Catalogue description Local Government Board and successors: Sanitary Department and successors: Local Authority Areas, Boundaries and Status, Registered Files and Papers

1. The Local Government Act of 1888 which made provision for elected councils for administrative counties and county boroughs, led to alterations in county and borough boundaries, and the constitution of county boroughs. The orders made by county councils to effect these changes were submitted to the Local Government Board for approval.

2. Alterations of boundaries were also effected by Local Acts, and the Local Government Boundaries Act, 1887 provided for the appointment of Boundary Commissioners to report to county councils on the methods of adjustment of boundaries of their county districts.

3. The Local Government Act 1894 provided for the creation of civil parishes and urban and rural districts for the sanitary districts.4. The Local Government (County Boroughs and Adjustment) Act, 1926 gave effect to the recommendations in the First Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government and altered the law governing the constitution of county boroughs. The Act restricted the creation of new county boroughs to boroughs having a population of not less than 70,000. Procedure was by private Bill. County borough boundaries could be extended by order only if no local authority objected.

5. The Local Government Act, 1929 gave effect to the recommendations of the second Report of the Royal Commission. It required every county council to make a review of its area and to submit to the Minister proposals for the alteration of boundaries, unions of districts, conversion of rural districts into urban districts and vice versa, or the formation of new districts or parishes. The Local Government Act, 1933 consolidated the law on this subject.

London

6. The London County Council was constituted by the Local Government Act, 1888 as the county for the metropolis as defined by the Metropolis Management Act, 1855. The new council incorporated a number of authorities from the counties of Kent, Middlesex and Surrey and took over the powers and duties of the Metropolitan Board of Works. The whole of the administrative county, excluding the City was divided into Metropolitan Boroughs following the London Government Act, 1899.