Local Government Restructuring

A recent history of UK local government restructuring
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in England in the 1990s
Regional Government

A recent history of UK local government restructuring

As a consequence of attempts to effect the most efficient system of local government for different areas, several major structural changes have been made since the 1960s. In the early 1960s the UK was covered by two-tier administrations, based on counties and a mixture of sub-administrations including municipal boroughs, county boroughs, rural districts and urban districts. The Isles of Scilly had their own single-tier administration.

In 1965 a new structure was introduced to London whereby Greater London was formed from segments of the surrounding counties, with the boroughs being the lower tier of the system.

In 1974 a similar two-tier structure was introduced to the rest of England and Wales whereby revised (and in many cases larger) counties, also known as shire counties, provided the top tier of local government and non-metropolitan districts the lower tier. Six of these counties in heavily urbanised areas were known as metropolitan counties, with the subdivisions called metropolitan districts; the Isles of Scilly retained their own set-up.

Scotland had the same structure introduced in 1975 except that the upper tier units were known as regions. Northern Ireland however had had its entire two-tier system replaced in 1973 by a single-tier district council system.

In 1986 the Greater London Council and the six metropolitan counties were abolished leaving the boroughs and districts to operate as single-tier units, although the abolished larger areas are still recognised for some purposes such as statistical presentation.

Then, in the 1990s, it was decided that the two-tier system might not be the most efficient in many cases. Scotland and Wales had their two-tier systems replaced in 1996, in Scotland by a single-tier system of council areas, in Wales by a similar system of unitary authorities. In England meanwhile the situation became rather more complex, as described below:

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in England in the 1990s

The Local Government Commission for England (LGCE)* reviewed the administrative structure of non-metropolitan areas and, following considerable research and consultation, recommended that some areas retain the existing two-tier structure and others be set up as single-tier unitary authorities (UAs). Parliament approved reorganisation in 25 counties and the subsequent process of restructuring occurred in the following phases between 1995 and 1998:

Prior to the LGR there were 39 shire counties split into 294 districts. The current structure consists of 34 shire counties split into 239 districts, and 46 unitary authorities. Only 14 pre-1995 shire counties were unaffected by the changes. Metropolitan districts were not included in the LGR and have retained their post-1986 status, whilst as of 2000 the London boroughs have also become subject to the new London-wide authority. The Isles of Scilly have retained their own administration throughout.

The ONS Geography product 'Gazetteer of the old and new geographies of the United Kingdom' (1999) provides a comprehensive and illustrated guide to the 1990s changes.

* Since 1 April 2002 the LGCE has been known as the Boundary Committee for England (BCFE).

Regional Government

In 2004 legislation was passed to allow referendums on regional government in the English Government Office Regions (GORs). On 4 November 2004 a referendum was held in the North East which produced a major 'no' vote. In consequence the plans for referendums elsewhere were dropped; regional assemblies are therefore not going to occur in the near future. However, should regional assemblies be introduced at a later date, this will almost certainly lead to a major reorganisation of local government structures.

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This page last revised: Thursday, 11 November 2004