Difference between revisions of "Unitary authority"

Revision as of 10:08, 4 December 2012 (view source) Ross Burgess (Talk | contribs) ← Older edit		Revision as of 10:32, 4 December 2012 (view source) Ross Burgess (Talk | contribs) (→‎List of English unitary authorities) Newer edit →
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	==List of English unitary authorities==		==List of English unitary authorities==
		+	Note: the following list does not include the metropolitan boroughs, which function as unitary authortites within the six Metropolitan counties of [[Greater Manchester]], [[Merseyside]], [[South Yorkshire]], [[Tyne and Wear]], [[West Midlands]], and [[West Yorkshire]].
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	{{columns-list|3|		{{columns-list|3|
	* [[Bath and North East Somerset]]		* [[Bath and North East Somerset]]

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Revision as of 10:32, 4 December 2012

A unitary authority is an area in England that has only a single tier of local government. From 1888 onwards County Boroughs had performed a similar function, but these were abolished in 1972 when a two-tier system of local government was applied throughout the country, with counties at the upper level and districts (some desigmated as boroughs or cities) as the lower level). From 1985 onwards there has been a move to replace the two-tier system with unitary authorities, but this not happened throught the country. Most of the current unitary authorities represent previous districts, but is some cases such as Cornwall the existing county has become a unitary authority, the districts having been abolished.

The previous counties have mostly been retained as ceremonial counties but have no local government functions in the areas covered by separate unitary authorities.

Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have single-tier local government (beneath their own parliaments or assemblies) but the term "unitary authority" is not used there.

List of English unitary authorities

Note: the following list does not include the metropolitan boroughs, which function as unitary authortites within the six Metropolitan counties of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.