West Lancashire
§ This page gives an overview of the West Lancashire local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ West Lancashire is a rural district stretching from the Lancashire Plain to the edge of Merseyside, with Ormskirk as its historic market town and Skelmersdale as a major centre. The flat, fertile land of the West Lancashire Plain is criss-crossed by drainage ditches and agricultural fields, particularly suited for crop farming. The River Douglas and Leeds and Liverpool Canal flow through the area, adding waterside character. Villages like Burscough and Parbold provide charm and access to nearby countryside, while the district’s open farmland contrasts with hilly landscapes at its eastern edge.
The administrative boundary of West Lancashire can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of West Lancashire.
Key Facts about West Lancashire
What region is West Lancashire in? West Lancashire is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is West Lancashire in? West Lancashire is located in the county of Lancashire.
Is West Lancashire a city? No, West Lancashire is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs West Lancashire? The local authority for this district is: West Lancashire District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Lancashire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Lancashire County Council.
▶ Official website of West Lancashire District Council 🔗 westlancs.gov.uk
Which police force covers West Lancashire? Policing in West Lancashire is provided by Lancashire Constabulary 🔗 lancashire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Blackburn with Darwen ⁞ Blackpool ⁞ Burnley ⁞ Chorley ⁞ Fylde ⁞ Hyndburn ⁞ Lancaster ⁞ Pendle ⁞ Preston ⁞ Ribble Valley ⁞ Rossendale ⁞ South Ribble ⁞ West Lancashire ⁞ Wyre.
West Lancashire in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, West Lancashire is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) North West
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Lancashire
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Chorley and West Lancashire
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in West Lancashire
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in West Lancashire
West Lancashire is divided into 15 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Aughton & Holborn
- Burscough Bridge & Rufford
- Burscough Town
- North Meols & Hesketh Bank
- Old Skelmersdale
- Ormskirk East
- Ormskirk West
- Rural North East
- Rural South
- Rural West
- Skelmersdale North
- Skelmersdale South
- Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre
- Tarleton Village
- Up Holland
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.
Parishes in West Lancashire
West Lancashire is part-parished: 21 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 1 unparished areas.
- Aughton
- Bickerstaffe
- Bispham
- Burscough
- Dalton
- Downholland
- Great Altcar
- Halsall
- Hesketh-with-Becconsall
- Hilldale
- Lathom
- Lathom South
- Newburgh
- North Meols
- Parbold
- Rufford
- Scarisbrick
- Simonswood
- Tarleton
- Up Holland
- Wrightington
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
Built-up Areas in West Lancashire
West Lancashire covers 28 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Appley Bridge *
- Aughton
- Banks
- Bescar
- Burscough
- Drummersdale
- Formby *
- Haskayne
- Hill Dale
- Holmeswood
- Hundred End
- Hunger Hill (West Lancashire) *
- Kirkby *
- Maghull *
- Mawdesley *
- Mere Brow
- Mossy Lea
- Newburgh (West Lancashire)
- Ormskirk
- Orrell *
- Parbold
- Ring o' Bells
- Rufford (West Lancashire)
- Scarisbrick
- Shevington Moor *
- Skelmersdale
- Southport *
- Tarleton and Hesketh Bank *
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of West Lancashire.)
West Lancashire compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how West Lancashire compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
West Lancashire has 15 electoral wards.
West Lancashire has a population of 121,995 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for West Lancashire can be found on the ONS statistics for West Lancashire.