Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. 70) is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974.HMSO.  Local Government Act 1972.  1972 c.70

Its pattern of two-tier councils remains in use today in large parts of England, although the metropolitan county councils were abolished in 1986 and it was replaced with unitary authorities in many areas in the 1990s. In Wales, it established a similar pattern of counties and districts.Arnold-Baker, C., Local Government Act 1972, (1973)  These have since been entirely replaced with a system of unitary authorities. In Scotland, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 established a similar system of two-tier regions and districts in 1975 – this was also replaced by a system of unitary council areas in 1996.

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 April 12, for metropolitan and Welsh districts on May 10 for non-metropolitan district councils on June 7.The Times, April 13, May 11, June 8, 1973

England
 Metropolitan counties 

 Metropolitan county Existing geographic county or subdivision County boroughs Other parts Greater Manchester Cheshire Stockport urban north-east Cheshire Lancashire Bury, Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Wigan urban south-east Lancashire Yorkshire, West Riding none Saddleworth urban district Merseyside Cheshire Birkenhead, Wallasey most of Wirral peninsula Lancashire Bootle, Liverpool, St Helens, Southport urban south-west Lancashire South Yorkshire Yorkshire, West Riding Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham southern West Riding Finningley Tyne and Wear Durham Gateshead, South Shields, Sunderland urban north-east Durham Northumberland Tynemouth, Newcastle upon Tyne urban south-east Northumberland West Midlands Staffordshire Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton Aldridge-Brownhills Warwickshire Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull Sutton Coldfield, Meriden Gap Worcestershire Warley Halesowen and Stourbridge West Yorkshire Yorkshire, West Riding Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield western West Riding of Yorkshire

Metropolitan districts

 Metropolitan county Metropolitan district County boroughs Other components Greater Manchester Bury Bury Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom (part), Tottington, Whitefield (Lancashire) Bolton Bolton Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Lever, Turton (part), Westhoughton (Lancashire) Manchester Manchester Ringway from Bucklow Rural District (Cheshire) Oldham Oldham Chadderton, Shaw and Crompton, Failsworth, Lees and Royton (Lancashire); Saddleworth (West Riding) Rochdale Rochdale Heywood,  Littleborough, Middleton, Milnrow and Wardle (Lancashire) Salford Salford Eccles, Irlam, Worsley, Swinton and Pendlebury (Lancashire) Stockport Stockport Bredbury and Romiley, Cheadle and Gatley, Hazel Grove and Bramhall and Marple (Cheshire) Tameside none Dukinfield, Hyde, Longdendale, Stalybridge (Cheshire); Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Mossley (Lancashire) Trafford none Altrincham, Bowdon, Hale, Sale, part of Bucklow Rural District (Cheshire); Stretford, Urmston (Lancashire) Wigan Wigan Abram, Ashton-in-Makerfield (most), Aspull, Atherton, Billinge-and-Winstanley (part), Golborne (part), Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Leigh, Orrell, Standish-with-Langtree, Tyldesley, part of Wigan Rural District (Lancashire) Merseyside Knowsley none Huyton-with-Roby, Kirkby, Prescot, Simonswood, part of Whiston Rural District (Lancashire) Liverpool Liverpool none St Helens St Helens Ashton-in-Makerfield (part), Billinge-and-Winstanley (part) Haydock, Newton-le-Willows, Rainford, part of Whiston Rural District (Lancashire) Sefton Bootle, Southport Crosby, Formby, Litherland, part of West Lancashire Rural District (Lancashire) Wirral Birkenhead, Wallasey Bebington, Hoylake, Wirral (Cheshire) South Yorkshire BarnsleyBarnsley Cudworth, Darfield, Hoyland Nether, Penistone, Royston, Wombwell, Worsbrough; Penistone Rural District, part of Hemsworth Rural District; part of Wortley Rural District (West Riding) Doncaster Doncaster Adwick le Street, Bentley with Arksey, Conisbrough, Mexborough, Tickhill (West Riding), Finningley (Nottinghamshire) Sheffield Sheffield Stocksbridge, part of Wortley Rural District (West Riding) Rotherham Rotherham Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, Wath upon Dearne; Kiveton Park Rural District, Rotherham Rural District (West Riding) Tyne and Wear Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Gosforth, Newburn, part of Castle Ward Rural District (Northumberland) North Tyneside Tynemouth Wallsend, part of Whitley Bay, Longbenton, part of Seaton Valley (Northumberland) Gateshead Gateshead Blaydon, Felling, Ryton and Whickham, part of Chester-le-Street Rural District (Durham) South Tyneside South Shields Jarrow, Boldon, Hebburn (Durham) Sunderland Sunderland Hetton, Houghton-le-Spring, Washington, part of Easington Rural District, part of Chester-le-Street Rural District (Durham) West Midlands Birmingham Birmingham Sutton Coldfield (Warwickshire) Coventry Coventry Allesley and Keresley from Meriden Rural District (Warwickshire) Dudley Dudley Halesowen and Stourbridge (Worcestershire) Sandwell Warley and West Bromwich none Solihull Solihull many parishes from Meriden Rural District, and Hockley Heath from Stratford-on-Avon Rural District (Warwickshire) Walsall Walsall Aldridge-Brownhills (Staffordshire) Wolverhampton Wolverhampton none West Yorkshire Bradford Bradford Baildon, Bingley, Denholme, Ilkley, Keighley, Queensbury and Shelf (part), Shipley, Silsden; part of Skipton Rural District (West Riding) Calderdale Halifax Brighouse, Elland, Hebden Royd, Queensbury and Shelf (part), Ripponden, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Hepton Rural District (West Riding) Kirklees Dewsbury, Huddersfield Batley, Colne Valley, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham, Mirfield, Spenborough (West Riding) Leeds Leeds Aireborough, Garforth, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell; part of Tadcaster Rural District, part of Wetherby Rural District, part of Wharfedale Rural District (West Riding) Wakefield Wakefield Castleford, Featherstone, Hemsworth, Horbury, Knottingley, Normanton, Ossett, Pontefract, Stanley; Wakefield Rural District, part of Hemsworth Rural District, part of Osgoldcross Rural District (West Riding)

 Non-metropolitan counties 

 Non-metropolitan county Existing geographic county or subdivision County boroughs Other parts Avon Gloucestershire Bristol southern part Somerset Bath northern part (including Weston-super-Mare)BedfordshireBedfordshireLuton all Berkshire Berkshire Reading all except part around Abingdon in Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire none southern tip (including Slough) Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire none all except southern tip (including Slough) in Berkshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely none all Huntingdon and Peterborough none all Cheshire Cheshire Chester all except Tintwistle Rural District (to Derbyshire), north-eastern urban area (to Greater Manchester), Wirral peninsula (to Merseyside) Lancashire Warrington mid-southern part, including Widnes Cleveland Durham Hartlepool Stockton Rural District Yorkshire, North Riding Teesside urban north Cornwall Cornwall none all Cumbria Cumberland Carlisle all Westmorland none all Lancashire Barrow-in-Furness North Lonsdale Yorkshire, West Riding none Sedbergh Rural District Derbyshire Derbyshire Derby all Cheshire none Tintwistle Rural District Devon Devon Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay all Dorset Dorset none all Hampshire Bournemouth area around Christchurch Durham Durham Darlington all except urban north-east (to Tyne and Wear) and Stockton Rural District (to Cleveland) East Sussex East Sussex Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings all except eastern strip (to West Sussex) Essex Essex Southend-on-Sea all Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Gloucester all except southern part (to Avon) Hampshire Hampshire Portsmouth, Southampton all except part around Christchurch (to Dorset) Hereford and Worcester Herefordshire none all Worcestershire Worcester all except Stourbridge and Halesowen (to West Midlands) Hertfordshire Hertfordshire none all Humberside Lincoln, Parts of Lindsey Grimsby northern strip including Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes Yorkshire, East Riding Kingston upon Hull all except northern fringe Yorkshire, West Riding none Goole and Goole Rural District Isle of Wight Isle of Wight none all Kent Kent Canterbury all Lancashire Lancashire Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Preston central part only (south-east to Greater Manchester, south-west part to Merseyside, mid-south to Cheshire, North Lonsdale to Cumbria) Yorkshire, West Riding none area including Barnoldswick Leicestershire Leicestershire Leicester all Rutland none all Lincolnshire Lincolnshire, Parts of Holland none all Lincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey Lincoln all but northern strip including Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes Lincolnshire, Parts of Kesteven none Norfolk Norfolk Norwich all East Suffolk none part of Lothingland Rural District near Great Yarmouth North Yorkshire North Riding of Yorkshire York all except urban north (to Cleveland) and Startforth Rural District (to Durham) Yorkshire, West Riding northern part including Harrogate, Knaresborough and Selby Yorkshire, East Riding northern part including Filey Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Northampton all Northumberland Northumberland none all except urban south-east (to Tyne and Wear) Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire Nottingham all except Finningley (to South Yorkshire) Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxford all Berkshire none area around Abingdon Salop (Shropshire) Salop none all Somerset Somerset none all except northern part (including Weston-super-Mare) Staffordshire Staffordshire Burton upon Trent, Stoke-on-Trent all except Aldridge-Brownhills Suffolk East Suffolk and West Suffolk Ipswich all, except part of north-east Suffolk near Great Yarmouth to Norfolk Surrey Surrey none all except Gatwick Airport Warwickshire Warwickshire none all except Sutton Coldfield and Meriden Gap (to West Midlands) West Sussex West Sussex none all East Sussex none eastern strip Wiltshire Wiltshire none all

Non-metropolitan 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/North Devon
Dorset : Weymouth and Portland/Purbeck,  North Dorset/East Dorset
Durham : Wear Valley/Teesdale
Hereford and Worcester : Hereford/South Herefordshire/Leominster
Humberside: Holderness/North Wolds
Isle of Wight: South Wight/Medina
Lancashire: Hyndburn/Rossendale
Leicestershire : Rutland/Melton, Harborough/Oadby and Wigston
Lincolnshire: Boston/South Holland
Northamptonshire: Daventry/South Northamptonshire
Northumberland : Berwick-upon-Tweed/Alnwick
Shropshire : Oswestry/North Shropshire, 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 South Cambridgeshire district.

Isles of Scilly
Section 265 af the Act allowed for the continuation of the local government arrangements for the Isles of Scilly. 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 order in council made by the Secretary of State, although the Isles were not technically in Cornwall before or after 1974.

Wales

 New county Existing geographic county County boroughs Other partsClwydFlintshirenoneallDenbighshirenoneall except Llanrwst and areaMerionethshirenoneEdeyrnion Rural DistrictDyfedCardiganshirenoneallCarmarthenshirenoneallPembrokeshirenoneallGwentMonmouthshireNewportexcept parts in Mid Glamorgan and South GlamorganBreconshirenoneBrynmawr and LlanellyGwyneddAngleseynoneallCaernarvonshirenoneallMerionethshirenoneall except Edeyrnion Rural DistrictDenbighshirenoneLlanrwst and areaMid GlamorganGlamorganMerthyr TydfilAberdare, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Pontypridd, Rhondda etc.BreconshirenonePenderyn and VaynorMonmouthshirenoneBedwas and Machen, Rhymney, part of BedwelltyPowysMontgomeryshirenoneallRadnorshirenoneallBreconshirenoneall except parts to Gwent and Mid GlamorganSouth GlamorganGlamorganCardiffBarry, Cowbridge, PenarthMonmouthshirenoneSt MellonsWest GlamorganGlamorganSwanseaGlyncorrwg, Neath, Llwchwr, Port Talbot

Elections

Elections were held to the new authorities on three different Thursdays in 1973.  Each new county and district was divided into electoral divisions. 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.Wood, Bruce. Process of Local Government Reform: 1966-1974. 1976

Other websites
 Text of The English Non-Metropolitan Districts Order 1972 (S.I 1972/2039) 

References

Category:1970s in the United Kingdom
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Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom