St Helens (borough) - Definition and Overview

Borough of St Helens
Geography
Status:	Metropolitan borough
Region:	North West England
Ceremonial County:	Merseyside
Area: - Total	Ranked 221st 136.38 km²
Admin. HQ:	St Helens
ONS code:	00BZ
Demographics
Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density	Ranked 82nd 176,720 1,296 / km²
Ethnicity:	98.8% White
Politics
St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Labour
MPs:	David Watts, Shaun Woodward

St Helens is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England. It is named for its main town, St Helens. Other settlements in the borough include Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Rainhill ,Eccleston and Rainford.

The borough was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the former county borough of St Helens, along with the urban districts of Haydock, Newton-le-Willows and Rainford, and parts of Billinge-and-Winstanley and Ashton-in-Makerfield urban districts, along with part of Whiston Rural District.