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Local Government Act 1972
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{{Use British English|date=January 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Local Government Act 1972 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to make provision with respect to local government and the functions of local authorities in England and Wales; to amend Part II of the Transport Act 1968; to confer rights of appeal in respect of decisions relating to licences under the Home Counties (Music and Dancing) Licensing Act 1926; to make further provision with respect to magistrates' courts committees; to abolish certain inferior courts of record; and for connected purposes. | year = 1972 | citation = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1972|1972]] c. 70 | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = England and Wales | royal_assent = 26 October 1972 | commencement = {{ubli|26 October 1972|1 April 1974}} | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = {{ubli|[[Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844]]|[[Burial Act 1854]]|[[Burial Act 1860]]|[[Burial Act 1871]]|[[Public Health (Interments) Act 1879]]|[[Burial Boards (Contested Elections) Act 1885]]|[[Local Government (Joint Committees) Act 1897]]|[[Lincolnshire Coroners Act 1899]]|[[Local Authorities (Publicity) Act 1931]]|[[Local Government Act 1933]]|[[Health Resorts and Watering Places Act 1936]]|[[Local Authorities (Expenses) Act 1956]]|[[Local Government Elections Act 1956]]|[[Public Health Officers (Deputies) Act 1957]]|[[Local Government (Pecuniary Interests) Act 1964]]|[[Local Government (Qualification of Members) Act 1971]]}} | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = {{ubli|[[Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971]]|[[Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972]]|[[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]]}} | status = amended | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = yes | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = }} {{United Kingdom formation}} The '''Local Government Act 1972''' (c. 70) is an [[Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)|act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] that reformed [[local government in the United Kingdom|local government]] in [[England and Wales]] on 1 April 1974.<ref name=lga1972>{{cite book|title=Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70|publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd|isbn=0-10-547072-4|year=1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Act 1972 |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/contents }}</ref> It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the [[Heath ministry|Heath Government of 1970β74]]. The act took the total number of councils in England from 1,245 to 412 (excluding [[Parish council (England)|parish councils]]), and in Wales to 45.<ref name="LGA">{{cite web |url=https://www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent/our-work/political-and-governance-implications-unitary-reorganisation |title=The political and governance implications of unitary reorganisation |last=Copus |first=Colin |website=[[Local Government Association]] |access-date=28 December 2023}}</ref> Its pattern of two-tier [[Metropolitan county|metropolitan]] and [[non-metropolitan county]] and [[Districts of England|district]] councils remains in use today in large parts of England, although the metropolitan county councils were abolished in 1986, and both county and district councils have been replaced with [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authorities]] in many areas since the 1990s. In Wales, too, the Act established a similar pattern of counties and [[Districts of Wales|districts]],<ref name=arnold_baker>{{cite book|author=[[Charles Arnold-Baker|Arnold-Baker, C.]]|title=''Local Government Act 1972''|year=1973}}</ref> but these have since been entirely replaced with a [[subdivisions of Wales|system of unitary authorities]]. [[1973 United Kingdom local elections|Elections]] were held to the new authorities in 1973, and they acted as "shadow authorities" until the handover date. Elections to county councils were held on 12 April, for metropolitan and Welsh districts on 10 May, and for non-metropolitan district councils on 7 June.<ref>''The Times'', 13 April, 11 May, 8 June 1973</ref> ==England== ===Background=== Elected [[county council]]s had been established in England and Wales for the first time in 1888, covering areas known as administrative counties. Some large towns, known as [[county borough]]s, were politically independent from the counties in which they were physically situated. The county areas were two-tier, with many [[municipal borough]]s, [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban districts]] and [[rural district]]s within them, each with its own council.<ref name=bryne>{{cite book|last=Bryne|first=T.|title=Local Government in Britain|year=1994}}</ref> Apart from the creation of new county boroughs, the most significant change since 1899 (and the establishment of [[metropolitan borough]]s in the [[County of London]]) had been the establishment in 1965 of [[Greater London]] and its 32 [[London borough]]s, covering a much larger area than the previous [[county of London]]. A [[Local Government Commission for England (1958 β 1967)|Local Government Commission for England]] was set up in 1958 to review local government arrangements throughout the country, and made some changes, such as merging two pairs of small administrative counties to form [[Huntingdon and Peterborough]] and [[Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely]], and creating several contiguous county boroughs in the [[Black Country]]. Most of the commission's recommendations, such as its proposals to abolish [[Rutland]] or to reorganise [[Tyneside]], were ignored in favour of the status quo. It was generally agreed that there were significant problems with the structure of local government.<ref name=bryne /> Despite mergers, there was still a proliferation of small district councils in rural areas, and in the major conurbations the borders had been set before the pattern of urban development had become clear. For example, in the area that was to become the seven boroughs of the metropolitan county of [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]], local government was split between three administrative counties ([[Staffordshire]], [[Warwickshire]], and [[Worcestershire]]), and eight county boroughs ([[Birmingham]], [[Coventry]], [[Dudley]], [[Solihull]], [[Walsall]], [[County Borough of Warley|Warley]], [[West Bromwich]], and [[Wolverhampton]]). Many county boundaries reflected traditions of the Middle Ages or even earlier; industrialisation had created new and very large urban areas like the West Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester which spanned traditional county boundaries and were now often bigger than and far from their traditional county towns. The Local Government Commission was wound up in 1966, and replaced with a Royal Commission (known as the [[Redcliffe-Maud Report|Redcliffe-Maud commission]]). In 1969 it recommended a system of single-tier [[unitary authorities]] for the whole of England, apart from three metropolitan areas of [[Merseyside]], [[Greater Manchester|SELNEC]] (South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire, now known as Greater Manchester) and [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] ([[Birmingham]] and the [[Black Country]]), which were to have both a metropolitan council and district councils. This report was accepted by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] government of the time despite considerable opposition,<ref name=bryne /> but the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] won the [[1970 United Kingdom general election|June 1970 general election]] on a manifesto that committed it to a two-tier structure.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1970 Conservative Party Manifesto|url=http://www.conservativemanifesto.com/1970/1970-conservative-manifesto.shtml|access-date=2020-10-18|website=conservativemanifesto.com}}</ref> The new government made [[Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester|Peter Walker]] and [[Graham Page]] the ministers, and quickly dropped the Redcliffe-Maud report.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cabinet drop council house sale curb and Maud proposals|work=The Times|date=30 June 1970}}</ref> They invited comments from interested parties regarding the previous government's proposals.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adapting the Maud report|first=Timothy|last=Raison|work=The Times|date=8 January 1971}}</ref> The Association of Municipal Corporations, an advocacy group representing the boroughs, responded to Redcliffe-Maud by putting forward a scheme where England outside London would be divided into 13 provinces, with 132 main authorities below that. The AMC argued that the Redcliffe-Maud units would be too far removed from the people they served, and suggested units that in some places were much smaller in size. ''[[The Times]]'' gave the example of Kent, which under Redcliffe-Maud would have consisted of two unitary authorities, the smaller having a population of 499,000 (as of 1968), while the AMC proposal would divide the same area into seven local authorities, ranging in population from 161,000 to 306,000.<ref>{{cite news|date=9 November 1970|title=Twice as many town-and-country councils proposed in boroughs' response to Maud|url=https://www.thetimes.com/archive/article/1970-11-09/3/1.html?region=global#start%3D1970-11-01%26end%3D1970-11-15%26terms%3D132%26back%3D/tto/archive/find/132/w:1970-11-01%7E1970-11-15/1%26prev%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/132/w:1970-11-01%7E1970-11-15/4%26next%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/132/w:1970-11-01%7E1970-11-15/6|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=13 November 1970|title=Boroughs to press for new 132-council structure|url=https://www.thetimes.com/archive/article/1970-11-13/6/11.html?region=global#start%3D1785-01-01%26end%3D1985-12-31%26terms%3DBoroughs%20132%26back%3D/tto/archive/find/Boroughs+132/w:1785-01-01%7E1985-12-31/1%26next%3D/tto/archive/frame/goto/Boroughs+132/w:1785-01-01%7E1985-12-31/2|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref> ===White paper and bill=== The incoming government's proposals for England were presented in a [[white paper]] published in February 1971.<ref name=white_paper>{{cite web|publisher=HMSO|title=Local Government in England: Government Proposals for Reorganisation: command paper 4584|date=17 September 2013|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/177096/response/436264/attach/3/131003%20Circular%208%2071%20map.pdf}}</ref> The white paper substantially trimmed the metropolitan areas, and proposed a two-tier structure for the rest of the country. Many of the new boundaries proposed by the Redcliffe-Maud report were retained in the white paper. The proposals were in large part based on ideas of the County Councils Association, the Urban District Councils Association and the Rural District Councils Association.<ref name=process>Wood, Bruce. ''Process of Local Government Reform: 1966β1974''. 1976</ref> The white paper outlined principles, including an acceptance of the minimum population of 250,000 for education authorities in the Redcliffe-Maud report, and its findings that the division of functions between town and country had been harmful, but that some functions were better performed by smaller units. The white paper set out the proposed division of functions between districts and counties, and also suggested a minimum population of 40,000 for districts. The government aimed to introduce a bill in the 1971/72 session of Parliament for elections in 1973, so that the new authorities could start exercising full powers on 1 April 1974. The white paper made no commitments on regional or provincial government, since the Conservative government preferred to wait for the [[Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)|Crowther Commission]] to report.<ref name=white_paper /> The proposals were substantially changed with the introduction of the bill into Parliament in November 1971:<ref>{{cite news|title=Proposed new areas and their composition|work=The Times|date=17 February 1971}}</ref><ref>DOE Circular 8/71</ref> *Area 4 (Cleveland) would have had a border with area 2 (Tyne and Wear), cutting area 3 (Durham) off from the coast. Seaham and Easington were to be part of the Sunderland district. *Humberside did not exist in the White Paper. The East Riding was split between area 5 (North Yorkshire) and an area 8 (East Yorkshire). Grimsby and Northern Lindsey were to be part of area 22 (Lincolnshire). *[[Harrogate]] and [[Knaresborough]] had been included in district 6b (Leeds) *[[Dronfield]] in Derbyshire had been included in district 7c (Sheffield) *Area 9 (Cumbria) did not at this stage include the [[Sedbergh Rural District]] from Yorkshire *Area 10 (Lancashire) included more parishes from the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]] than were eventually included *Area 11 (Merseyside) did not include [[Southport]], but did include [[Ellesmere Port]] and [[Neston]] *Area 12 (Greater Manchester) lost [[New Mills]] and [[Whaley Bridge]] (to be with Stockport), and Glossop (to be in [[Tameside]]) *The [[Seisdon Rural District]], which formed a narrow peninsula of Staffordshire running between Shropshire and the Black Country [[county borough]]s, would originally have been split three ways, between the Wolverhampton district (15a), area 16 (Shropshire) and area 17 (Worcestershire) *Halesowen would have become part of district 15d (Sandwell) rather than 15c (Dudley) *District 15f (Solihull) would have included part of the Birmingham county borough as well as parishes from Stratford on Avon Rural District *Area 18 (Warwickshire) would have included several parishes from [[Daventry Rural District]] in Northamptonshire *Area 20 (Nottinghamshire) would include [[Long Eaton]] from Derbyshire *Area 26 (Avon) to have covered a larger area, including [[Frome]] *Area 31 (Norfolk) to have covered a large area of East Suffolk, including [[Beccles]], [[Bungay, Suffolk|Bungay]], [[Halesworth]], [[Lowestoft]], [[Southwold]], [[Lothingland Rural District]], and Wainford Rural District *Area 33 (Oxfordshire) to include [[Brackley]] and Brackley Rural District from Northamptonshire *Area 39 (Berkshire) to include [[Henley-on-Thames]] and [[Henley Rural District]] from Oxfordshire *Area 40 (Surrey) to include [[Aldershot]], [[Farnborough, Hampshire|Farnborough]], [[Fleet, Hampshire|Fleet]] and area from Hampshire The bill as introduced also included two new major changes based on the concept of unifying estuaries, through the creation of the county of Humberside on the [[Humber|Humber Estuary]], and the inclusion of [[Harwich]] and [[Colchester]] in Suffolk to unify the [[River Stour, Suffolk|Stour Estuary]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Local Government Bill, Government Proposals for New Counties in England with the Proposed Names (map)|date=4 November 1971}}</ref> The latter was removed from the bill before it became law. Proposals from [[Plymouth]] for a [[River Tamar|Tamar]]side county were rejected. The Bill also provided names for the new counties for the first time.<ref name=tamarside_rejected>{{cite news|title=Government rejects plan for Tamar county|work=The Times|date=26 January 1972}}</ref> The main amendments made to the areas during the bill's passage through Parliament were: *renaming of Malvernshire to [[Hereford and Worcester]] (the name "Wyvern" was also suggested)<ref>{{cite news|title=Unpopular Name|newspaper=The Times|date=5 January 1972}}</ref> *renaming of Teesside to [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]], exclusion of [[Whitby]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Teesside: Town and country welcome Whitehall compromise|work=The Times|date=21 March 1972}}</ref> *renaming of Tyneside to [[Tyne and Wear]]<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column_start=907|column_end=910|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_907}}</ref> *removal of [[Seaham]] from Tyne and Wear, keeping it in County Durham<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column=939|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_939}}</ref> *removal of [[Skelmersdale and Holland]] from Merseyside<ref name=process /><!-- page 143 --> β they were to be part of the independent district of Southport, before Southport was included within Merseyside *exclusion of [[Colchester]] and area from [[Suffolk]], kept in [[Essex]]<ref name=tamarside_rejected /><ref name=up_all_night>{{cite news|title=Local government keeps MPs up all night.|work=The Times|date=7 July 1972}}</ref> *exclusion of [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]] and [[Haverhill, Suffolk|Haverhill]] from [[Cambridgeshire]], kept in Suffolk (despite protests of Newmarket UDC, which was happy to see the town transferred to Cambridgeshire)<ref>{{cite news|title=Boundaries Bill protest|work=The Times|date=4 July 1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column_start=1002|column_end=1010|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_1002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Newmarket tries again to jump the boundary|work=The Times|date=3 August 1972}}</ref> *keeping the [[Isle of Wight]] independent of Hampshire<ref>{{cite news|title=Isle of Wight reprieve|work=The Times|date=5 October 1972}}</ref> *adding part of [[Lothingland Rural District]] from Suffolk to [[Norfolk]]. In the bill as published, the Dorset/Hampshire border was between Christchurch and Lymington. On 6 July 1972, a government amendment added Lymington to Dorset, which would have had the effect of having the entire [[South East Dorset conurbation|Bournemouth conurbation]] in one county (although the town in Lymington itself does not form part of the built-up area, the borough was large and contained villages which do).<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|date=6 July 1972|column_start=1033|column_end=1047|house=House of Commons|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_1033}}</ref> The House of Lords reversed this amendment in September, with the government losing the division 81 to 65.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lymington stays in Hampshire|work=The Times|date=12 September 1972}}</ref> In October, the government brought up this issue again, proposing an amendment to put the western part of Lymington borough in Dorset. The amendment was withdrawn.<ref>{{cite news|title=Peers renew fight to keep Lymington undivided|work=The Times|date=17 October 1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lymington to remain undivided|work=The Times|date=18 October 1972}}</ref> The government lost divisions in the House of Lords at Report Stage on the exclusion of [[Wilmslow]] and [[Poynton]] from Greater Manchester and their retention in Cheshire, and also on whether [[Rothwell, West Yorkshire|Rothwell]] should form part of the Leeds or Wakefield districts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Triple Lords defeat for Government on boundaries Bill|work=The Times|date=17 October 1972}}</ref> (Rothwell had been planned for Wakefield, but an amendment at report stage was proposed by local [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Albert Roberts (British politician)|Albert Roberts]]<ref name=up_all_night /> and accepted by the government, then overturned by the Lords.) Instead, the Wakefield district gained the town of [[Ossett]], which was originally placed in the [[Kirklees]] district, following an appeal by Ossett Labour Party.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ossett Town Hall|publisher=Ossett Historical Society|year=2008|page=104}}</ref> The government barely won a division in the Lords on the inclusion of [[Weston-super-Mare]] in Avon, by 42 to 41.<ref>{{cite news|title=Somerset loses its battle to remain intact|work=The Times|date=17 October 1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite hansard|title=Local Government Bill|house=House of Lords|date=16 October 1972|column_start=1568|column_end=1661|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1972/oct/16/local-government-bill#column_1568}}</ref> Two more metropolitan districts were created than were originally in the bill: *[[Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Bury|Bury]] were originally planned to form a single district (dubbed "Botchdale" by local MP [[Michael Fidler]]);<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column_start=763|column_end=834|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_763}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lancashire saved from 'Botchdale'|work=The Times|date=7 July 1972}}</ref> Rochdale took [[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton]] from Oldham in compensation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Philosophy on councils has yet to emerge|work=The Times|date=8 July 1972}}</ref> *[[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]] was not originally planned, and was formed from the western part of the planned [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]] district.<ref name=up_all_night /><ref>{{cite hansard|title=Counties and Metropolitan Districts in England|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column_start=855|column_end=907|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1972/jul/06/counties-and-metropolitan-districts-in#column_855}}</ref> As passed, the act would have included [[Charlwood]] and [[Horley]] in [[West Sussex]], along with [[Gatwick Airport]]. This was reversed by the [[Charlwood and Horley Act 1974]], passed just before the act came into force. Charlwood was made part of the [[Mole Valley]] district and Horley part of [[Reigate and Banstead]]. Gatwick Airport was still transferred. Although willing to compromise on exact boundaries, the government stood firm on the existence or abolition of county councils. The [[Isle of Wight]] (originally scheduled to be merged back into [[Hampshire]] as a district) was the only local campaign to succeed, and also the only county council in England to violate the 250,000 minimum for education authorities.<ref name=white_paper /><ref name=reformed>Redcliffe-Maud & Wood, B., ''English Local Government Reformed'', (1974)</ref> The government bowed to local demand for the island to retain its status in October 1972, moving an amendment in the Lords to remove it from Hampshire, Lord Sanford noting that "nowhere else is faced with problems of communication with its neighbours which are in any way comparable".<ref>{{cite hansard|title=Local Government Bill|house=House of Lords|date=17 October 1972|column_start=1680|column_end=1684|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1972/oct/17/local-government-bill#column_1680}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Isle of Wight retains its county council|work=The Times|date=18 October 1972}}</ref> Protests from [[Rutland]] and [[Herefordshire]] failed, although Rutland was able to secure its treatment as a single district despite not meeting the stated minimum population of 40,000 for districts. Several metropolitan boroughs fell under the 250,000 limit, including three of [[Tyne and Wear]]'s five boroughs ([[North Tyneside]], [[South Tyneside]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]]), and the four metropolitan boroughs that had resulted from the splitting of the proposed [[Metropolitan Borough of Bury|Bury]]/[[Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]]/[[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]] boroughs. ==Wales== The background of the act was substantially different in Wales. The Redcliffe-Maud Commission had not considered Wales, which had been the subject of the [[Welsh Office]] proposals in the 1960s. A white paper was published in 1967 on the subject of Wales, based on the findings of the 1962 report of the [[Local Government Commission for Wales]]. The white paper proposed five counties, and thirty-six districts. The county boroughs of [[Swansea]], [[Cardiff]] and [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] would be retained, but the small county borough of [[Merthyr Tydfil]] would become a district. The proposed counties were as follows<ref name="process" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Thirteen Welsh counties cut down to five|work=The Times|date=12 July 1967}}</ref> *[[Dyfed]] β West Wales β [[Cardiganshire]], [[Carmarthenshire]], [[Pembrokeshire]] *[[Glamorgan]] β South Wales *[[Gwent (county)|Gwent]] β South-East Wales β [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] (also including [[Rhymney Valley|Rhymney valley]] from Glamorgan) *[[Gwynedd]] β North Wales β [[Anglesey]], [[Caernarvonshire]], [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], [[Merionethshire]] *[[Powys]] β Mid Wales β [[Montgomeryshire]], [[Radnorshire]], [[Breconshire]] Implementation of reform in Wales was not immediate, pending decisions on the situation in England, and a new Secretary of State, [[George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy|George Thomas]], announced changes to the proposals in November 1968. The large northern county of Gwynedd was to be split to form two counties (creating Gwynedd in the west and [[Clwyd]] in the east) with various alterations to the districts. The Redcliffe-Maud report led to a reconsideration of the plans, especially with respect to Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, and a March 1970 White Paper proposed three unitary authorities for South Wales, based on Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.<ref name=process /><ref>"Local Government Reorganisation in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire''</ref><ref>"Two-tier plan conflict." ''The Times''. 2 April 1970</ref> After the [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970 general election]], the new Conservative government published a Consultative Document in February 1971, at the same time as the English White Paper.<ref>HMSO. Welsh Office, ''The Reform of Local Government in Wales''</ref> The proposals were similar to the Labour proposals of 1968, except that the county boroughs were instead two-tier districts, and that Glamorgan was to be subdivided into West Glamorgan and East Glamorgan, making 7 counties and 36 districts.<ref name=process /><ref>{{cite news|title=Welsh aim is for seven large units.|work=The Times|date=17 February 1971}}</ref> In the bill as introduced Glamorgan had been split into three authorities: with East Glamorgan further subdivided into a Mid Glamorgan covering the valleys and South Glamorgan. The decision to split East Glamorgan further left South Glamorgan with only two districts (one of which was the Conservative-controlled [[Cardiff]], who had requested the split) and Mid Glamorgan one of the poorest areas in the country.<ref name=process /><ref>{{cite news|title=Minister defends Glamorgan decision|work=The Times|date=18 November 1971}}</ref> The Labour-controlled [[Glamorgan County Council]] strongly opposed this move, placing adverts in newspapers calling for Glamorgan to be saved from a "carve up", and demanding that the east/west split be retained.<ref>{{cite news|title=Glamorgan County Council: Save Glamorgan from the Carve Up.|work=The Times|date=24 November 1971}}</ref> The resulting [[South Glamorgan County Council|South Glamorgan]] was the only Welsh county council the Conservatives ever controlled (from 1977 to 1981). One of the effects of the act was to confirm the area of [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] as part of Wales. [[Monmouthshire (historic)#Ambiguity over Welsh status|Ambiguity]] as to the status of Monmouthshire had been introduced by legislation in the 16th and 17th centuries, and by the gradual cultural [[anglicisation]] of some eastern parts of the county. By the late 19th century the area was often treated in legislation as one with Wales, using the terminology "Wales and Monmouthshire", although it remained legally part of England.<ref>Ivor Waters, ''The Rise and Fall of Monmouthshire'', in ''Chepstow Packets'', 1983, {{ISBN|0-906134-21-8}}, pp. 34β44</ref> Apart from the new Glamorgan authorities, all the names of the new Welsh counties were in the [[Welsh language]], with no English equivalent. With the exception of [[Clwyd]] (which was named after the [[River Clwyd]]) the names of the counties were taken from ancient British kingdoms. Welsh names were also used for many of the Welsh districts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ancient Welsh names restored in council titles|work=The Times|date=19 December 1972}}</ref> There were no metropolitan counties and, unlike in England, the Secretary of State could not create future metropolitan counties there under the act.<ref name=arnold_baker/> ==Act== After much comment, the proposals were introduced as the Local Government Bill into Parliament soon after the start of the 1971β1972 session. In the Commons it passed through Standing Committee D, who debated it in 51 sittings from 25 November 1971 to 20 March 1972. The act abolished previous existing local government structures, and created a two-tier system of counties and districts everywhere. Some of the new counties were designated [[metropolitan county|metropolitan counties]], containing [[metropolitan borough]]s instead. The allocation of functions differed between the metropolitan and the non-metropolitan areas (the so-called "[[shire county|shire counties]]") β for example, [[education]] and [[social services]] were the responsibility of the shire counties, but in metropolitan areas was given to the districts. The distribution of powers was slightly different in Wales than in England, with libraries being a county responsibility in Englandβbut in Wales districts could opt to become library authorities themselves. One key principle was that education authorities (non-metropolitan counties and metropolitan districts) were deemed to need a population base of 250,000 in order to be viable. Although called two-tier, the system was really three-tier, as it retained [[civil parish]] councils, although in Wales they were renamed [[community council]]s. Within districts some inconsistency prevailed. For example, in Welwyn Hatfield District in Hertfordshire, which comprised Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Old Welwyn, Hatfield retained a civil parish council, its 'town council' which could act alone in some matters such as town twinning, whereas Welwyn Garden City did not and therefore had no separate representation. The act introduced 'agency', where one local authority (usually a district) could act as an [[Agent (law)|agent]] for another authority. For example, since road maintenance was split depending upon the type of road, both types of council had to retain engineering departments. A county council could delegate its road maintenance to the district council if it was confident that the district was competent. Some powers were specifically excluded from agency, such as education. The act abolished various historic relics such as [[alderman|aldermen]]. The office previously known as sheriff was retitled high sheriff.<ref>"Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrument to a sheriff shall be construed accordingly in relation to sheriffs for a county or Greater London." ({{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/section/219Local |title=Government Act 1972: Section 219 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }})</ref> Many existing boroughs that were too small to constitute a district, but too large to constitute a [[civil parish]], were given [[charter trustees]]. Most provisions of the act came into force at midnight on 1 April 1974. Elections to the new councils had already been held, in 1973, and the new authorities were already up and running as "shadow authorities", following the example set by the [[London Government Act 1963]]. ==New local government areas== The act specified the composition and names of the English and Welsh counties, and the composition of the metropolitan and Welsh districts. It did not specify any names of districts, nor indeed the borders of the non-metropolitan districts in England β these were specified by [[Statutory Instrument]] after the passing of the Act. A Boundary Commission, provided for in the Act, had already begun work on dividing England into districts whilst the bill was still going through Parliament.<ref>[[wikisource:The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972]] ([[SI 1972]]/2039)</ref><ref>The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973 ([[SI 1973]]/551)</ref><ref>The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order (SI 1973/137)</ref><ref>The Districts in Wales (Names) Order ([[SI 1973]]/34)</ref> In [[England]] there were 45 counties and 332 districts (excluding Greater London and the Isles of Scilly), in Wales there were 8 and 37. Six of the English counties were designated as metropolitan counties. The new English counties were based clearly on the traditional ones, albeit with several substantial changes.<ref name="Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1996">Her Majesty's Stationery Office, ''Aspects of Britain: Local Government'', (1996)</ref> The thirteen [[historic counties of Wales]] were abandoned entirely for administrative purposes and eight new ones instituted. The act substituted the new counties "for counties of any other description" for purposes of law.<ref>Local Government Act 1972 (c.70), s.216</ref> This realigned the boundaries of [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial]] and judicial counties used for [[Lord-Lieutenant|lieutenancy]], [[custos rotulorum|custodes rotulorum]], [[High Sheriff|shrievalty]], [[commission of the peace|commissions of the peace]] and [[magistrate|magistrates']] courts to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties.<ref name="Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1996"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Local Government|last=Elcock|first=H.|year=1994}}</ref> The Act also extended the rights of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]] to appoint Lord-Lieutenants for the shrunken [[Lancashire]] along with all of [[Greater Manchester]] and [[Merseyside]].<ref>Local Government Act 1972 (c.70), s.219(3)</ref> Before the passing of the act, there were a total of 1,210 councils in England (excluding Greater London councils and the Isles of Scilly). This was made up of 1,086 rural and urban districts (including non-county boroughs), 79 county boroughs and 45 counties.<ref name="LGA"/> The act reduced the total number of councils outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly to 377 (45 counties and 332 districts). Most of the new districts were groups of the whole areas of former districts, although 64 rural districts were split between new districts, and there were eleven urban districts or boroughs which saw their territory split between new districts: [[County Borough of Teesside|Teesside County Borough]], [[Whitley Bay]] Municipal Borough, [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]] Urban District, [[Billinge and Winstanley Urban District]], [[Golborne]] Urban District, [[Lakes, Cumbria|Lakes Urban District]], [[Queensbury and Shelf Urban District]], [[Ramsbottom Urban District]], [[Seaton Valley Urban District]], [[Thurrock Urban District]], and [[Turton Urban District]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The English Non-Metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972 (S.I. 1972 No. 2039) |date=1972 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1972/2039/made |access-date=18 February 2022}}</ref> ===England=== ==== Metropolitan counties ==== {| class="wikitable" ! Metropolitan county ! Existing geographic county or subdivision ! County boroughs ! Other parts |- |rowspan=3| [[Greater Manchester]] | [[Cheshire]] | [[County Borough of Stockport|Stockport]] | urban north-east Cheshire |- | [[Lancashire]] | [[County Borough of Bury|Bury]], [[County Borough of Bolton|Bolton]], [[County Borough of Manchester|Manchester]], [[County Borough of Oldham|Oldham]], [[County Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]], [[County Borough of Salford|Salford]], [[County Borough of Wigan|Wigan]] | urban south-east Lancashire |- | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | ''none'' | [[Saddleworth]] urban district |- |rowspan=2| [[Merseyside]] | [[Cheshire]] | [[County Borough of Birkenhead|Birkenhead]], [[County Borough of Wallasey|Wallasey]] | most of [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]] peninsula |- | [[Lancashire]] | [[County Borough of Bootle|Bootle]], [[County Borough of Liverpool|Liverpool]], [[County Borough of St Helens|St Helens]], [[County Borough of Southport|Southport]] | urban south-west Lancashire |- |rowspan=2 | [[South Yorkshire]] | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | [[County Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]], [[County Borough of Doncaster|Doncaster]], [[County Borough of Sheffield|Sheffield]], [[County Borough of Rotherham|Rotherham]] | southern West Riding |- | [[Nottinghamshire]] | ''none'' | [[Finningley]] |- | rowspan=2 | [[Tyne and Wear]] | [[County Durham|Durham]] | [[County Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]], [[County Borough of South Shields|South Shields]], [[County Borough of Sunderland|Sunderland]] | urban north-east Durham |- | [[Northumberland]] | [[County Borough of Tynemouth|Tynemouth]], [[County Borough of Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle upon Tyne]] | urban south-east Northumberland |- | rowspan=3 | [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] | [[Staffordshire]] | [[County Borough of Dudley|Dudley]], [[County Borough of Walsall|Walsall]], [[County Borough of West Bromwich|West Bromwich]], [[County Borough of Wolverhampton|Wolverhampton]] | [[Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District|Aldridge-Brownhills]] |- | [[Warwickshire]] | [[County Borough of Birmingham|Birmingham]], [[County Borough of Coventry|Coventry]], [[County Borough of Solihull|Solihull]] | [[Sutton Coldfield]], [[Meriden Gap]] |- | [[Worcestershire]] | [[County Borough of Warley|Warley]] | [[Halesowen]] and [[Stourbridge]] |- | rowspan=1 | [[West Yorkshire]] | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | [[County Borough of Bradford|Bradford]], [[County Borough of Dewsbury|Dewsbury]], [[County Borough of Halifax|Halifax]], [[County Borough of Huddersfield|Huddersfield]], [[County Borough of Leeds|Leeds]], [[County Borough of Wakefield|Wakefield]] | western [[West Riding of Yorkshire]] |} ====Metropolitan districts==== {| class="wikitable" ! Metropolitan county ! Metropolitan district ! County boroughs ! Other components |- |rowspan=10| [[Greater Manchester]] | [[Metropolitan Borough of Bury|Bury]] | [[County Borough of Bury|Bury]] | [[Prestwich]], [[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]], [[Ramsbottom Urban District|Ramsbottom]] (part), [[Tottington, Greater Manchester|Tottington]], [[Whitefield, Greater Manchester|Whitefield]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Bolton|Bolton]] | [[County Borough of Bolton|Bolton]] | [[Blackrod Urban District|Blackrod]], [[Municipal Borough of Farnworth|Farnworth]], [[Horwich Urban District|Horwich]], [[Kearsley Urban District|Kearsley]], [[Little Lever Urban District|Little Lever]], [[South Turton|Turton]] (part), [[Westhoughton Urban District|Westhoughton]] (Lancashire) |- | [[City of Manchester|Manchester]] | [[County Borough of Manchester|Manchester]] | [[Ringway, Greater Manchester|Ringway]] from [[Bucklow Rural District]] (Cheshire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Oldham|Oldham]] | [[County Borough of Oldham|Oldham]] | [[Chadderton Urban District|Chadderton]], [[Crompton Urban District|Crompton]], [[Failsworth Urban District|Failsworth]], [[Lees Urban District|Lees]] and [[Royton Urban District|Royton]] (Lancashire); [[Saddleworth]] (West Riding) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]] | [[County Borough of Rochdale|Rochdale]] | [[Municipal Borough of Heywood|Heywood]], [[Littleborough, Greater Manchester|Littleborough]], [[Municipal Borough of Middleton|Middleton]], [[Milnrow Urban District|Milnrow]] and [[Wardle, Greater Manchester|Wardle]] (Lancashire) |- | [[City of Salford|Salford]] | [[County Borough of Salford|Salford]] | [[Eccles, Greater Manchester|Eccles]], [[Irlam]], [[Swinton and Pendlebury]] and [[Worsley]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Stockport|Stockport]] | [[County Borough of Stockport|Stockport]] | [[Bredbury and Romiley]], [[Cheadle and Gatley]], [[Hazel Grove and Bramhall]] and [[Marple Urban District|Marple]] (Cheshire) |- | [[Tameside]] | ''none'' | [[Municipal Borough of Dukinfield|Dukinfield]], [[Municipal Borough of Hyde|Hyde]], [[Longdendale Urban District|Longdendale]], [[Municipal Borough of Stalybridge|Stalybridge]] (Cheshire); [[Ashton-under-Lyne]], [[Audenshaw Urban District|Audenshaw]], [[Denton Urban District|Denton]], [[Droylsden]], [[Mossley]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Trafford]] | ''none'' | [[Municipal Borough of Altrincham|Altrincham]], [[Bowdon Urban District|Bowdon]], [[Hale, Greater Manchester|Hale]], [[Municipal Borough of Sale|Sale]], part of [[Bucklow Rural District]] (Cheshire); [[Municipal Borough of Stretford|Stretford]], [[Urmston Urban District|Urmston]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]] | [[County Borough of Wigan|Wigan]] | [[Abram, Greater Manchester|Abram]], [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]] (most), [[Aspull]], [[Atherton Urban District|Atherton]], [[Billinge and Winstanley Urban District|Billinge-and-Winstanley]] (part), [[Golborne Urban District|Golborne]] (part), [[Hindley, Greater Manchester|Hindley]], [[Ince-in-Makerfield]], [[Municipal Borough of Leigh|Leigh]], [[Orrell Urban District|Orrell]], [[Standish-with-Langtree]], [[Tyldesley Urban District|Tyldesley]], part of [[Wigan Rural District]] (Lancashire) |- |rowspan=5| [[Merseyside]] | [[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]] | ''none'' | [[Huyton-with-Roby]], [[Kirkby]], [[Prescot]], [[Simonswood]], part of [[Whiston Rural District]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool|Liverpool]] | [[County Borough of Liverpool|Liverpool]] | ''none'' |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]] | [[County Borough of St Helens|St Helens]] | [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]] (part), [[Billinge and Winstanley Urban District|Billinge-and-Winstanley]] (part) [[Haydock]], [[Newton-le-Willows]], [[Rainford]], part of [[Whiston Rural District]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]] | [[County Borough of Bootle|Bootle]], [[County Borough of Southport|Southport]] | [[Crosby, Merseyside|Crosby]], [[Formby]], [[Litherland]], part of [[West Lancashire Rural District]] (Lancashire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]] | [[Birkenhead]], [[Wallasey]] | [[Bebington]], [[Hoylake]], [[Wirral Urban District|Wirral]] (Cheshire) |- |rowspan=4 | [[South Yorkshire]] | [[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]] |[[County Borough of Barnsley|Barnsley]] | [[Cudworth Urban District|Cudworth]], [[Darfield Urban District|Darfield]], [[Hoyland Nether]], [[Penistone]], [[Royston, South Yorkshire|Royston]], [[Wombwell]], [[Worsbrough]]; [[Penistone Rural District]], part of [[Hemsworth Rural District]]; part of [[Wortley Rural District]] (West Riding) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster|Doncaster]] | [[County Borough of Doncaster|Doncaster]] | [[Adwick le Street]], [[Bentley with Arksey]], [[Conisbrough]], [[Mexborough]], [[Tickhill]] (West Riding), [[Finningley]] (Nottinghamshire) |- | [[City of Sheffield|Sheffield]] | [[County Borough of Sheffield|Sheffield]] | [[Stocksbridge]], part of [[Wortley Rural District]] (West Riding) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham|Rotherham]] | [[County Borough of Rotherham|Rotherham]] | [[Maltby, South Yorkshire|Maltby]], [[Rawmarsh]], [[Swinton, South Yorkshire|Swinton]], [[Wath upon Dearne]]; [[Kiveton Park Rural District]], [[Rotherham Rural District]] (West Riding) |- |rowspan=5| [[Tyne and Wear]] | [[City of Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle upon Tyne]] | [[County Borough of Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle upon Tyne]] | [[Gosforth]], [[Newburn]], part of [[Castle Ward Rural District]] (Northumberland) |- | [[North Tyneside]] | [[County Borough of Tynemouth|Tynemouth]] | [[Wallsend]], part of [[Whitley Bay]], [[Longbenton]], part of [[Seaton Valley Urban District|Seaton Valley]] (Northumberland) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]] | [[County Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]] | [[Blaydon]], [[Felling (UK)|Felling]], [[Ryton, Tyne and Wear|Ryton]] and [[Whickham]], part of [[Chester-le-Street Rural District]] (Durham) |- | [[South Tyneside]] | [[County Borough of South Shields|South Shields]] | [[Jarrow]], [[Boldon]], [[Hebburn]] (Durham) |- | [[City of Sunderland|Sunderland]] | [[County Borough of Sunderland|Sunderland]] | [[Hetton-le-Hole|Hetton]], [[Houghton-le-Spring]], [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]], part of [[Easington Rural District]], part of [[Chester-le-Street Rural District]] (Durham) |- |rowspan=7| [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] | [[City of Birmingham|Birmingham]] | [[County Borough of Birmingham|Birmingham]] | [[Sutton Coldfield]] (Warwickshire) |- | [[City of Coventry|Coventry]] | [[County Borough of Coventry|Coventry]] | [[Allesley]] and [[Keresley]] from [[Meriden Rural District]] (Warwickshire) |- | [[Metropolitan Borough of Dudley|Dudley]] | [[County Borough of Dudley|Dudley]] | [[Halesowen]] and [[Stourbridge]] (Worcestershire) |- | [[Sandwell]] | [[County Borough of Warley|Warley]] and [[County Borough of West Bromwich|West Bromwich]] | ''none'' |- | [[Solihull (borough)|Solihull]] | [[County Borough of Solihull|Solihull]] | many parishes from [[Meriden Rural District]], and [[Hockley Heath]] from [[Stratford-on-Avon Rural District]] (Warwickshire) |- | [[Walsall (borough)|Walsall]] | [[County Borough of Walsall|Walsall]] | [[Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District|Aldridge-Brownhills]] (Staffordshire) |- | [[City of Wolverhampton|Wolverhampton]] | [[County Borough of Wolverhampton|Wolverhampton]] | ''none'' |- | rowspan=5 | [[West Yorkshire]] | [[City of Bradford|Bradford]] | [[County Borough of Bradford|Bradford]] | [[Baildon Urban District|Baildon]], [[Bingley Urban District|Bingley]], [[Denholme]], [[Ilkley]], [[Keighley]], [[Queensbury and Shelf]] (part), [[Shipley, West Yorkshire|Shipley]], [[Silsden]]; part of [[Skipton Rural District]] (West Riding) |- | [[Calderdale]] | [[County Borough of Halifax|Halifax]] | [[Municipal Borough of Brighouse|Brighouse]], [[Elland]], [[Hebden Royd]], [[Queensbury and Shelf]] (part), [[Ripponden]], [[Sowerby Bridge]], [[Todmorden]], [[Hepton Rural District]] (West Riding) |- | [[Kirklees]] | [[County Borough of Dewsbury|Dewsbury]], [[County Borough of Huddersfield|Huddersfield]] | [[Batley]], [[Colne Valley]], [[Denby Dale]], [[Heckmondwike]], [[Holmfirth]], [[Kirkburton]], [[Meltham]], [[Mirfield]], [[Spenborough]] (West Riding) |- | [[City of Leeds|Leeds]] | [[Leeds]] | [[Aireborough]], [[Garforth]], [[Horsforth]], [[Municipal Borough of Morley|Morley]], [[Otley]], [[Municipal Borough of Pudsey|Pudsey]], [[Rothwell, West Yorkshire|Rothwell]]; part of [[Tadcaster Rural District]], part of [[Wetherby Rural District]], part of [[Wharfedale Rural District]] (West Riding) |- | [[City of Wakefield|Wakefield]] | [[County Borough of Wakefield|Wakefield]] | [[Municipal Borough of Castleford|Castleford]], [[Featherstone]], [[Hemsworth]], [[Horbury]], [[Knottingley]], [[Normanton, West Yorkshire|Normanton]], [[Ossett]], [[Pontefract]], [[Stanley, West Yorkshire|Stanley]]; [[Wakefield Rural District]], part of [[Hemsworth Rural District]], part of [[Osgoldcross Rural District]] (West Riding) |} ==== Non-metropolitan counties ==== {| class="wikitable" ! Non-metropolitan county ! Existing geographic county or subdivision ! County boroughs ! Other parts |- | rowspan=2 | [[Avon (county)|Avon]] | [[Gloucestershire]] | [[County Borough of Bristol|Bristol]] | southern part |- | [[Somerset]] | [[County Borough of Bath|Bath]] | northern part (including [[Weston-super-Mare]]) |- |[[Bedfordshire]] |[[Bedfordshire]] |[[County Borough of Luton|Luton]] | all |- | rowspan=2 | [[Berkshire]] | [[Berkshire]] | [[County Borough of Reading|Reading]] | all except the [[Vale of White Horse]] and [[Didcot]], now in [[Oxfordshire]] |- | [[Buckinghamshire]] | ''none'' | southern tip (including [[Slough]]) |- | [[Buckinghamshire]] | [[Buckinghamshire]] | ''none'' | all except southern tip (including [[Municipal Borough of Slough|Slough]]), now in Berkshire |- | rowspan=2 | [[Cambridgeshire]] | [[Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Huntingdon and Peterborough]] | ''none'' | all |- | rowspan=2 | [[Cheshire]] | [[Cheshire]] | [[County Borough of Chester|Chester]] | all except [[Tintwistle Rural District]] (to [[Derbyshire]]), north-eastern urban area (to [[Greater Manchester]]), [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]] peninsula (to [[Merseyside]]) |- | [[Lancashire]] | [[County Borough of Warrington|Warrington]] | mid-southern part, including [[Widnes]] |- | rowspan=2 | [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]] | [[County Durham|Durham]] | [[County Borough of Hartlepool|Hartlepool]] | Stockton Rural District |- | [[North Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, North Riding]] | [[County Borough of Teesside|Teesside]] | [[Redcar and Cleveland|urban north]] |- | [[Cornwall]] | [[Cornwall]] | ''none'' | all |- | rowspan=4 | [[Cumbria]] | [[Cumberland]] | [[County Borough of Carlisle|Carlisle]] | all |- | [[Westmorland]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Lancashire]] | [[County Borough of Barrow-in-Furness|Barrow-in-Furness]] | [[North Lonsdale Rural District|North Lonsdale]] |- | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | ''none'' | [[Sedbergh Rural District]] |- | rowspan=2 | [[Derbyshire]] | [[Derbyshire]] | [[County Borough of Derby|Derby]] | all |- | [[Cheshire]] | ''none'' | [[Tintwistle Rural District]] |- | [[Devon]] | [[Devon]] | [[County Borough of Exeter|Exeter]], [[County Borough of Plymouth|Plymouth]], [[County Borough of Torbay|Torbay]] | all |- | rowspan=2 | [[Dorset]] | [[Dorset]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Hampshire]] | [[County Borough of Bournemouth|Bournemouth]] | area around [[Christchurch, Dorset|Christchurch]] |- | rowspan=2 |[[County Durham|Durham]] | [[County Durham|Durham]] | [[County Borough of Darlington|Darlington]] | all except urban north-east (to [[Tyne and Wear]]) and [[Stockton Rural District]] (to [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]]) |- | [[North Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, North Riding]] | ''none'' | [[Startforth Rural District]] |- | [[East Sussex]] | [[East Sussex]] | [[County Borough of Brighton|Brighton]], [[County Borough of Eastbourne|Eastbourne]], [[County Borough of Hastings|Hastings]] | all except [[Mid Sussex District|Mid Sussex]] strip (to [[West Sussex]]) |- | [[Essex]] | [[Essex]] | [[County Borough of Southend-on-Sea|Southend-on-Sea]] | all |- | [[Gloucestershire]] | [[Gloucestershire]] | [[County Borough of Gloucester|Gloucester]] | all except southern part (to [[Avon (county)|Avon]]) |- | [[Hampshire]] | [[Hampshire]] | [[County Borough of Portsmouth|Portsmouth]], [[County Borough of Southampton|Southampton]] | all except part around [[Christchurch, Dorset|Christchurch]] (to [[Dorset]]) |- | rowspan=2 | [[Hereford and Worcester]] | [[Herefordshire]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Worcestershire]] | [[County Borough of Worcester|Worcester]] | all except [[Stourbridge]] and [[Halesowen]] (to [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]) |- | [[Hertfordshire]] | [[Hertfordshire]] | ''none'' | all |- | rowspan=3 | [[Humberside]] | [[Parts of Lindsey|Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey]] | [[County Borough of Grimsby|Grimsby]] | northern strip including [[Scunthorpe]] and [[Cleethorpes]] |- | [[East Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, East Riding]] | [[County Borough of Kingston upon Hull|Kingston upon Hull]] | all except northern fringe |- | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | ''none'' | [[Goole]] and [[Goole Rural District]] |- | [[Isle of Wight]] | [[Isle of Wight]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Kent]] | [[Kent]] | [[County Borough of Canterbury|Canterbury]] | all |- | rowspan=2 | [[Lancashire]] | [[Lancashire]] | [[County Borough of Blackburn|Blackburn]], [[County Borough of Blackpool|Blackpool]], [[County Borough of Burnley|Burnley]], [[County Borough of Preston|Preston]] | central part only (south-east to [[Greater Manchester]], south-west part to [[Merseyside]], mid-south to [[Cheshire]], [[North Lonsdale]] to [[Cumbria]]) |- | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | ''none'' | area including [[Earby]] and [[Barnoldswick]] |- | rowspan=2 | [[Leicestershire]] | [[Leicestershire]] | [[County Borough of Leicester|Leicester]] | all |- | [[Rutland]] | ''none'' | all |- | rowspan=3 | [[Lincolnshire]] | [[Holland, Lincolnshire|Lincolnshire, Parts of Holland]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Parts of Lindsey|Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey]] | [[County Borough of Lincoln|Lincoln]] | all but northern strip including [[Scunthorpe]] and [[Cleethorpes]] |- | [[Kesteven|Lincolnshire, Parts of Kesteven]] | ''none'' | all |- | rowspan=2 | [[Norfolk]] | [[Norfolk]] | [[County Borough of Norwich|Norwich]] | ''all'' |- | [[East Suffolk (county)|East Suffolk]] | ''none'' | part of [[Lothingland Rural District]] near Great Yarmouth |- | rowspan=3 | [[North Yorkshire]] | [[North Riding of Yorkshire]] | rowspan=3 | [[County Borough of York|York]] | all except [[Redcar and Cleveland|urban north]] (to [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]]) and [[Startforth Rural District]] (to [[County Durham|Durham]]) |- | [[West Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, West Riding]] | northern part including [[Harrogate]], [[Knaresborough]] and [[Selby]] but not [[Sedbergh]] (to Cumbria) |- | [[East Riding of Yorkshire|Yorkshire, East Riding]] | northern part including [[Filey]] |- | [[Northamptonshire]] | [[Northamptonshire]] | [[County Borough of Northampton|Northampton]] | all |- | [[Northumberland]] | [[Northumberland]] | ''none'' | all except urban south-east (to [[Tyne and Wear]]) |- | [[Nottinghamshire]] | [[Nottinghamshire]] | [[County Borough of Nottingham|Nottingham]] | all except [[Finningley]] (to [[South Yorkshire]]) |- | rowspan=2 | [[Oxfordshire]] | [[Oxfordshire]] | [[County Borough of Oxford|Oxford]] | all |- | [[Berkshire]] | none | [[Vale of White Horse]], [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]] and [[Wallingford Rural District]] |- | [[Shropshire|Salop]] (Shropshire) | [[Shropshire|Salop]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Somerset]] | [[Somerset]] | ''none'' | all except northern part (including [[Weston-super-Mare]]) |- | [[Staffordshire]] | [[Staffordshire]] | [[County Borough of Burton upon Trent|Burton upon Trent]], [[County Borough of Stoke on Trent|Stoke-on-Trent]] | all except [[Aldridge-Brownhills Urban District|Aldridge-Brownhills]] |- | rowspan=2| [[Suffolk]] | [[East Suffolk (county)|East Suffolk]] | [[County Borough of Ipswich|Ipswich]] | all, except part of north-east Suffolk near [[Great Yarmouth]] to [[Norfolk]] |- | [[West Suffolk (county)|West Suffolk]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[Surrey]] | [[Surrey]] | ''none'' | all except [[Gatwick Airport]] |- | [[Warwickshire]] | [[Warwickshire]] | ''none'' | all except [[Sutton Coldfield]] and [[Meriden Gap]] (to West Midlands) |- | rowspan=2| [[West Sussex]] | [[West Sussex]] | ''none'' | all |- | [[East Sussex]] | ''none'' | western strip |- | [[Wiltshire]] | [[Wiltshire]] | ''none'' | all |} ====Non-metropolitan districts==== A list of non-metropolitan districts can be found at [[List of English districts]]. The Local Government Boundary Commission originally proposed 278 non-metropolitan districts in April 1972 (still working with the county boundaries found in the Bill). A further eighteen districts were added in the final proposals of November 1972, which were then ordered. The splits were as follows (in most cases the splits were not exact, and many other changes to the borders of the districts took place at this time) *Devon: [[Torridge District|Torridge]]/[[North Devon]] *Dorset : [[Weymouth and Portland]]/[[Purbeck (district)|Purbeck]], [[North Dorset]]/[[East Dorset]] *Durham : [[Wear Valley]]/[[Teesdale]] *Hereford and Worcester : [[Hereford]]/[[South Herefordshire]]/[[Leominster (district)|Leominster]] *Humberside: [[Holderness (borough)|Holderness]]/[[East Yorkshire (district)|North Wolds]] *Isle of Wight: [[South Wight]]/[[Medina (borough)|Medina]] *Lancashire: [[Hyndburn]]/[[Borough of Rossendale|Rossendale]] *Leicestershire : [[Rutland]]/[[Melton (borough)|Melton]], [[Harborough District|Harborough]]/[[Oadby and Wigston]] *Lincolnshire: [[Boston (borough)|Boston]]/[[South Holland, Lincolnshire|South Holland]] *Northamptonshire: [[Daventry (district)|Daventry]]/[[South Northamptonshire]] *Northumberland : [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (borough)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]/[[Alnwick (district)|Alnwick]] *Shropshire : [[Oswestry (borough)|Oswestry]]/[[North Shropshire]], [[Bridgnorth (district)|Bridgnorth]]/[[South Shropshire]] *Somerset: [[Taunton Deane]]/[[West Somerset]] *Suffolk: [[Forest Heath]] The new district in Suffolk was necessitated by the decision to keep Newmarket in Suffolk; which would otherwise have become part of the East Cambridgeshire district. ====Isles of Scilly==== Section 265 of the Act allowed for the continuation of the local government arrangements for the Isles of Scilly.<ref>{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1972|chapter=70|act=Local Government Act 1972|si=}}</ref> The Isles of Scilly Rural District Council became the [[Council of the Isles of Scilly]], and certain services were to continue to be provided by Cornwall County Council as provided by [[Statutory Instrument (UK)|order made by the Secretary of State]], although the Isles were not technically in Cornwall before or after 1974.{{clarification needed |reason=The Council of the Isles of Scilly was set up in 1890 under the 1889 LBA Order (applying the 1888 Local Government Act) and its powers modified by the 1930 LBA order (applying the 1929 Local Government Act). None of the acts use Rural District Council, using County Council when they do specify. The 1972 Local Government Act allowed the Council to continue under the name it always seems to have had. |date=May 2025}} ===Wales=== ==== New counties ==== {| class="wikitable" ! New county ! Existing geographic county ! County boroughs ! Other parts |- |rowspan=3|[[Clwyd]] |[[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]] |''none'' |all except [[Llanrwst]] and area |- |[[Merionethshire]] |''none'' |[[Edeyrnion Rural District]] |- |rowspan=3|[[Dyfed]] |[[Cardiganshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Carmarthenshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Pembrokeshire (historic)|Pembrokeshire]] |''none'' |all |- |rowspan=2|[[Gwent (county)|Gwent]] |[[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] |[[Newport, Wales|Newport]] |except parts in Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan |- |[[Breconshire]] |''none'' |[[Brynmawr]] and [[Llanelly]] |- |rowspan=4|[[Gwynedd]] |[[Anglesey (historic)|Anglesey]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Caernarvonshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Merionethshire]] |''none'' |all except [[Edeyrnion Rural District]] |- |[[Denbighshire]] |''none'' |[[Llanrwst]] and area |- |rowspan=3|[[Mid Glamorgan]] |[[Glamorgan]] |[[Merthyr Tydfil]] |[[Aberdare]], [[Bridgend]], [[Caerphilly]], [[Pontypridd]], [[Rhondda (district)|Rhondda]] etc. |- |[[Breconshire]] |''none'' |[[Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Penderyn]] and [[Vaynor]] |- |[[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] |''none'' |[[Bedwas and Machen]], [[Rhymney]], part of [[Bedwellty]] |- |rowspan=3|[[Powys]] |[[Montgomeryshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Radnorshire]] |''none'' |all |- |[[Breconshire]] |''none'' |all except parts to Gwent and Mid Glamorgan |- |rowspan=2|[[South Glamorgan]] |[[Glamorgan]] |[[Cardiff]] |[[Barry, Vale of Glamorgan|Barry]], [[Cowbridge]], [[Penarth]] |- |[[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] |''none'' |[[St Mellons]] |- |[[West Glamorgan]] |[[Glamorgan]] |[[Swansea]] |[[Glyncorrwg]], [[Neath]], [[Llwchwr]], [[Port Talbot]] |} ==== New districts ==== {| class="wikitable" |+ !New County !Districts (created in 1974) |- |[[Clwyd]] |[[Colwyn (district)|Colwyn]] [[District of Rhuddlan|Rhuddlan]] [[GlyndΕ΅r (district)|GlyndΕ΅r]] [[District of Delyn|Delyn]] [[District of Alyn and Deeside|Alyn & Deeside]] [[Wrexham Maelor]] |- |[[Dyfed]] |[[Ceredigion District Council|Ceredigion]] [[District of Carmarthen|Carmarthen]] [[Dinefwr Borough Council|Dinefwr]] [[District of Llanelli|Llanelli]] [[Preseli Pembrokeshire|Preseli]] [[South Pembrokeshire|South Pembroke]] |- |[[Gwent (county)|Gwent]] |[[Blaenau Gwent|Blenau Gwent]] [[Islwyn]] [[District of Monmouth|Monmouth]] [[District of Newport|Newport]] [[Torfaen]] |- |[[Gwynedd]] |[[District of Aberconwy|Aberconwy]] [[District of Arfon|Afron]] [[Dwyfor]] [[Meirionnydd]] [[Anglesey]] |- |[[Mid Glamorgan]] |[[Cynon Valley]] [[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough|Merthyr Tydfil]] [[Ogwr]] [[District of Rhondda|Rhondda]] [[District of Rhymney Valley|Rhymney Valley]] [[Taff-Ely]] |- |[[Powys]] |[[Borough of Brecknock|Brecknock]] [[District of Montgomeryshire|Montgomeryshire]] [[District of Radnorshire|Radnor]] |- |[[South Glamorgan]] |[[District of Cardiff|Cardiff]] [[Vale of Glamorgan]] |- |[[West Glamorgan]] |[[Lliw Valley]] [[District of Neath|Neath]] [[District of Port Talbot|Port Talbot]] [[District of Swansea|Swansea]] |} ===Map=== {| border=0 cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |- ! [[England]] | |- | style="font-size:88%" | {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| {{ordered list|start=1 | [[Northumberland]] | [[Tyne and Wear]] β | [[County Durham]] | [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]] | [[North Yorkshire]] | [[Cumbria]] | [[Lancashire]] | [[Merseyside]] β | [[Greater Manchester]] β | [[West Yorkshire]] β | [[South Yorkshire]] β | [[Humberside]] | [[Lincolnshire]] | [[Nottinghamshire]] | [[Derbyshire]] | [[Cheshire]] | [[Shropshire]] | [[Staffordshire]] | [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] β | [[Warwickshire]] | [[Leicestershire]] | [[Northamptonshire]] | [[Cambridgeshire]] | [[Norfolk]] | [[Suffolk]] | [[Essex]] | [[Hertfordshire]] | [[Bedfordshire]] | [[Buckinghamshire]] | [[Oxfordshire]] | [[Gloucestershire]] | [[Hereford and Worcester]] | [[County of Avon|Avon]] | [[Wiltshire]] | [[Berkshire]] | [[Greater London]] * | [[Kent]] | [[East Sussex]] | [[West Sussex]] | [[Surrey]] | [[Hampshire]] | [[Isle of Wight]] | [[Dorset]] | [[Somerset]] | [[Devon]] | [[Cornwall]] }} }} | align=center rowspan=3 | [[File:EnglandAndWales1974Numbered.png]] |- ! [[Wales]] | |- | style="font-size:88%" | {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| {{ordered list|start=47 | [[Gwent (county)|Gwent]] | [[South Glamorgan]] | [[Mid Glamorgan]] | [[West Glamorgan]] | [[Dyfed]] | [[Powys]] | [[Gwynedd]] | [[Clwyd]] }} }} |- | colspan=3 style="font-size:88%" | β [[metropolitan county]]<br/>* 'administrative area' created in earlier legislation |} ==Elections== {{main|United Kingdom local elections, 1973}} Elections to the new authorities were held on three different Thursdays in 1973. Each new county and district was divided into electoral divisions, known as [[ward (politics)|ward]]s in the districts. For county councils, each electoral division elected one member; for metropolitan district councils, each ward elected three members; and wards in non-metropolitan districts could elect a varying number of members. There was not sufficient time to conduct a full warding arrangement so a temporary system was used: in some county councils electoral divisions elected multiple councillors.<ref name=process /> County councils were set on a four-year cycle of elections of all members, and the next elections were in 1977. Metropolitan district councils elected one councillor for each seat in the three other years, starting in 1975. Non-metropolitan districts had a general election again in 1976, and could subsequently either conduct elections of the whole council or by-thirds.<ref name=process /><ref name=reformed /> Schedule 3 provided that for each metropolitan ward, the councillor for who obtained the fewest votes in the 1973 election would retire in 1975, the next fewest in 1976, and the others in 1978, setting up the cycle. If equal numbers of votes were obtained, or ward elections in 1973 had been uncontested, the decision would be made by lot. ==Division of functions== [[Health care in the United Kingdom|Health care]] and [[Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom|water supply / sanitation]] were assigned to new, separate, non-elected authorities. The remaining functions previously exercised by local authorities were distributed broadly as follows:<ref name="reformed" /><ref>{{cite book|title=Local Government and Urban Politics|year=1990|last=Hampton|first=W.}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Local government function || Metropolitan counties || Non-metropolitan counties |- | Allotments || Districts || Districts |- | Arts and recreation || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | β Libraries || Districts || Counties |- | β Museums and galleries || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | β Tourism || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | Cemeteries and cremetoria || Districts || Districts |- | Consumer protection || Counties || Counties |- | Education || Districts || Counties |- | Environmental health || Districts || Districts |- | β Refuse collection || Districts || Districts |- | Fire service || Counties || Counties |- | Footpaths (create, protect) || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | Footpaths (maintain, signs) || Counties || Counties |- | Housing || Districts || Districts |- | Licence duty || Districts || Districts |- | Markets and fairs || Districts || Districts |- | Planning || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | β Local plans || Districts || Districts |- | β Structure plans || Counties || Counties |- | β National parks || Counties || Counties |- | Police || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | [[Rates (tax)|Rate]] collection || Districts || Districts |- | Smallholdings || Counties || Counties |- | Social services || Districts || Counties |- | Traffic and highways || Counties and districts || Counties and districts |- | β Public transport || Counties || Counties and districts |- | β Transport planning || Counties || Counties |} In many areas both authorities had some powers, and certain Welsh districts were allowed greater powers by the Secretary of State. ==Reaction== The system established by the Act was the object of some criticism. One major controversy was the failure to reform local government finance. Having lost office at the [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|general election of February 1974]], [[Graham Page]], the minister who had piloted the Act through Parliament, condemned the existing system of rates and grants. His successor as [[Secretary of State for the Environment|Minister for the Environment]], [[Tony Crosland]] said that he would be re-examining the rates system, while the Association of Metropolitan Authorities sought the establishment of a [[royal commission]] to consider the matter.<ref name="change">{{cite news|title=All change in local affairs|work=The Times|date=1 April 1974}}</ref><ref name="beg">{{cite news|title=Beginning of the end for local government?|work=The Times|date=1 April 1974}}</ref> The two-tier structure established was also seen as problematic. In particular, the division of planning between districts and counties was a source of friction between the new councils.<ref name="change"/> Thamesdown Borough Council called for a further reform and complete abolition of counties as they felt [[Wiltshire County Council]] was unable to respond to the needs of an expanding urban area.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thamesdown|work=The Times|date=14 April 1974}}</ref> Further complaints surrounded the loss of water supply and sewerage powers to regional water authorities created by the [[Water Act 1973]]. This was felt to reduce the ability of district councils to plan new housing developments.<ref name="beg"/> It was also felt that the boundaries of the [[metropolitan county|metropolitan counties]] were too tightly drawn, leaving out much of the suburban areas of the conurbations{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}. The leading article in ''[[The Times]]'' on the day the Act came into effect noted that the ''new arrangement is a compromise which seeks to reconcile familiar geography which commands a certain amount of affection and loyalty, with the scale of operations on which modern planning methods can work effectively''.<ref name="change"/> There was some criticism of county boundary changes. A campaign was mounted to return the [[Uffington White Horse]] to Berkshire, and a bonfire was lit at the site by protestors as the Act came into effect.<ref name="remote">{{cite news|title=Warning of 'remoteness' in new councils|work=The Times|date=1 April 1974}}</ref> The campaigners claimed 10,000 signatures in favour of diverting the county boundary to include the "Berkshire White Horse".<ref>{{cite news|title=Berkshire White Horse|work=The Times|date=5 June 1974}}</ref> The calls were rejected by the local MP, [[Airey Neave]], who pointed out that the horse predated county boundaries, and by the chairman of the [[Vale of White Horse]] District Council.<ref>{{cite news|title=Whose White Horse?|work=The Times|date=24 June 1974}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Whose White Horse?|work=The Times|date=5 July 1974}}</ref> Professor Anthony Fletcher, of the Department of Medieval History of the [[University of Sheffield]], suggested that the new councils place signs at the boundaries of ancient counties.<ref>{{cite news|title=Changing Counties|work=The Times|date=24 May 1973}}</ref> The removal of Gatwick Airport and the surrounding area from Surrey into West Sussex met some fierce local opposition with the result that the parishes of [[Horley]] and [[Charlwood]] were subsequently returned to Surrey in the [[eponymous]] [[Charlwood and Horley Act 1974]], leaving the airport to stay in West Sussex.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1973/nov/13/charlwood-and-horley-bill|title= Charlwood and Horley bill 1973|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=13 November 1973|access-date=22 April 2020}}</ref> Some of the reaction against the Act was motivated by opposition to loss of local control. The [[county borough]] councils regretted the loss of their independent status. Criticism of the Act also centred on the size of the new districts. The new Minister, whose party had opposed the reforms in opposition, hoped that ''"it will be more efficient β but it could easily become more remote"''. In order to combat this, Crosland was considering the creation of "neighbourhood councils" in unparished areas of the new districts.<ref name="remote"/> The names of some of the new authorities also caused controversy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Administrative map loses some famous names|work=The Times|date=28 March 1973}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Councils want their names changed|work=The Times|date=13 August 1973}}</ref> At no point were local populations consulted about the changes. The two arguably most loathed new counties created were Humberside and Avon. Humberside united the north and south banks of the River Humber β in theory at least promoting cooperation of the ports of Kingston-upon-Hull, Grimsby and Immingham β carving territory out of the East Riding of Yorkshire and of northern Lindsey respectively. Avon lumped Bristol, formerly a county borough within Gloucestershire, together with Bath, a former county borough in Somerset. Both these creations were to disappear in further local government reforms in the 1990s. ==Amendment and adaptation== The system established by the Act was not to last. In [[England]] a series of incremental measures amended it. First, the [[county council]]s of the metropolitan counties, as well as the [[Greater London Council]], were abolished in 1986 by [[Second Thatcher ministry|Margaret Thatcher's government]] with the [[Local Government Act 1985]], effectively re-establishing county borough status for the metropolitan boroughs. Second, a review of local government outside the metropolitan counties was announced in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|title=County review ordered|work=The Times|date=18 March 1989}}</ref> The [[Local Government Commission for England (1992)|local government reform in the 1990s]] led to the creation of many new [[unitary authority|unitary authorities]], and the complete abolition of [[County of Avon|Avon]], [[Cleveland (county)|Cleveland]], [[Hereford and Worcester]] and [[Humberside]]. Names such as [[Herefordshire]] and the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] reappeared as local government entities, although often with new boundaries. Several former county boroughs such as [[Derby]], [[Leicester]] and [[Stoke-on-Trent]] regained unitary status. Additionally, another wave of [[2009 structural changes to local government in England|unitary authorities was formed in 2009]]. In [[Wales]] there was a more radical change in policy with the two-tier system entirely abolished in 1996, and replaced with the current [[subdivisions of Wales|principal areas of Wales]]. The 1974 counties in Wales have been retained as [[preserved counties of Wales|preserved counties]] for various purposes, notably as ceremonial counties, albeit with substantive border revisions. ==See also== {{wikisource}} *[[Local Government Boundary Commission for England (1972)]] *[[Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972]] *[[Association of British Counties]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links== *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/contents Text of the Act] {{Civil parishes in England}} {{Edward Heath}} [[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1972]] [[Category:Local government legislation in England and Wales]] [[Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning England and Wales]] [[Category:1972 in England]] [[Category:1972 in Wales]] [[Category:October 1972 in the United Kingdom]]
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