Preston Rural North is an electoral ward in the City of Preston, Lancashire

City of Preston, Lancashire

The City of Preston is a city and non-metropolitan district in Lancashire, England. It is located on the north bank of the River Ribble, and was granted city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign...

, England. The ward is the largest by area in the city, containing the smaller and smallest villages from the northern areas of Preston, from Woodplumpton

Woodplumpton

Woodplumpton is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, located north of Preston.-Geography:It is part of the Fylde, a flat area of land between the Forest of Bowland and the Lancashire coast.-Community:...

 bordering the M55 motorway

M55 motorway

The M55 is a motorway in Lancashire, England, which can also be referred to as the Preston Northern Bypass. It connects the seaside resort of Blackpool to the M6 at Preston. It is 11.4 miles in length.-Route:...

 junction at Broughton

Broughton, Lancashire

Broughton is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, about north of Preston city centre. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,735...

, to Beacon Fell

Beacon Fell Country Park

Beacon Fell is a fell in the civil parish of Goosnargh in Lancashire, England. It has been a Country Park since 1970. It falls within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty although it is separated from the other hills in the Forest...

 at the border of the borough of Wyre

Wyre

Wyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Poulton-le-Fylde.The district is named after the River Wyre, which runs through the district...

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Parishes

Unlike many other districts of Preston

Districts of Preston

Preston is a city of Lancashire, England. The districts of Preston vary in size and shape, many of which reflect the districts developed from former villages and boroughs which now lie within the boundaries of the city of Preston. Districts of Preston have little administrative purpose: for local...

, the ward of Preston Rural North is parished, in that it has within it parish councils with their own structure and elected councillors. The parishes within Preston Rural North are Woodplumpton

Woodplumpton

Woodplumpton is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, located north of Preston.-Geography:It is part of the Fylde, a flat area of land between the Forest of Bowland and the Lancashire coast.-Community:...

, Barton

Barton, Preston

Barton is a linear village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. The parish had a population of 1,096 according to the 2001 census.-Geography:The village is about north of Preston. The parish is bound by the A6 road to the west...

, Whittingham

Whittingham, Lancashire

Whittingham is a civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. The parish measures east-to-west, from the outskirts of Longridge to the outskirts of Broughton, but only 1 mile north-to-south. Its population was 2,189 in 2001...

, and Goosnargh

Goosnargh

Goosnargh is a village and civil parish on the north side of Preston, Lancashire, England. The village lies between Broughton and Longridge, and mostly lies in the civil parish of Whittingham, although the ancient centre lies in the civil parish of Goosnargh...

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Current councillors

Election		Member	Party
	Preston Council election, 2007	Kate Calder	Conservative Party
	Preston Council election, 2008 Preston Council election, 2008 Elections to Preston City Council took place on 1 May 2008.Preston council is elected "in thirds" which means one councillor from each three-member ward, and councillors from selected two-member wards, are elected each year, with one year free from all elections to ensure all councillors serve a...	Anthony Gornall	Conservative Party
	Preston Council election, 2010 Preston Council election, 2010 Council elections for the City of Preston, Lancashire were held on 6 May 2010. They coincided with the United Kingdom local elections, 2010. Nineteen electoral wards were fought with those councillors elected in the corresponding elections in 2006 defending their seats due to the "in thirds" system...	Ken Hudson MBE MBE MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...	Conservative Party

Demographics

At the most recent census in 2001, the electoral ward of Preston Rural North had a population of 6,540. Over 80% described themselves as Christian. Many of the people living in the wards and parishes rely on farming and agriculture for their living. At the Preston Council election, 2007, the electorate of the ward was 5,305. .

Preston Rural North contains the former Whittingham Hospital, now ear-marked for renewal as a residential community. The ward forms, in conjunction with its neighbour Preston Rural East

Preston Rural East

Preston Rural East is an electoral ward in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. The ward is in the eastern and northeastern part of the city near the M55 motorway moving out towards Sherwood and Grimsargh.-Parishes:...

, the Preston Rural electoral division of Lancashire County Council

Lancashire County Council

Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...

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