Of Good Governance

 In 1929 Furness Vale and parts of Whaley Bridge were within Cheshire.  As moves were afoot to resolve the anomalies that this created, the press enjoyed describing the situation.

The area with a population of around 3000 was governed by two county councils, one urban district council and two rural district councils.  There were three parish councils, two boards of guardians and a joint parks committee. There were three separate water supply schemes and although there was a joint sewage authority, three councils were responsible for the actual sewers. Rates differed between each of the four parishes and there were two assessment authorities. There were two elementary schools but both were in Derbyshire.

 Furness Vale with a population of about 750 had neither its own council nor parish. A brook divided the village between the parishes of Disley and Yeardsley-cum-Whaley hence the public services were provided by two authorities.

 Whaley Bridge was also divided ecclesiastically between three parishes, two dioceses, two archdeaconries, and two rural deaneries and also between the provinces of Canterbury and York.

 There were two licensing authorities and pubs kept different hours on opposite sides of the River Goyt.

These divisions resulted in the duplication of many official posts with some officers having very light duties indeed.  This farcical situation was largely resolved when Whaley Bridge and Furness Vale were transferred from Cheshire to Derbyshire in 1936.