Allerdale is a non-metropolitan district of Cumbria, with borough status. Its council is based in Workington and the borough has a population of 96,422 at the 2011 Census.
The Borough of Allerdale was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the municipal borough of Workington, the urban districts of Maryport, Cockermouth and Keswick; and the rural districts of Cockermouth and Wigton, all of which were within the administrative county of Cumberland. In 1995 Allerdale was granted borough status.
The name derives from the ancient region of Allerdale, represented latterly by the two wards of Cumberland, called Allerdale above Derwent and Allerdale below Derwent the present borough corresponding largely to the latter with parts of the former. Much of the area during the medieval period was a Royal Forest subject to forest law.
Elections to the borough council are held every four years with 49 councillors being elected from 23 wards. A ward boundary map can be downloaded here.
Politically, the council is minority-controlled by the Conservatives.
