[4] This first incarnation of the borough council replaced an earlier body of improvement commissioners which had governed the town since 1813.

[9] The borough was substantially enlarged in 1974, taking in a number of surrounding parishes from both Lancashire and Cheshire, including Lymm, which had been a separate urban district.

In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

[13] Parts of the borough are also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government for their areas.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[15] Non-metropolitan district Unitary authority The role of Mayor of Warrington is largely ceremonial.

It was bought by the borough council in 1870 and converted into a town hall, with its grounds becoming a public park.

[23][24] Elected members have approved a number of significant commercial investments by the local authority.

[30] Following sharp increases in wholesale gas and electricity prices which began in autumn 2021,[31] Together Energy Retail Ltd announced on 18 January 2022 that it was ceasing to trade.

[33] In 2021 a £202m loan facility, secured against commercial property, was provided to Matt Moulding, founder of Cheshire-based e-commerce business The Hut Group.