Halton is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, North West England. The borough was created in 1974 and contains the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and the civil parishes of Daresbury, Hale, Halebank, Moore, Preston Brook, and Sandymoor. Since 1998, Halton Borough Council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.