were announced by the Labour government that new housing was needed and Sefton East – where Maghull is – was chosen as one of the locations for the new homes. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council showcased the plans at various locations around south Sefton, and were met by local opposition. Geography Maghull is seven miles north-northeast of Liverpool city centre. To the northwest is Lydiate, to the east Melling, to the south Aintree and Netherton and to the west the Mersey Forest and Sefton village. Maghull is separated from the rest of the Greater Liverpool sprawl by a green belt which runs across the Switch Island motorway junction and through which flows the River Alt. Governance In 1912, the Maghull & District Conservative Club was founded on Station Road; it still stands today. The Maghull Labour Party was formed in 1928. Maghull has been governed as part of the Borough of Sefton since the Local Government Act 1974, when the boundaries were redrawn. Maghull moved from Lancashire into Merseyside. Maghull has had an elected council since the Local Government Act 1894 when the government set up a network of local councils across England. Following the Local Government Act 1974, the council changed its name from a parish to a town council and remains the second largest town council in England. Maghull has worked with the neighbouring parishes and villages, as well as Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council under the banner of the Altside Business Village, to give businesses in the areas a united voice and to promote tourism in the area. For this scheme, Maghull works with Aintree, Lydiate, Melling and Sefton Village; all of which are connected geographically as being near the River Alt – hence the name Altside, and politically as they are all in the eastern parishes of Sefton borough. By 1971 the population of the town stood at 22,794 and gave Maghull the largest population of any civil parish in the country. Maghull also has a town council, established by the 1974 Local Government Act. The town council is composed of councillors elected every four years. The council has been under the control of Labour since the 2011 local elections. Since 2019 it has the following make up 12 Labour, 2 Conservatives and 2 Independent Councillors. Maghull town council is made up of four wards: East which elects five councillors, West which elects four councillors, North which elects