It has been suggested that this article be merged with Metropolitan county to Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England . (Discuss) Proposed since June 2023. |
Non-metropolitan county | |
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Category | Counties |
Location | England |
Found in | Regions Combined authority areas |
Created by | Local Government Act 1972 |
Created |
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Number | 78 (as of 1 April 2023) |
Possible types |
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Possible status | |
Populations | 300,000–1.4 million |
Subdivisions |
A non-metropolitan county, or colloquially, shire county, is a subdivision of England used for local government.
The counties were originally created in 1974 as part of a reform of local government in England and Wales, and were the top tier of a two-tier system of counties and districts. 21 non-metropolitan counties still use a two-tier system; 56 are unitary authorities, in which the functions of a county and district council have been combined in a single body. Berkshire has a unique structure.
Non-metropolitan counties cover the majority of England with the exception of Greater London, the Isles of Scilly, and the six metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
The non-metropolitan counties are all part of ceremonial counties. Some ceremonial counties, such as Norfolk, contain a single non-metropolitan county, but many contain more than one and it is also common for ceremonial counties and non-metropolitan counties to share a name. Lancashire, for example, contains the non-metropolitan counties of Lancashire, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen.
Prior to 1974 local government had been divided between single-tier county boroughs (the largest towns and cities) and two-tier administrative counties which were subdivided into municipal boroughs and urban and rural districts. The Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, divided England outside Greater London and the six largest conurbations into thirty-nine non-metropolitan counties. Each county was divided into anywhere between two and fourteen non-metropolitan districts. There was a uniform two-tier system of local government with county councils dealing with "wide-area" services such as education, fire services and the police, and district councils exercising more local powers over areas such as planning, housing and refuse collection.
Service | Non-metropolitan county | Non-metropolitan district | Unitary authority |
---|---|---|---|
Education | |||
Housing | |||
Planning applications | |||
Strategic planning | |||
Transport planning | |||
Passenger transport | |||
Highways | |||
Fire | |||
Social services | |||
Libraries | |||
Leisure and recreation | |||
Waste collection | |||
Waste disposal | |||
Environmental health | |||
Revenue collection |
As originally constituted, the non-metropolitan counties were largely based on existing counties, although they did include a number of innovations. Some counties were based on areas surrounding large county boroughs or were formed by the mergers of smaller counties. Examples of the first category are Avon (based on Bath and Bristol) and Cleveland (based on Teesside). An example of the second category is Cumbria, formed by the merger between Cumberland and Westmorland. The counties were adopted for all statutory purposes: a lord-lieutenant and high sheriff was appointed to each county, and they were also used for judicial administration, and definition of police force areas. The Royal Mail adopted the counties for postal purposes in most areas.
A Local Government Commission was appointed in 1992 to review the administrative structure of the non-metropolitan counties. It was anticipated that a system of unitary authorities would entirely replace the two-tier system. The Commission faced competing claims from former county boroughs wishing to regain unitary status and advocates for the restoration of such small counties as Herefordshire and Rutland. [1] The review led to the introduction of unitary local government in some areas but not in others. In the majority of unitary authorities an existing district council took over powers from the county council. The 1972 Act required that all areas outside Greater London form part of a non-metropolitan county, and that all such counties should contain at least one district. [2] Accordingly, the statutory instruments that effected the reorganisation separated the unitary districts from the county in which they were situated and constituted them as counties. The orders also provided that the provisions of the 1972 Act that every county should have a county council should not apply in the new counties, with the district council exercising the powers of the county council.
An exception was made in the case of Berkshire, which was retained with its existing boundaries in spite of the abolition of its county council and the creation of six unitary authorities. This was done in order to preserve its status as a royal county. [3]
With the creation of numerous new non-metropolitan counties, the areas used for lieutenancy and shrievalty began to diverge from local government areas. This led to the development of ceremonial counties for these purposes, a fact recognised by the Lieutenancies Act 1997.
A further wave of unitary authorities were created in 2009 under the terms of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. While a number of new counties were created, several of the new authorities (such as Cornwall or Northumberland) continued to have the boundaries set in 1974.
The 2019–2023 structural changes to local government in England have involved changes to the non-metropolitan county of Dorset (2019), and the abolition of the non-metropolitan counties Northamptonshire (2021) and Cumbria (2023). In addition, the non-metropolitan counties of Buckinghamshire (2020), North Yorkshire (2023), and Somerset (2023) are unchanged, but their councils became unitary authorities as the existing non-metropolitan districts in these areas were consolidated and the district councils abolished.
The following list shows the original thirty-nine counties formed in 1974, subsequent changes in the 1990s, and further changes since then.
Non-metropolitan county 1974 [4] | Changes 1995–1998 | Changes 2009 | Changes 2019 and 2020s |
---|---|---|---|
Avon (6 districts) [lower-alpha 2] | 1996: North West Somerset [6] (unitary) 2005: Renamed North Somerset [lower-alpha 3] | None | None |
1996: Bath and North East Somerset [6] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: South Gloucestershire [6] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: City of Bristol [6] (unitary) | None | None | |
Bedfordshire (4 districts) | 1997: Bedfordshire [8] (3 districts) | Bedford [9] (unitary) | None |
Central Bedfordshire [9] (unitary) | None | ||
1997: Luton [8] (unitary) | None | None | |
Berkshire (Royal County) [10] (6 districts) | 1998: The county council was abolished, with each of the six district councils in the county becoming unitary authorities. The Royal County of Berkshire was not abolished. [11] | None | None |
Buckinghamshire (5 districts) | 1997: Buckinghamshire [12] (4 districts) | None | 2020: Buckinghamshire (unitary) |
1997: Milton Keynes [12] (unitary) | None | None | |
Cambridgeshire (6 districts) | 1998: Cambridgeshire [13] (5 districts) | None | None |
1998: Peterborough [13] (unitary) | None | ||
Cheshire (8 districts) | 1998: Cheshire [14] (6 districts) | Cheshire East [15] (unitary) | None |
Cheshire West and Chester [15] (unitary) | None | ||
1998: Halton [14] (unitary) | None | None | |
1998: Warrington [14] (unitary) | None | None | |
Cleveland (4 districts) | 1996: Hartlepool [16] (unitary) | None | None |
1996: Middlesbrough [16] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: Redcar and Cleveland [16] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: Stockton-on-Tees [16] (unitary) | None | None | |
Cornwall (6 districts) | None | Became unitary [17] | None |
Cumbria (6 districts) | None | None | 2023: Cumberland (unitary) |
2023: Westmorland and Furness (unitary) | |||
Derbyshire (9 districts) | 1997: Derby [18] (unitary) | None | None |
1997: Derbyshire [18] (8 districts) | None | None | |
Devon (10 districts) | 1998: Devon [19] (8 districts) | None | None |
1998: Torbay [19] (unitary) | None | None | |
1998: Plymouth [19] (unitary) | None | None | |
Dorset (8 districts) | 1997: Dorset [20] (6 districts) | None | 2019: Dorset (a unitary from 5 districts) [21] |
1997: Bournemouth [20] (unitary) | None | 2019: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (unitary from 2 unitaries and Christchurch district) [21] | |
1997: Poole [20] (unitary) | None | ||
Durham (8 districts) | 1997: Durham [22] (7 districts) | Became unitary [23] | None |
1997: Darlington [22] (unitary) | None | None | |
East Sussex (7 districts) | 1997: East Sussex [24] (5 districts) | None | None |
1997: Brighton and Hove [24] (unitary) | None | None | |
Essex (14 districts) | 1998: Essex [25] (12 districts) | None | None |
1998: Southend-on-Sea [25] (unitary) | None | None | |
1998: Thurrock [25] (unitary) | None | None | |
Gloucestershire (6 districts) | None | None | None |
Hampshire (13 districts) | 1997: Hampshire [26] (11 districts) | None | None |
1997: Portsmouth [26] (unitary) | None | None | |
1997: Southampton [26] (unitary) | None | None | |
Hereford and Worcester (9 districts) | 1998: Herefordshire [27] (unitary) | None | None |
1998: Worcestershire [27] (6 districts) | None | None | |
Hertfordshire (10 districts) | None | None | None |
Humberside (9 districts) | 1996: East Riding of Yorkshire [28] (unitary) | None | None |
1996: City of Kingston upon Hull [28] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: North Lincolnshire [28] (unitary) | None | None | |
1996: North East Lincolnshire [28] (unitary) | None | None | |
Isle of Wight (2 districts) | 1995: Became unitary [29] | None | None |
Kent (14 districts) | 1998: Kent [30] (12 districts) | None | None |
1998: The Medway Towns [30] (unitary) 1998: renamed Medway | None | None | |
Lancashire (14 districts) | 1998: Lancashire [31] (12 districts) | None | None |
1998: Blackburn with Darwen [31] (unitary) | None | None | |
1998: Blackpool [31] (unitary) | None | None | |
Leicestershire (9 districts) | 1997: Leicestershire [32] (7 districts) | None | None |
1997: Leicester [32] (unitary) | None | None | |
1997: Rutland [32] (unitary) | None | None | |
Lincolnshire (7 districts) | None | None | None |
Norfolk (7 districts) | None | None | None |
North Yorkshire (8 districts) | 1996: North Yorkshire [33] (7 districts) | None | 2023: North Yorkshire (unitary) |
1996: York [33] (unitary) | None | None | |
Northamptonshire (7 districts) | None | None | 2021: North Northamptonshire (unitary) |
2021: West Northamptonshire (unitary) | |||
Northumberland (6 districts) | None | Became unitary [34] | None |
Nottinghamshire (8 districts) | 1998: Nottinghamshire [35] (7 districts) | None | None |
1998: Nottingham [35] (unitary) | None | None | |
Oxfordshire (5 districts) | None | None | None |
Salop (6 districts) 1980: renamed Shropshire | 1998: Shropshire (5 districts) [36] | Became unitary [37] | None |
1998: The Wrekin [36] (unitary) 1998: Renamed Telford and Wrekin | None | None | |
Somerset (5 districts) | None | None | 2019: Somerset (4 districts through merger) [38] 2023: Somerset (unitary) |
Staffordshire (9 districts) | 1997: Staffordshire [39] (8 districts) | None | None |
1997: Stoke-on-Trent [39] (unitary) | None | None | |
Suffolk (7 districts) | None | None | 2019: Suffolk (5 districts through mergers) [40] [41] |
Surrey (11 districts) | None | None | None |
Warwickshire (5 districts) | None | None | None |
West Sussex (7 districts) | None | None | None |
Wiltshire (5 districts) | 1997: Wiltshire [42] (4 districts) | Became unitary [43] | None |
1997: Thamesdown [42] (unitary) 1997: Renamed Swindon | None | None |
In Wales there was no distinction between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties: all upper tier areas were designated "counties". [44] The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 amended the 1972 Act, abolishing the Welsh counties and creating instead new Welsh principal areas, some of which are also designated "counties". For the purposes of lieutenancy the counties constituted in 1974 were preserved.
The subdivisions of England constitute a hierarchy of administrative divisions and non-administrative ceremonial areas.
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.
The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England, centred on the urban area and town of Swindon and forming part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire.
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a two-tier arrangement. Non-metropolitan districts with borough status are known as boroughs, able to appoint a mayor and refer to itself as a borough council.
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and were also the counties for the purposes of Lieutenancies. Later changes in legislation during the 1980s and 1990s have resulted in counties with no county council and 'unitary authority' counties with no districts. Counties for the purposes of Lieutenancies are now defined separately, based on the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties.
Nottingham City Council is the local authority for Nottingham, a unitary authority with city status. Nottingham is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England, but as a unitary authority the city council is administratively independent from the surrounding Nottinghamshire County Council. The city council consists of 55 councillors, representing a total of 20 wards, elected every four years. The council is led by David Mellen, of the majority Labour Party.
Darlington Borough Council elections are held every four years. Darlington Borough Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Darlington in County Durham, England. Until 1 April 1997 it was a non-metropolitan district.
Unitary authorities are a type of local authority responsible for all local government services for a district of England. They are constituted under the Local Government Act 1992, which amended the Local Government Act 1972 to allow the existence of counties that do not have multiple districts. They typically allow large towns to have separate local authorities from the less urbanised parts of their counties and originally provided a single authority for small counties where division into districts would be impractical. However, the UK government has more recently created much larger unitary authority areas, including a single authority for North Yorkshire, the largest non-metropolitan county in England, previously divided into seven districts.
The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The Commission could be ordered by the Secretary of State to undertake "structural reviews" in specified areas and recommend the creation of unitary authorities in the two-tier shire counties of England. The Commission, chaired by John Banham, conducted a review of all the non-metropolitan counties of England from 1993 to 1994, making various recommendations on their future.
Gloucestershire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire, in England. The council was created in 1889. The council's principal functions are county roads and rights of way, social services, education and libraries, but it also provides many other local government services in the area it covers. The council's administrative area does not include South Gloucestershire, which is a unitary authority with all the functions of a county and a non-metropolitan district. The council is based at Shire Hall in Gloucester.
West Berkshire Council is the local authority of West Berkshire in Berkshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. West Berkshire is divided into 24 wards, electing 43 councillors. The council was created by the Local Government Act 1972 as the Newbury District Council and replaced five local authorities: Bradfield Rural District Council, Hungerford Rural District Council, Newbury Borough Council, Newbury Rural District Council and Wantage Rural District Council. On 1 April 1998 it was renamed West Berkshire Council and since then has been a unitary authority, assuming the powers and functions of the abolished Berkshire County Council within the district. In the 2023 election the Liberal Democrats won 29 out of 43 seats.
Luton Borough Council is the local authority of Luton, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Luton is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county and district council combined. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.
Nottinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire in England. It consists of 66 county councillors, elected from 56 electoral divisions every four years. The most recent election was held in 2021.
Cleveland was a non-metropolitan county located in North East England which existed between 1974 and 1996. Cleveland was a two-tier county and had four boroughs: Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Langbaurgh-on-Tees. The county town was Middlesbrough, where Cleveland County Council met. The county was named after the historic area of Cleveland, Yorkshire. Its area is now split between the counties of North Yorkshire and County Durham.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is the local authority of Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined.
Durham County Council is a local unitary authority governing local government functions for the County Durham district of North East England. The council area covers part of wider ceremonial County Durham. County Hall in Durham is the council's headquarters.
Derby City Council is the local authority for Derby, a unitary authority with city status in the East Midlands region of England.
North Lincolnshire Council is the local authority of North Lincolnshire, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county council and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, and waste collection and disposal. It is also a local education authority. The council is based in Scunthorpe.
Wokingham Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Wokingham in Berkshire, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.
County Durham is a local government district in North East England. It is governed by Durham County Council, a unitary authority. The district has an area of 2,232.6 km2, and contains 135 civil parishes. It forms part of the larger ceremonial county of Durham, together with boroughs of Darlington, Hartlepool, and the part of Stockton-on-Tees north of the River Tees.