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In England, a unitary authority or unitary council[2][3] is a type of local authority that performs all local government functions, in contrast to the two-tier system of local government that prevails elsewhere in England, where local government responsibilities are shared between county councils and district councils.
The jurisdiction of a unitary authority is commonly referred to as a "unitary authority area"[4][5] or "unitary area".[3][6] The terms "unitary district" and, for those which are coterminous with a former two-tier county council area, "unitary county" are also sometimes used.[7][8][9][10] The term unitary authority is also sometimes used to refer to the area governed, such as in the ISO 3166-2:GB standard defining a taxonomy for subdivisions of the UK,[11] and in colloquial usage.[12][13][14][15]
London boroughs, created in 1965,[16] and metropolitan districts, created in 1974,[17] became unitary authorities in 1986 following the abolition of the Greater London Council and metropolitan county councils.[1][18][12][19]
The City of London and the Isles of Scilly, each having a unique form of local governance, have always been single-tier.[1] The Council of the Isles of Scilly is a sui generis authority created in 1890, and since 1930 has held the "powers, duties and liabilities" of a county council.[20] The City of London Corporation is also a sui generis local authority with similar functions to a London borough council.[21]
In other (non-metropolitan) areas of England, unitary authorities are constituted under the Local Government Act 1992, which amended the Local Government Act 1972 to allow the existence of non-metropolitan counties that do not comprise multiple non-metropolitan districts. Most non-metropolitan unitary authorities were established during the 1990s, with more created in 2009 and 2019–23.
Non-metropolitan unitary authorities are usually constituted as a coterminous non-metropolitan district and non-metropolitan county. In Berkshire, they are instead constituted as a non-metropolitan district in the Royal county of Berkshire (Berkshire retained its status as a non-metropolitan county despite the abolition of Berkshire County Council).[22]
The size of the areas governed by non-metropolitan unitary authorities varies greatly. The authorities created in the 1990s are generally coterminous with one former two-tier district area and cover a single large town or city, while those created since 2009 generally cover larger areas, with some coterminous with an entire former two-tier county council area.
History
Background
The term "unitary authority" was first used in the Redcliffe-Maud Report in 1969 in its current sense of a local government authority which combines the functions of a county council and a district council.[23] Strictly speaking, the term does not necessarily mean a single level of local government within an area, because in some cases there are also parish councils in the same area.
Although the term was not applied to them, county boroughs between 1889 and 1974 were effectively unitary authority areas, that is, single-tier administrative units. Before 1889, local government authorities had different powers and functions, but from medieval times some cities and towns had a high degree of autonomy as counties corporate. Some smaller settlements also enjoyed some degree of autonomy from regular administration as boroughs or liberties.
The Local Government Act 1972 created areas for local government where large towns and their rural hinterlands were administered together. The concept of unitary units was abandoned with a two-tier arrangement of county and district councils in all areas of England, except the Isles of Scilly where the small size and distance from the mainland made it impractical. In 1986 a broadly unitary system of local government was introduced in the six metropolitan counties and Greater London, where the upper-tier authorities were abolished and their functions were split between central government, the borough councils and joint boards.[24]
1990s reform
A review in the 1990s was initiated to select non-metropolitan areas where new unitary authorities could be created.[25] The resulting structural changes were implemented between 1995 and 1998. Bristol, Herefordshire, the Isle of Wight and Rutland were established as counties of a single district; the county administration of Berkshire was dissolved, though the county legally preserved to retain for its territory its royal designation, and each of its district councils became unitary; the counties of Avon, Humberside and Cleveland were broken up to create several unitary authorities; and a number of districts were split off from their associated counties.[24] The changes caused the ceremonial counties to be defined separately, as they had been before 1974. The review caused 46 unitary authorities to be created.[24]
2009 changes
A further review was initiated in 2007 and was enacted in 2009. The review established Cornwall and Northumberland as counties of a single district; established unitary authorities in County Durham, Shropshire and Wiltshire covering the part of the county that was not already split off in the 1990s review; and divided the remainder of Bedfordshire and Cheshire into two unitary authority areas. The review caused nine unitary authorities to be created.
Further reform and 2019−2023 changes
In 2017, it was proposed that two unitary authority areas be formed to cover the ceremonial county of Dorset. One of the authorities would consist of the existing unitary authorities of Bournemouth, Poole and the two-tier district of Christchurch, the other would be composed of the remainder of the county.[26] In November 2017, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid stated that he was "minded to approve the proposals" and a final decision to implement the two unitary authority model was confirmed in February 2018. Statutory instruments for the creation of two unitary authorities, to be named Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council, have been made and shadow authorities for the new council areas were formed ahead of their creation on 1 April 2019.[27][28]
Buckinghamshire County Council and the two-tier districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Wycombe in Buckinghamshire were replaced by a single unitary authority known as Buckinghamshire Council on 1 April 2020. The existing unitary authority of Milton Keynes was not affected; from 1 April 2020, therefore, the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire has been composed of two unitary authority areas.[29][30]
In March 2018, an independent report commissioned by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, proposed structural changes to local government in Northamptonshire. These changes would see the existing county council and district councils abolished and two new unitary authorities created in their place.[31] One authority, West Northamptonshire, would consist of the existing districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire and the other authority, North Northamptonshire would consist of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts.[32] This was confirmed in May 2019, with the new councils being created in April 2021.
In July 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that in April 2023, the non-metropolitan counties of Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset would be reorganised into unitary authority areas.[33] The new authorities, Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, North Yorkshire Council and Somerset Council were first elected in May 2022 and formally assumed their powers on 1 April 2023.
English Devolution Bill
The Labour Party returned to power following the 2024 general election, and in her Autumn budget statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves outlined that a forthcoming English Devolution Bill would include plans for "working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas", suggesting that a new round of local government reorganisation could be likely.[34][35]
In February 2025 Jim McMahon, the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, wrote to all two-tier and unitary councils in England stating that all local government will move to a unitary system with new council areas having a target population of at least 500,000. Councils were invited to work together and submit an interim plan by 21 March 2025 and a final proposal for reorganisation by 28 November 2025.[36] Local elections in East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey were delayed in May 2025, to accommodate local reorganisation.[37]
Restructuring
The process of changing from a two-tier local government to a structure based on unitary authorities is called 'restructuring'. The Secretary of State responsible for local government invites proposals from local areas to restructure into unitary authorities, and the Secretary decides whether or not the change should be implemented. The restructuring is carried out by an Order. There are no examples in the UK of councils restructuring back into a two-tier system.[38]
Comparison
Unitary authorities combine the powers and functions that are delivered separately by the councils with two-tier governance. These functions are housing, waste management, waste collection, council tax collection, education, libraries, social services, transport, planning, consumer protection, licensing, cemeteries and crematoria. The breakdown of these services is as follows:[39]
| Service | Two-tier | Unitary authority | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-metropolitan county | Non-metropolitan district | ||
| Education |  Yes |
 No |
Yes |
| Transport | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Housing | No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Planning | Yes[a] |
Yes |
Yes |
| Planning applications | No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Fire and public safety | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Social care | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Libraries | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Waste management | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Rubbish collection | No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Recycling | No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Trading standards | Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Council Tax collections | No |
Yes |
Yes |
Criticism
Unitary government has been criticised for damaging local democracy. Opponents to unitary authority criticise the 'bigger is better' assumption and highlight that larger councils breed mistrust of councillors and reduction in public engagement and voter turnout. Outside the UK, multi-level local government is the prevailing system, with major towns normally having a local authority. The average size of a local authority in England is 170,000, three times that of Europe.[40]
Electoral arrangements
Electoral arrangements for unitary authorities are set-out within the act of Parliament or statutory instrument establishing the authority. Most unitary authorities in England are divided into a number of wards from which councillors are elected.
Eight unitary authorities are instead divided into electoral divisions: Cornwall, County Durham, Isle of Wight, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, Somerset, and Wiltshire – legally, these are continuing county councils gaining district council functions.[41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] Buckinghamshire and Dorset unitary authorities were, however, established as new councils and divided into wards.[49][50]
List of unitary authorities
Unitary authorities are usually named after a town, city, geographical area or county (historic and or ceremonial). With no effect on powers or functions, districts can be granted the status of royal borough, borough or city. A district having a charter is dependent on the charter's wording: as a charter trustee to a place in the district; having joint charter to the place and district or to the district itself.
As of June 2026, there are 132 unitary authorities in England.
Upcoming unitary authorities
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has decided to approve the creation of the following upcoming unitary authorities.[78]
Former unitary authorities
| Unitary authority area | Council | Created | Dissolved | Type | Ceremonial county | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth[80] | Bournemouth Borough Council | 1997 | 2019 | Borough, Non-metropolitan district, Non-metropolitan county |
Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Poole[80] | Poole Borough Council | 1997 | 2019 | Borough, Non-metropolitan district, Non-metropolitan county |
Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "What is local government reorganisation". Institute for Government. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Sandford, Mark (24 November 2020). "Unitary local government: An explainer". House of Commons Library.
- 1 2 "How is local government organised? | Local Government Association". www.local.gov.uk.
- ↑ "The Land Charges (Amendment) Rules 2012". www.legislation.gov.uk.
- ↑ "Power to the People – Your guide to local councils, the benefits they can bring to your area and how you can create one" (PDF). NALC. 2010.
- ↑ "The Local Government (Structural Changes) (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2018".
- ↑ "Gazetteer of British Place Names". gazetteer.org.uk.
- ↑ "The Local Authorities (Goods and Services) (Public Bodies) (Trunk Roads) (No. 2) Order 1996".
- ↑ "Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 c. 55 Part 2 Chapter 1".
- ↑ "Oxfordshire County Council Strategic Financial Case for a Unitary Council" (PDF). Ernst & Young.
- ↑ "Standard: ISO 3166 — Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions". www.iso.org.
- 1 2 "House of Commons Standing Committee A (pt 11)". publications.parliament.uk.
I live in a unitary authority—a London borough—and if I were given the choice, I, personally, would vote to move to a unitary authority.
- ↑ "Courts and Tribunal Services (England and Wales) - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 19 January 2025.
...not a single court will remain in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire
- ↑ "Eton College forced to close after Thames Water sewers which serve area around prestigious school flood". Sky News.
The delayed start of term at the school in the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead, in the ceremonial county of Berkshire
- ↑ Wild, Rose (9 February 2024). "Sophisticated was an insult — and then it flipped". www.thetimes.com.
Swansea used to be in a county called 'west Glamorgan' but this hasn't existed since 1996 when the old counties were replaced by 22 unitary authorities. Swansea is currently in the unitary authority of 'Swansea'.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 "London Government Act 1963". legislation.gov.uk. 31 July 1963. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 "Local Government Act 1972". legislation.gov.uk. 26 October 1972. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Sandford, Mark. "Unitary local government" (PDF). House of Commons Library.
- ↑ "Devolution and local government reorganisation FAQs and glossary". Local Government Association. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Isles of Scilly Order 1930" (PDF). Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ↑ "Local government structure and elections". GOV.UK. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ Redcliffe-Maud Report I. vi 73, cited in Oxford English Dictionary Online, draft addendum February 2003, s.v. unitary. An earlier citation, in 1936, uses the term for the London County Council in the sense of an elected council for the whole of London.
- 1 2 3 Atkinson, H. & Wilks-Heeg, S. (2000). Local Government from Thatcher to Blair. Polity.
- ↑ Jones, Kavanagh, Moran & Norton (2004). Politics UK (5th ed.). Pearson.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Future Dorset – Two new authorities for Dorset". futuredorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ↑ "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ↑ "Shadow Dorset Council". Shadow Dorset Council. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ↑ Buckinghamshire unitary council plan gets go-ahead from BBC News
- ↑ The Buckinghamshire (Structural Changes) Order 2019
- ↑ "Troubled council 'should be scrapped'". BBC News. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ↑ "Northamptonshire County Council 'should be split up', finds damning report". itv.com. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ↑ "Next steps for new unitary councils in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset". GOV.UK. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ↑ "Budget: LGR confirmed in high tax, high spend Budget". www.themj.co.uk. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ↑ "Budget 2024: Local government on path to reorganisation". Highways Magazine. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ↑ Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (6 February 2025). "Local government reorganisation: invitation to local authorities in two-tier areas". Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ↑ "Full steam ahead for Devolution Priority Programme". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ Sandford, Mark (22 July 2021). Unitary local government (Report). House of Commons Library. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ↑ Frequently Asked Questions on the structural reviews of Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk, Boundary Commission for England
- ↑ "Unitary authorities: the larger local government becomes, the greater the damage to local democracy". British Politics and Policy at LSE. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- 1 2 "The Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The County Durham (Structural Change) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Isle of Wight (Structural Change) Order 1994". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The North Yorkshire (Structural Changes) Order 2022". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- 1 2 "The Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- 1 2 "The Wiltshire (Structural Change) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Buckinghamshire (Structural Changes) Order 2019". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- 1 2 3 "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 "Mid-Year Population Estimates, United Kingdom, June 2024". Office for National Statistics. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Avon (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Bedfordshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Lancashire (Boroughs of Blackburn and Blackpool) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The East Sussex (Boroughs of Brighton and Hove) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ↑ "The Durham (Borough of Darlington) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Derbyshire (City of Derby)(Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Humberside (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 "The Cleveland (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Leicestershire (City of Leicester and District of Rutland) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Bedfordshire (Borough of Luton) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Kent (Borough of Gillingham and City of Rochester upon Medway) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Buckinghamshire (Borough of Milton Keynes) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "The Nottinghamshire (City of Nottingham) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Cambridgeshire (City of Peterborough) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Hampshire (Cities of Portsmouth and Southampton) (Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- 1 2 "The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Staffordshire (City of Stoke-on-Trent) (Structural and Boundary Changes) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Wiltshire (Borough of Thamesdown)(Structural Change) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The Shropshire (District of The Wrekin) (Structural Change) Order 1996". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ "The North Yorkshire (District of York) (Structural and Boundary Changes) Order 1995". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ↑ Reed, Steve (25 March 2026). "Local Government Reorganisation Statement made on 25 March 2026". UK Parliament.
- 1 2 "The Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026". legislation.gov.uk. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- 1 2 "The Dorset (Boroughs of Poole and Bournemouth)(Structural Change) Order 1995". legislation.gov.uk. 11 July 1995. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
Notes
- ↑ Planning authority for minerals, waste and county council developments
| Region | |
|---|---|
| County | |
| District and civil parish | |
| sui generis | |