List of county councils in England

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Two-tier non-metropolitan county councils in England (red). English administrative divisions map coloured by type 2023.svg
Two-tier non-metropolitan county councils in England (red).

There are currently 29 county councils in England, all of which serve areas known as non-metropolitan counties. Of these, 21 are upper-tier authorities in a two-tier arrangement; their areas are divided into a number of non-metropolitan districts, which each have a district council. [1] The other eight county councils are unitary authorities, having taken over district functions on the abolition of districts in those counties. (All other unitary authorities are legally district councils which also perform the functions of a county council.) The unitary county councils have been given the option to omit the word 'county' from their name, which option has been taken up by some but not others; whether they took that option or not, they remain legally county councils. [2]

Contents

The first county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. There was a significant reform of the number, powers and jurisdictions of county councils in 1974. County councils were also established for the metropolitan counties created in 1974, but the metropolitan county councils were all abolished in 1986. From 1995 onwards numerous unitary authorities have been created.

Current

Local authorityEstablishedDistrict councilsAdministrationWebsiteHeadquarters
Cambridgeshire County Council 1974 Cambs 5Coalition: Official website New Shire Hall, Alconbury Weald
Cornwall Council 1889Unitary since 2009 Conservative (minority) Official website Lys Kernow, Truro
Derbyshire County Council 18898 Conservative Official website County Hall, Matlock
Devon County Council 18898 Conservative Official website County Hall, Exeter
Durham County Council 1889Unitary since 2009Coalition: Official website County Hall, Durham
East Sussex County Council 18895 Conservative Official website County Hall, Lewes
Essex County Council 188912 Conservative Official website County Hall, Chelmsford
Gloucestershire County Council 18896 Conservative Official website Shire Hall, Gloucester
Hampshire County Council 188911 Conservative Official website Castle Hill, Winchester
Hertfordshire County Council 188910 Conservative Official website County Hall, Hertford
Isle of Wight Council 1890Unitary since 1995Coalition: Official website County Hall, Newport
Kent County Council 188912 Conservative Official website County Hall, Maidstone
Lancashire County Council 188912 Conservative Official website County Hall, Preston
Leicestershire County Council 18897 Conservative Official website County Hall, Glenfield
Lincolnshire County Council 19747 Conservative Official website County Offices, Lincoln
Norfolk County Council 18897 Conservative Official website County Hall, Norwich
North Yorkshire Council 1974Unitary since 2023Coalition: Official website County Hall, Northallerton
Northumberland County Council 1889Unitary since 2009 Conservative Official website County Hall, Morpeth
Nottinghamshire County Council 18897 Conservative Official website County Hall, West Bridgford
Oxfordshire County Council 18895Coalition: Official website County Hall, Oxford
Shropshire Council 1889Unitary since 2009 Conservative Official website Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Somerset Council 1889Unitary since 2023 Liberal Democrats Official website County Hall, Taunton
Staffordshire County Council 18898 Conservative Official website County Buildings, Stafford
Suffolk County Council 19745 Conservative Official website Endeavour House, Ipswich
Surrey County Council 188911 Conservative Official website Woodhatch Place, Reigate
Warwickshire County Council 18895 Conservative Official website Shire Hall, Warwick
West Sussex County Council 18897 Conservative Official website County Hall, Chichester
Wiltshire Council 1889Unitary since 2009 Conservative Official website County Hall, Trowbridge
Worcestershire County Council 1998 Worcs 6 Conservative Official website County Hall, Worcester

The unitary authority which calls itself Rutland County Council is legally a district council which also performs county functions rather than a county council, despite its corporate branding. [3] The unitary authorities of Bristol City Council, [4] Buckinghamshire Council, [5] Dorset Council, [6] East Riding of Yorkshire Council, [7] and Herefordshire Council share their geographic name with a ceremonial county but are likewise legally district councils that also perform county functions. [8] [9]

Former

Local authorityEstablishedAbolished
Avon County Council 19741996
Bedfordshire County Council 18892009
Berkshire County Council 18891998
Buckinghamshire County Council 18892020
Cambridgeshire County Council 18891965 Cambs
Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely County Council 19651974
Cheshire County Council 18892009
Cleveland County Council 19741996
Cumberland County Council 18891974
Cumbria County Council 19742023
Dorset County Council 18892019
East Riding County Council 18891974
East Suffolk County Council 18891974
Greater Manchester County Council 19741986
Hereford and Worcester County Council 19741998
Herefordshire County Council 18891974
Holland County Council 18891974
Humberside County Council 19741996
Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council 19651974
Huntingdonshire County Council 18891965
Isle of Ely County Council 18891965
Kesteven County Council 18891974
Lindsey County Council 18891974
London County Council 18891965
Merseyside County Council 19741986
Middlesex County Council 18891965
Monmouthshire County Council 18891974 Mon
North Riding County Council 18891974
Northamptonshire County Council 18892021
Rutland County Council 18891974
Soke of Peterborough County Council 18891965
South Yorkshire County Council 19741986
Tyne and Wear County Council 19741986
West Midlands County Council 19741986
Westmorland County Council 18891974
West Riding County Council 18891974
West Suffolk County Council 18891974
West Yorkshire County Council 19741986
Worcestershire County Council 18891974 Worcs

Footnotes

See also

Related Research Articles

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Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire in England. The council was created in 1889. The county council provides county-level services to eleven of the thirteen districts geographically located within the ceremonial county of Hampshire. The county council acts as the upper tier of local government to approximately 1.4 million people. It is one of 21 county councils in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead</span> Borough and unitary authority in Berkshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counties of England</span> Geographic divisions of England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceremonial counties of England</span> Category of areas in England

Ceremonial counties, formally known as counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are areas of England to which lord-lieutenants are appointed. They are one of the two main legal definitions of the counties of England in modern usage, the other being the counties for the purposes of local government legislation. A lord-lieutenant is the monarch's representative in an area. Shrieval counties have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which high sheriffs are appointed. High sheriffs are the monarch's judicial representative in an area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-metropolitan county</span> County-level entity in England

A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a subdivision of England used for local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Wight Council</span> Principal local authority of the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Council, known between 1890 and 1995 as Isle of Wight County Council, is the local authority for the Isle of Wight in England. Since 1995 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. It is based at County Hall in Newport. The council has been under no overall control since 2021, being led by a coalition of independent, Green, and Our Island councillors called the Alliance Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northumberland County Council</span> Local authority in North East England

Northumberland County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having also taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitary authorities of England</span> Local government in some parts of England

The unitary authorities of England are a type of local authority responsible for all local government services in an area. They combine the functions of a non-metropolitan county council and a non-metropolitan district council, which elsewhere in England provide two tiers of local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Keynes City Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Milton Keynes City Council is the local authority for the City of Milton Keynes, a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England. The council was established in 1974 as Milton Keynes Borough Council. Since 1997 it has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent of Buckinghamshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutland County Council</span> Unitary authority of local government in the district and county of Rutland

Rutland County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, legally being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swindon Borough Council</span>

Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was renamed Swindon Borough Council and became a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Wiltshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiltshire Council</span> Unitary authority in South West England

Wiltshire Council, known between 1889 and 2009 as Wiltshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Wiltshire in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, the latter additionally including Swindon. Wiltshire Council has been controlled by the Conservative Party since 2000, and has its headquarters at County Hall in Trowbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halton Borough Council</span>

Halton Borough Council is the local authority for Halton, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2014 the council has been a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shropshire Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Shropshire Council, known between 1980 and 2009 as Shropshire County Council and prior to 1980 as Salop County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire in the West Midlands region of England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county of Shropshire, which additionally includes Telford and Wrekin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yorkshire Council</span> Unitary authority in England

North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the council has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire; the ceremonial county additionally includes Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, York and part of Stockton-on-Tees. North Yorkshire Council is based at County Hall, Northallerton, and consists of 90 councillors. It is a member of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham County Council</span> Local authority in North East England

Durham County Council is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of County Durham in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county of County Durham, which additionally includes Darlington, Hartlepool and the parts of Stockton-on-Tees north of the River Tees. The county council has its headquarters at County Hall in Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Somerset Council</span>

North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, which straddles the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire in England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It therefore provides services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. Since 2016 the council has been a member of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Tees Valley Mayor since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council</span>

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a local government district in Berkshire, England. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckinghamshire Council</span> Local authority of Buckinghamshire, England

Buckinghamshire Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire in England. It is a unitary authority, performing both county and district-level functions. It was created on 1 April 2020, replacing the previous Buckinghamshire County Council and the councils of the four abolished districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Wycombe. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Milton Keynes.

References

  1. Municipal Yearbook. 2009.
  2. "Local Government Act 1972: Section 2", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (s. 2) sub-section (3) specifies that the authority's name should include "county council", but amendments in subsequent statutory instruments mean this section no longer applies to the county councils for Cornwall, Durham, Isle of Wight, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
  3. "The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1996/507, retrieved 12 May 2024
  4. "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1995/493, retrieved 12 May 2024
  5. "The Buckinghamshire (Structural Changes) Order 2019", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2019/957, retrieved 12 May 2024
  6. "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2018/648, retrieved 12 May 2024
  7. "The Humberside (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1995/600, retrieved 12 May 2024
  8. "The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1996/1867, retrieved 12 May 2024
  9. "Lieutenancies Act 1997", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1997 c. 23, retrieved 12 May 2024

Further reading