Editing Becontree (section)

===Local government===
When built, the development occupied parts of the parishes of [[Municipal Borough of Barking|Barking]], [[Municipal Borough of Dagenham|Dagenham]] and [[Municipal Borough of Ilford|Ilford]], with administration split between the three respective [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] councils.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/MuseumsAndHeritage/LocalHistoryResources/Pages/TheBecontreeEstate.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614072525/http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/MuseumsAndHeritage/LocalHistoryResources/Pages/TheBecontreeEstate.aspx |archive-date=2011-06-14 |title=Becontree Estate |access-date=2019-03-23}}</ref><ref>Alan A. Jackson, ''Semi-Detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900-39'', London: Unwin, 1973, {{ISBN|978-0-04-902003-0}}, p. 115.</ref> Barking and Ilford were established as suburbs of London and had been urban districts since 1894. Dagenham was almost entirely rural until the building of the estate, having a population of only 9,127 in 1911 and growing to 89,362 in ten years. It gained urban district status in 1926. Approximately 50% of the estate was in Dagenham, 33% in Barking and 17% in Ilford.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Ilford was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1926, Barking in 1931 and Dagenham in 1938. Services such as education and libraries were provided by [[Essex County Council]] throughout the estate. However, the division of responsibilities allowed for the local councils to provide elementary education in their areas as their populations were high enough.<ref group="notes">This was known as a 'Part III authority' under the [[Education Act 1902]] and an 'excepted district' under the [[Education Act 1944]].</ref> Before the Second World War Barking and Ilford, but not Dagenham, were providing elementary education. However, Dagenham was permitted to provide its own library service.<ref name="Robson 1939">{{cite book | last = Robson | first = William | title = The government and misgovernment of London | publisher = Routledge | location = London New York | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-0415418263 }}</ref> After the Second World War Dagenham also provided elementary education. During the 1920s and 1930s there was periodic discussion and review of the local government arrangements in the area, including proposals to merge the three districts, or transfer the estate to the County of London, but it was not acted on.

The area was within the [[Metropolitan Police District]]. It was considered to form part of the Greater London conurbation for census reporting and in 1957 formed part of the review area of the [[Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London]]. The 1960 report of the commission recommended that Barking and Dagenham should form as a single [[London borough]] and this became the London Borough of Barking in 1965 following the [[London Government Act 1963]]. Ilford became part of the new London Borough of Redbridge. Barking was renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980. It was anticipated that the mergers of existing boroughs might produce unsatisfactory boundaries in some places and a [[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]] was established by the Local Government Act 1972 to review periodically the boundaries of Greater London and the London boroughs. The first review of boundaries in London commenced on 1 April 1987 and reported in 1992. The transfer of the Redbridge part of the estate to Barking and Dagenham had broad support.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/lgbce/research/lgbce-reports-1973---1992/general-reports/627-the-boundaries-of-greater-london-and-the-london-boroughs.pdf |title=The Boundaries of Greater London and The London Boroughs |access-date=30 September 2013 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219113944/http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/lgbce/research/lgbce-reports-1973---1992/general-reports/627-the-boundaries-of-greater-london-and-the-london-boroughs.pdf |archive-date=19 February 2014 |publisher=[[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/lgbce/research/lgbce%2Dreports%2D1973%2D%2D%2D1992/mandatory%2Dreviews/660.%2Dlondon%2Dborough%2Dof%2Dbarking%2Dand%2Ddagenham%2Dand%2Dits%2Dboundaries%2Dwith%2Dredbridge%2Dlb%2C%2Dnewham%2Dlb%2Dand%2Dhavering%2Dlb.pdf |title=Local Government Boundary Commission For England: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham |publisher=[[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]] |date=7 May 1992 |access-date=9 June 2022 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131204081556/http://www.lgbce.org.uk/__documents/lgbce/research/lgbce%2Dreports%2D1973%2D%2D%2D1992/mandatory%2Dreviews/660.%2Dlondon%2Dborough%2Dof%2Dbarking%2Dand%2Ddagenham%2Dand%2Dits%2Dboundaries%2Dwith%2Dredbridge%2Dlb%2C%2Dnewham%2Dlb%2Dand%2Dhavering%2Dlb.pdf |archive-date=4 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following the review, in April 1994 an area of 90 hectares with a population of 200, was transferred from Redbridge to Barking and Dagenham, and a new ward of Becontree electing two councillors was created.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1993/1443/made |title=The East London Boroughs (London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2016-11-24 |archive-date=27 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027074715/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1993/1443/made |url-status=live }}</ref> The wards and councillor allocations were redrawn in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/780/made |title=The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (Electoral Changes) Order 2000 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2016-11-24 |archive-date=2 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702154854/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/780/made |url-status=live }}</ref>