Allerdale

Workington is the largest settlement in the borough, and is the seat of the borough council. Allerdale House in Workington is the meeting place and primary office space used by the council.[3] The building is known locally as "Perry's Palace" after former council leader Tony Perry, who was responsible for its construction.[4] Other settlements in the borough include: Abbeytown, Allonby, Aspatria, Bolton Low Houses, Bothel, Brigham, Broughton, Great Clifton, Cockermouth, Crosby, Dean, Dearham, Fletchertown, Flimby, Ireby, Keswick, Kirkbride, Maryport, Mawbray, Plumbland, Seaton, Silloth, Tallentire, Thursby, Waverton, Westnewton, and Wigton.[5]

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Allerdale.

Elections to the borough council are held every four years with 49 councillors being elected from 23 wards.[9] No party has had a majority on the council since Labour lost their majority at the 2003 election. As of the 2019 election, the council is jointly administered by the Conservative Party and independents.[10] The current leader is Cllr Marion Fitzgerald, an Independent, and the deputy leader is Mike Johnson of the Conservative Party, who replaced Mark Jenkinson, when Jenkinson became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Workington.[11]

The Derwent 7 Community Led Planning Group was set up in 2007 by the town and parish councils of Above Derwent, Bassenthwaite, Borrowdale, Keswick, St John's, Castlerigg and Wythburn, Threlkeld and Underskiddaw, with funding from Alerdale Borough Council, and was still in existence in 2017. It had four subgroups including one on transport, and a co-ordinating "Cluster group".[15]

The term "Derwent Seven Parishes" is used in defining the collecting scope of Keswick Museum, as Keswick is at the heart of the area covered by these parishes.[16]

A map illustrating the area of the parishes is included in an appendix to a document produced by Sustainable Keswick.[17]