The Bench Report

Local Government: Structure & Evolution

• The Bench Report • Season 2 • Episode 21

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Part 1 of our series on Local Government explores structure and evolution. Learn about the two-tier system (county and district councils) and the shift towards unitary authorities that handle all local functions. We'll cover the current setup of 317 main councils, plus other important bodies like parish councils and combined authorities. Discover how the system has evolved over time, from major reforms in the 1970s to recent moves towards simpler structures.

Key Takeaways:

  • England's local government structure varies across the country and has changed a lot over time.
  • Some areas have a two-tier system (county and district councils), while others have unitary authorities that do everything.
  • As of May 2024, there are 317 main local councils in England.
  • There's a clear trend towards having fewer councils and more unitary authorities.
  • Besides the main councils, there are around 10,000 parish councils in some areas.
  • Other local bodies include fire services and elected Police and Crime Commissioners.
  • Unique councils exist, like the City of London and Isles of Scilly.

Important Definitions & Concepts:

  • Two-Tier System: An area with two main types of local council: a county council and one or more district councils sharing responsibilities.
  • Unitary Authority: A single local council responsible for all local government functions in its area.
  • Principal Local Authority: The main type of council providing most local services, including county, district, and unitary councils.

Discussion and Reflection Question: England's local councils have changed significantly over the years. What might be some reasons why the government continues to change the structure, and what could be good or bad about having different types of councils across the country.

Source: Local government in England: structures
Research Briefing
Published Tuesday, 22 April, 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Ivan:

Hello and welcome again to The Bench Report. You're listening to Amy and Ivan. This is the first exploration in our local government series. And we're starting with, well, what might seem straightforward, the basic structure of local government in England.

Amy:

But it's perhaps not quite as simple as it sounds.

Ivan:

Exactly. There are some surprising variations and quite a bit of history packed in there.

Amy:

A lot of history, yes.

Ivan:

So our mission today, really, is to get our heads around the different layers of local authorities in England. You know, how they actually fin together.

Amy:

It can feel quite complex navigating it all.

Ivan:

It can. So we're aiming to bring some clarity to the picture.

Amy:

Okay, so where should we start? Maybe the most common setup... outside the big cities.

Ivan:

Good idea. The two-tier system.

Amy:

Precisely. In many parts of England, you have county councils. That's the upper tier.

Ivan:

Right.

Amy:

And then below them, you have district councils, the lower tier.

Ivan:

And this structure, it largely came from that big piece of legislation, didn't it?

Amy:

Yeah, it did. The Local Government Act of 1972, mostly, that really established this division in many areas.

Ivan:

But like you hinted, it's not the same everywhere.

Amy:

No, definitely not.

Ivan:

You've got the other model, unitary authority.

Amy:

Exactly. In other areas, it's just... A single council.

Ivan:

One body doing everything.

Amy:

Pretty much. A unitary authority handles all the local government functions for its area.

Ivan:

So responsibilities that would otherwise be split, like between a county and a district.

Amy:

That's it. And interestingly, how these unitaries came about, well, it varies.

Ivan:

How so?

Amy:

Sometimes it was a top-down decision from national government. Other times it was local councils themselves pushing for it.

Ivan:

Okay, so a mix of origins. Now, what does the overall picture look like right now, say, as of May 2024?

Amy:

Right. Let's look at the numbers. In England, there are 317 principal local authorities in total.

Ivan:

317. Okay.

Amy:

And breaking that down, you've got 21 county councils.

Ivan:

Top tier ones.

Amy:

Yes. Then 164 district councils, the lower tier. And that leaves 132 single tier authorities. These are the unitaries we just mentioned.

Ivan:

And those single tier ones include some specific types, don't they? Like in London?

Amy:

They do. Within that 132, you have the 33 London boroughs.

Ivan:

Okay.

Amy:

And also 36 metropolitan boroughs, which operate in the other major urban areas outside London.

Ivan:

So that covers the main council structures, but isn't there another layer below that in some places?

Amy:

Ah, yes. Good point. Below these principal councils, you often find parish and town councils.

Ivan:

Often called local councils?

Amy:

Sometimes, yes. There are around 10,000 of these across England.

Ivan:

10,000. Wow.

Amy:

Yeah, quite a lot. They deal with very local matters, specific community issues.

Ivan:

And are there other bodies we should be aware of at the local level, things like emergency services.

Amy:

Definitely. You've got the fire and rescue authorities. There are 45 of those in England.

Ivan:

And some cover multiple council areas.

Amy:

Some are combined, yes. Then there's policing.

Ivan:

The police and crime commissioners?

Amy:

Yeah.

Ivan:

PCCs.

Amy:

That's them. Directly elected roles, 33 of them across England and Wales, actually, but focusing on England here.

Ivan:

And in some places, mayors handle that role now, too.

Amy:

Correct. In some of the combined authority areas with directly elected mayors, those mayors have taken on the PCC functions.

Ivan:

We should probably also mention those unique cases.

Amy:

Ah, the sui generis authorities.

Ivan:

That's the term? The City of London?

Amy:

The Common Council of the City of London, yes, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

Ivan:

They're kind of their own thing.

Amy:

They are technically unique of their own kind, but for practical purposes, they function much like like unitary authorities.

Ivan:

And they're counted in that main total.

Amy:

They are. They're included in that 317 figure.

Ivan:

Now, what about combined authorities? We hear a lot about those.

Amy:

Right. Combined authorities are important but distinct. They're joint legal bodies set up since 2009. For

Ivan:

councils to work together.

Amy:

Exactly. For collaboration on strategic issues, often across wider regions, things like transport, economic development.

Ivan:

Crucially, they are not part of that 317 number.

Amy:

Correct. They are separate entities. As of May 2024, there were 11 of them.

Ivan:

Good distinction to make. It helps to understand how things go this way. Maybe a quick bit of history.

Amy:

Sure. That big reorganization in 1972-74 was absolutely key.

Ivan:

The one that set up the two-tier system we talked about earlier.

Amy:

Yes. Outside London mainly, it was a massive change to how local government operated.

Ivan:

And things haven't stood still since then.

Amy:

Not at all. Another major change was in 1986.

Ivan:

What happened then?

Amy:

That's when the Metropolitan County Councils, the ones covering the big urban areas outside London and the Greater London Council, were abolished.

Ivan:

Right. I remember that. What happened to their jobs

Amy:

their functions were mostly transferred either to joint boards made up of the borough councils or directly to the borough councils themselves

Ivan:

so more power shifted down a level in those areas

Amy:

generally yes and actually since that 72 act the overall trend albeit uneven has been towards fewer authorities

Ivan:

fewer councils overall

Amy:

yes and more unitary structures driven sometimes by government policy wanting simplification sometimes by local areas seeking efficiency OK,

Ivan:

maybe we can quickly clarify what the difference in jobs is in those two tier areas between county and district.

Amy:

Sure. It varies a bit, but typically county councils handle the bigger, more strategic services. Things like education, children's and adult social services, strategic planning, highways, libraries. The

Ivan:

large scale stuff.

Amy:

Generally, yes. Whereas district councils focus on more local services.

Ivan:

So things like rubbish collection.

Amy:

Race collection, yes. Also local local planning applications, housing, environmental health, leisure centers, that sort of thing.

Ivan:

But you said there's some overlap.

Amy:

There can be, which sometimes adds a layer of complexity for residents trying to figure out who does what.

Ivan:

Whereas in a unitary area.

Amy:

It's all under one roof. That single council handles the lot from schools to bins. The aim there is often clear accountability.

Ivan:

Right. One point of contact.

Amy:

Theoretically, yes.

Ivan:

So this variety across England is really quite something.

Amy:

It really is. Understanding these basic structures, two-tier, unitary, the different types is, well, it's fundamental.

Ivan:

It gives us the groundwork for looking at specific local issues, doesn't it? Knowing how decisions get made differently depending on where you are.

Amy:

Absolutely. It provides that essential local context for every everything else we might discuss.

Ivan:

So as we finish this initial look at English local government, we really hope this has helped map out what can seem like a, well, a confusing picture sometimes.

Amy:

Hopefully demystified it a little.

Ivan:

And maybe this brings up something for you, the listener, to think about.

Amy:

Yes, perhaps consider what type of local government structure is actually in place where you live.

Ivan:

Is it two tier? unitary. Maybe you're in London or a metropolitan area.

Amy:

And what might be the effects of that particular structure? How does it impact the services you receive or the decisions made locally?

Ivan:

It's definitely a worthwhile question to ponder about your own community.

Amy:

Indeed.

Ivan:

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