Community Assembly of Greater Manchester

Serving, supporting and protecting our local communities

The Community Assembly of Greater Manchester is located in a city that was created on 1 April 1974 and is now highly urbanised with a population of 2.8 million. The majority of the county's settlements are part of the Greater Manchester built-up area, which extends into Cheshire and Merseyside and is the second most populous urban area in the UK. The city of Manchester is the largest settlement and other large settlements include Bolton, Rochdale, Sale, Salford, Stockport and Wigan.

Although Greater Manchester was not created until 1974, the history of its settlements go back centuries. There is evidence of Iron Age habitation, particularly at Mellor, and a known Celtic Britons settlement named Chochion, believed to have been an area of Wigan settled by the Brigantes. Stretford was also part of the land believed to have been occupied by the Celtic Brigantes tribe, and lay on their border with the Cornovii on the southern side of the River Mersey.