Talk:Local Government Commission for England (1958–1967)

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The Times of September 6, 1962 mentions a proposal by the chairman of West Riding County Council to have a single Yorkshire County Council, noting that the population of Yorkshire minus county boroughs is less than Lancashire. Morwen - Talk 07:57, 17 September 2006 (UTC)


and December 15, 1965, has details of the provisional reports for Merseyside/SELNEC.

In SELNEC is proposes a "new county of nearly 500 square miles [...] and a population of more than 2,500,000". there would be nine boroughs within this

  • Manchester, with Manchester Airport
  • Salford, Eccles, Swinton and Pendlebury, Prestwich, Irlam, Worsley, Kearsley, Whitefield
  • Stretford, Urmston, Altrincham, Sale, Hale, Bowdon, Carrington and Partington
  • Stockport, Bredbury and Romiley, Cheadle and Gatley, Hazel Grove and Bramhall, Marple, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Disley
  • Ashton-under-Lyne, Dunkinfield, Hyde, Stalybridge, Mossley, Audenshaw, Droylsden, Longdendale, Denton, Denton, Tintwistle, Glossop, Chapel-en-le-Frith
  • Oldham, Chadderton, Crompton, Failsworth, Lees, Royston, Saddleworth
  • Rochdale, Heywood, Littleborough, Middleton, Milnrow, Wardle, Whitworth
  • Bury, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Tottington, Ramsbottom
  • Bolton, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley, Little Lever, Turton and Westhoughton

it doesn't recommend anything near so radical in Merseyside, recommendations include "the extension of Bootle county borough to take in Litherland, Crosby" and "creation of a new urban district based on Maghull".


Morwen - Talk 08:09, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

and October 27, 1965 has the draft proposals for the north-west:

  • Barrow-in-Furness to become non-county borough (strongly disliked by its council)
  • extensions to boundaries of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Carlisle, Chester, Preston, St Helens, Southport, Warrington, Wigan.

"suggestions that Westmorland - in population the second smallest English county - should be merged with Cumberland and the Furness area of Lancashire to form a county of "Cumbria" are ruled out". Interesting to note opposition to this proposal comes mainly from Westmorland not from Cumberland. Morwen - Talk 08:14, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

March 2, 1960 has the draft proposals for East Midlands and West Midlands. These are quite interesting

  • Huntingonshire, Isle of Ely, Soke of Peterborough and Cambridge division to be joined to form a single new county of Cambridgeshire
    • except that Cambridge would constitute a county borough
  • Luton to be made a county borough
  • Stamford to be included in the new Cambridgeshire
  • Rutland to be abolished. Ketton Rural District -> Cambridgeshire, rest to Leicestershire
  • Royston, Hertfordshire also to Cambs
  • St Neots and area to Bedfordshire from Hunts/Cambs
  • extension of Leicester and Northampton CBs
  • Linslade transferred from Bucks to Beds

Black Country has proposals for county boroughs:

  • Dudley, with Brierley Hill, most of Sedgley
  • Smethwick with Halesowen, Oldbury and Rowley Regis
  • West Bromwich with Tipton and Wednesbury, most of Darleston
  • Wallsall, most of WIllenhall
  • Wolverhampton, Bilston, Wednesfield

Cosley to be split between Dudley/West Bromwich/Wolverhampton.

  • Solihull to become county borough
  • Stourbridge and Amblecote to be merged to form non-county borough in Worcestershrie
  • Alridge-Brownhills in Staffordshire

"special authority" to be set up to cover entire region

  • Burton upon Trent and Worcester to become non-county boroughs
  • extensions for Coventry and Stoke
  • "transfer to Staffordshire of a large part of Tamworth Rural District"

June 6, 1961 has the report on the revised proposals for WMids special review area: has a rather fantastic map showing the old borders vs the new Morwen - Talk 08:30, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

and not strictly related, but September 19, 1961 has a couple of new towns being proposed at Swynnerton and Woofferton, whcih never happened. Morwen - Talk 08:33, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

February 2, 1966, has a "How Local Government Areas Stand Today - Work of Discontinued Commission" - explaining what is going on with the proposals the commission did make. Burton upon Trent launched a High Court action to save itself, Worcester was abandoned. "decision not to amalgamate Rutland with Leicestershire announced in August 1963". Cheltenham demotion also abandoned. Morwen - Talk 09:03, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why recommendations for reform were not acted on/delayed

Many recommendations were not acted upon. Tony Bryne (1994) notes the following as reasons for delays/no action in the period from 1945 up to 1965/74:

  • cost of reorganisation - there wasn't the money
  • pressure on legislative timetables
  • the war and reconstruction got in the way
  • general public were apathetic to reform
  • lack of consensus for alternative proposals (all met with some appeal or repugnance)
  • arguments over efficiency vs. democracy (large vs. small units)
  • Governments knew some areas of local government would be alienated by change and were reluctant to loose influence
  • Fears that changes to boundaries would affect party performance

I'm not sure where this could/should go but it might explain why so much effort was spent without much change. MRSC 15:15, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Comment added by anon IP

An anon IP added this to the "The Review process" section:

The data in the above table is not wholly accurate - it is worth cross referencing it with Stanyer in wiseman, Local Government

I presume this means the following:

Stanyer, J., 'The Local Government Commissions', in HV Wiseman (ed.), Local Government in England: 1958-69, London, 1970, pp. 15-35.

Anyone have a copy to check? The dates in the existing table come from the Lonodon Gazette and press announcements in contemporary media. Lozleader (talk) 10:50, 28 April 2008 (UTC)