor, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Ronnie Round and other senior members and officers of the Council.

You can also download the abridgement from the council website http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/leisure/local_history/

At the time of his death, Councillor Nolan, who was 76, was Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services. He was Mayor in 1978 – 79 and served the Council in many key roles.

Pictured: The Mayor of Knowsley with Cllr Nolan's widow and grandchildren

– Ends–

Notes to Editors:

• The late Councillor Larry Nolan was born in Toxteth. After serving in the forces he followed a career in welding, working at British Insultated Cables in Prescot for 30 years.
• He began his political career as a member of Whiston Parish Council and later served on Huyton Urban District Council. At the time of his death he represented Page Moss ward on Knowsley Borough Council.
• As lead councillor for education and later children’s services he oversaw record breaking rises in educational attainment and was instrumental in the development of Knowsley’s Building Schools for the Future Programme to replace the borough’s secondary schools with state of the art learning centres.
  
  

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