Local Government Association Log in About COVID-19 Our support Case studies Parliament Topics Publications Events Home About What is local government? Local government touches the lives of everybody, every day. Local government is responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in defined areas. Among them are well known functions such as social care, schools, housing and planning and waste collection, but also lesser known ones such as licensing, business support, registrar services and pest control. In England, more than one million people work in local government across a range of different types of authorities, providing more than 800 different services to local communities. Local councils, which is the most common type of local authority, are made up of councillors who are elected by the public in local elections. Councillors work with local people and partners, such as local businesses and other organisations, to agree and deliver on local priorities. The decisions are implemented by permanent council staff, council officers, who deliver services on a daily basis. Types of local government Depending on where you live, local government consists of at least one or two tiers of authorities. Two tiers, with responsibilities of local services divided between them: 24 county councils 181 district, borough or city councils One (unitary) tier providing all services: 59 unitary councils 33 London boroughs 36 metropolitan boroughs Across England, there are also around 9,000 parish and town councils, 10 National Parks responsible for conservation and promotion of scenic areas, as well as local authorities responsible specifically for policing and fire and rescue services. Since the passing of new legislation in 2009, there is an additional type of regional authority, Combined Authorities, where two or more councils collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries. Funding of local government Local authorities receive funding from a range of sources, including Government grants, council tax and fees and charges. Together, council tax and business rates make up local authorities’ largest source of income. Funding of local taxation: council tax and business rates Further reading and resources Understand how your council works Find your local council Data about your council Be a councillor - an LGA resource for people considering standing in council elections LGA Virtual Annual Conference 2021 Missed a session at this year's conference? Delegates can catch up on all sessions on demand. Who we are and what we do The LGA is the national voice of local government, working with councils to support, promote and improve local government. Forget What You Think You Know... podcast Forget What You Think You Know is the LGA's new podcast show exploring social issues that are affecting communities in England on a day-to-day basis and what councils are doing to address them. Share this page: Print this page Political groups 18 Smith Square, Westminster, London SW1P 3HZ info@local.gov.uk 020 7664 3000 Connect with us Cookie guidance Terms of use Privacy Accessibility Copyright © 2021 Local Government Association company number 11177145 Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government company number 03675577 Privacy settings We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience and to collect information about how you use our website. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and to improve our content. More information Essential Analytics Preference Save preferences Accept all cookies