The
Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the
Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960. The report made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital that were implemented in a modified form by the
London Government Act 1963The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the UK parliament, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area, resulting in local...
.
The chairman of the Commission was
Sir Edwin HerbertEdwin Savory Herbert, Baron Tangley KBE was a British lawyer and mountaineer.Invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, he was created Baron Tangley, of Blackheath in the County of Surrey on 22 January 1964....
The other members were:
- Paul Cadbury, chairman of Cadbury Brothers, and former member of Birmingham City Council’s reconstruction committee
- Alice Johnston, member of the National Assistance Board
- William Lawson, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- William Mackenzie, professor of government, Victoria University, Manchester
- Sir Charles Morris
Charles Richard Morris, Baron Morris of Grasmere KCMG was an academic philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds....
, vice-chancellor of the University of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a major teaching and research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire and, with over 33,000 full-time students, is the second largest single site university in the United Kingdom. In the world university league tables published in November 2008, the university's ‘employer...
- Sir John Wrigley, former Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government was a United Kingdom government department formed after the Second World War, covering the areas of housing and local government....
The membership of the commission was notable for not containing anyone with previous involvement with local government in the London area.
The Commission’s terms of reference were to:
“examine the present system and working of Local Government in the Greater London area; to recommend whether any, and if so what, changes in local government structure and the distribution of local government functions in the area, or any part of it, would better secure effective and convenient local government.”
The review area was:
- Administrative County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area today known as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
- Administrative County of Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
- The county boroughs of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
, East HamEast Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east...
and West HamWest Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London...
- The following county districts in the county of Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
:
- The boroughs of Barnes, Beddington and Wallington, Epsom and Ewell, Kingston-upon-Thames, Malden and Coombe, Mitcham, Richmond, Surbiton, Sutton and Cheam and Wimbledon
- The urban districts of Banstead, Carshalton, Caterham and Warlingham, Coulsdon and Purley, Esher, Merton and Morden and Walton and Weybridge,
- The following county districts in the county of Kent
Kent , originally Cantia, is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent...
:
- The boroughs of Beckenham, Bexley, Bromley, Dartford and Erith
- The urban districts of Chislehurst and Sidcup, Crayford, Orpington and Penge,
- The following county districts and parishes
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
in the county of HertfordHertfordshire , abbreviated Herts, is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford....
,
- The borough of Watford,
- The urban districts of Barnet, Bushey, Cheshunt, Chorleywood, East Barnet and Rickmansworth,
- The rural district of Elstree
- The parish of Northaw in the rural district of Hatfield
- The parishes of Aldenham and Watford Rural in the rural district of Watford,
- The following county districts in the county of Essex
Essex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
:
- The boroughs of Barking, Chingford, Dagenham, Ilford, Leyton, Romford, Walthamstow and Wanstead and Woodford
- The urban districts of Chigwell, Hornchurch and Waltham Holy Cross.
The existing local authorities varied widely in population and size: the six county councils or county boroughs in the metropolitan area had similar responsibilities, yet the number of inhabitants in their areas under their control varied from over 3,000,000 to 110,000.
The
Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the
Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960. The report made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital that were implemented in a modified form by the
London Government Act 1963The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the UK parliament, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area, resulting in local...
.
Membership
The chairman of the Commission was
Sir Edwin HerbertEdwin Savory Herbert, Baron Tangley KBE was a British lawyer and mountaineer.Invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, he was created Baron Tangley, of Blackheath in the County of Surrey on 22 January 1964....
The other members were:
- Paul Cadbury, chairman of Cadbury Brothers, and former member of Birmingham City Council’s reconstruction committee
- Alice Johnston, member of the National Assistance Board
- William Lawson, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- William Mackenzie, professor of government, Victoria University, Manchester
- Sir Charles Morris
Charles Richard Morris, Baron Morris of Grasmere KCMG was an academic philosopher and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds....
, vice-chancellor of the University of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a major teaching and research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire and, with over 33,000 full-time students, is the second largest single site university in the United Kingdom. In the world university league tables published in November 2008, the university's ‘employer...
- Sir John Wrigley, former Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government was a United Kingdom government department formed after the Second World War, covering the areas of housing and local government....
The membership of the commission was notable for not containing anyone with previous involvement with local government in the London area.
Terms of reference and area under review
The Commission’s terms of reference were to:
“examine the present system and working of Local Government in the Greater London area; to recommend whether any, and if so what, changes in local government structure and the distribution of local government functions in the area, or any part of it, would better secure effective and convenient local government.”
The review area was:
- Administrative County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area today known as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
- Administrative County of Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
- The county boroughs of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
, East HamEast Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east...
and West HamWest Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London...
- The following county districts in the county of Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
:
- The boroughs of Barnes, Beddington and Wallington, Epsom and Ewell, Kingston-upon-Thames, Malden and Coombe, Mitcham, Richmond, Surbiton, Sutton and Cheam and Wimbledon
- The urban districts of Banstead, Carshalton, Caterham and Warlingham, Coulsdon and Purley, Esher, Merton and Morden and Walton and Weybridge,
- The following county districts in the county of Kent
Kent , originally Cantia, is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent...
:
- The boroughs of Beckenham, Bexley, Bromley, Dartford and Erith
- The urban districts of Chislehurst and Sidcup, Crayford, Orpington and Penge,
- The following county districts and parishes
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
in the county of HertfordHertfordshire , abbreviated Herts, is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford....
,
- The borough of Watford,
- The urban districts of Barnet, Bushey, Cheshunt, Chorleywood, East Barnet and Rickmansworth,
- The rural district of Elstree
- The parish of Northaw in the rural district of Hatfield
- The parishes of Aldenham and Watford Rural in the rural district of Watford,
- The following county districts in the county of Essex
Essex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
:
- The boroughs of Barking, Chingford, Dagenham, Ilford, Leyton, Romford, Walthamstow and Wanstead and Woodford
- The urban districts of Chigwell, Hornchurch and Waltham Holy Cross.
The existing local authorities varied widely in population and size: the six county councils or county boroughs in the metropolitan area had similar responsibilities, yet the number of inhabitants in their areas under their control varied from over 3,000,000 to 110,000. There were 102 county districts within the review area and these also varied greatly: some had larger populations and rateable value than existing county boroughs, while others had only a few thousand residents. Outside of the County of London the division of functions between county councils and county districts was also unclear: some districts enjoyed considerable independence with a range of delegated “county” powers, while similar districts did not. There were no set criteria for such delegation, which instead came about because of
“fortuitous historical, political and personal factors”, a situation leading to
“serious administrative friction” in some counties.
The work of the Commission
The Commission held 114 meetings, heard oral evidence on 70 occasions, and asked nearly 16,000 questions. The Commission was also able to draw on the work of the Greater London Group of the
London School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science, commonly referred to as the London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist constituent college of the University of London in London, England....
, which had carried out an extensive survey on local government in London.
The evidence heard by the Commission was contradictory: that of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing depicted a system that was breaking down while that given by the local authorities vigorously defended the status quo.
In the absence of consensus, the Commission drew up two criteria by which to guide its recommendations:
- Efficiency and economy in the use of human and financial resources
- The maintenance of healthy local democracy
By following these criteria a two-tier system was envisaged, with a regional authority for “technical” services and smaller local authorities for “personal” services. Much of the Commission’s deliberations involved trying to find an optimum size for the sub-units of the proposed system. The general agreement of witnesses was that a basic “many-purpose” unit should have a population of between at least 250,000, with many favouring a range of 500,000 to 1,500,000. It was stressed by council officers and teachers that authorities would need to be of a sufficiently large size to provide promotion prospects and attract good staff.
The Commission, however, favoured smaller units. This was due to their second criterion: large authorities, it was felt, would be remote from their citizens. It was also hoped that smaller local authorities would encourage greater participation in local elections. The Commission displayed a dislike of “bigness”, in particular describing the London County Council as “massive”, “inhuman” and “monolithic”.
Three criteria were used by the commission to consider if places on the periphery should be included in the review area. They were extent to which a locality was independent and freestanding; the closeness of links with the capital; and the outlook of the district towards or away from London. In 1960 the commission deleted Potter Bar and all parts of Hertfordshire aside from Cheshunt, Barnet and East Barnet from the review area.
Report
The
Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, 1957-60, (Cmnd. 1164) was published on 19 October 1960. The recommendations in the unanimous report were:
- The establishment of a Regional Council for Greater London. The council was to be entirely elected, with one member for each parliamentary constituency.
- The Regional council was to administer "strategic services" such as town planning, traffic management, education, fire and ambulance services.
- A second tier of local units, called "Greater London Boroughs", would be formed by amalgamation of the existing metropolitan boroughs, county boroughs, municipal boroughs and county districts. to
- Greater London Boroughs were to have a population of between 100,000 and 250,000.
- Some services would need to be shared between the two tiers. For example, the regional authority would decide on the educational budget, maintenance of standards, planning of location and types of schools and the recruitment of teachers; the boroughs would oversee the day to day administration of all schools in their area.
The Commission did not include the entire review area within its proposed Greater London region: they excluded Waltham Holy Cross in Essex, Dartford in Kent, Potters Bar in Middlesex and the Elstree and Watford areas of Hertfordshire.
The report proposed a total of fifty-two Greater London Boroughs, to be formed from the following existing areas:
- City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
- City of Westminster
The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965.-City Status:By royal charter dated 29 October 1900 the borough was granted the title City of Westminster. Westminster had originally been created a city and seat of the...
- Finsbury/Holborn/Shoreditch
- Islington
- Hackney/Stoke Newington
- Bethnal Green/Poplar/Stepney
- Woolwich
- Deptford/Greenwich
- Lewisham
- Camberwell
- Bermondsey/Southwark
- Lambeth
- Wandsworth (part)
- Battesea/Wandsworth (part)
- Hammersmith/Fulham
- Kensington/Chelsea
- Paddington/St Marylebone
- Hampstead/St Pancras
- Chingford
Chingford was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1965, around the town of Chingford. It was within the London suburbs, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District...
/WalthamstowWalthamstow was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1965, around the town of Walthamstow. It was within the London suburbs, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District...
- Chigwell
Chigwell was a local government district in south west Essex, England. It contained the settlements of Chigwell, Loughton and Buckhurst Hill; and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District.-Formation:...
/LeytonLeyton was a local government district in south west Essex from 1894 to 1965 around the town of Leyton. It included the civil parishes of Leyton, Leytonstone and Cann Hall....
/Wanstead and Woodford
- Ilford
Ilford was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1890 to 1965, covering the parish of Ilford. The district saw a considerable rise in population throughout its life, caused by the expansion of the built-up area of London, and became one of the most populous districts of its...
- Romford
Romford was a local government district in south west Essex from 1894 to 1965. It was significantly expanded in 1934 and gained the status of municipal borough in 1937...
- Hornchurch
Hornchurch was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965. The urban district council was based at Langtons House. The district formed a suburb of London and was expanded in 1934...
- Barking
Barking was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1965. It included the town of Barking, eastern Beckton and the south western part of the Becontree estate. The district was within the Metropolitan Police District and experienced a steady increase in population...
/DagenhamDagenham was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965 covering the parish of Dagenham. Initially created as an urban district, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1938...
- East Ham
East Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east...
- West Ham
West Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London...
- Bexley
Bexley was a local government district in north west Kent from 1879 to 1965 around the town of Old Bexley.-History:The parish of Bexley adopted the Local Government Act 1858 in 1879, and a local board of 15 members was formed to govern the area...
/CrayfordCrayford was a local government district in north west Kent from 1920 to 1965 around the town of Crayford. As well as Crayford, it included Barnehurst, Barnes Cray and Slade Green.It was created an urban district in 1920 from part of Dartford Rural District....
/ErithErith was a local government district in north west Kent from 1894 to 1965 around the town of Erith.It was created an urban district by the Local Government Act 1894. The district ran its own tram services until they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933...
- Chislehurst and Sidcup/Orpington
Orpington was a local government district in north west Kent from 1934 to 1965 around the town of Orpington, England.It was created an urban district in 1934 from parts of the abolished districts of Bromley Rural District and Chislehurst Urban District, taking in the entirety of Chelsfield, Cudham,...
- Beckenham
Beckenham was a local government district in north west Kent from 1878 to 1965 around the town of Beckenham. The area was suburban to London, formed part of the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 was included in the area of the London Passenger Transport Board.-History:In 1878 the parish of...
/BromleyBromley was a local government district in northwest Kent from 1867 to 1965 around the town of Bromley. The area was suburban to London, and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 was included in the area of the London Passenger Transport Board.-Local board and urban...
/PengePenge was a local government district in north west Kent from 1900 to 1965. It was formed of the civil parish of Penge which included the settlements of Penge, Anerley and part of Crystal Palace...
- Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
- Caterham and Warlingham
Caterham and Warlingham was an Urban District of Surrey in England until 1974. It was formed in 1929 as a merger of the Caterham Urban District with the parish of Warlingham from Godstone Rural District...
/Coulsdon and Purley
- Banstead/Epsom and Ewell
Epsom and Ewell is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England, covering Epsom and Ewell. The borough was in the Metropolitan Police District despite being outside modern Greater London. It transferred to Surrey Police in 2000. The borough was formed as an urban district in...
- Beddington and Wallington/Carshalton
Carshalton was a local government district in north east Surrey from 1883 to 1965 around the town of Carshalton.The parish of Carshalton adopted the Local Government Act 1858 in 1883 and a local board was formed to govern the town. The Local Government Act 1894 reconstituted the area as an urban...
/Sutton and CheamSutton and Cheam may be:* Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam, abolished 1965* Sutton and Cheam...
- Merton and Morden
Merton Urban District was an urban district in Surrey, England, created in 1907 to cover the parish of Merton. Formerly, the parish had been part of the Croydon Rural District since its formation under the Local Government Act 1894 but an increasing population lead to its creation as a separately...
/MitchamMitcham was a local government district in north east Surrey from 1915 to 1965 around the town of Mitcham.It was created in 1915 as an urban district from part of the abolished Croydon Rural District...
/WimbledonWimbledon was a local government district in north-east Surrey from 1866 to 1965 covering the town of Wimbledon and its surrounding area. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District....
- Barnes
Barnes was a local government district in north west Surrey from 1894 to 1965.It was formed as an urban district in 1894 and became a municipal borough in 1932....
/Richmond
- Kingston-upon-Thames
Kingston upon Thames was a local government district and borough in north east Surrey, England from 1835 to 1965 around the town of Kingston upon Thames...
/Malden and Coombe/SurbitonSurbiton was a local government district in north east Surrey, United Kingdom from 1855 to 1965.Until 1855 Surbiton was administered as part of the parish of Kingston upon Thames. In that year a body of improvement commissioners was formed by a local act of parliament to govern the area...
- Esher/Walton and Weybridge
- Feltham
Feltham was an urban district in Middlesex, England from 1904 to 1965.It was based on the parish of Feltham, which had previously been part of the Staines Rural District...
/StainesStaines was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Staines. Apart from Staines itself, it also covered Ashford, Laleham and Stanwell....
/Sunbury-on-ThamesSunbury on Thames - also known as Sunbury - was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Sunbury-on-Thames, also covering Littleton and Shepperton....
- Twickenham
Twickenham was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1868 to 1965.Twickenham Local Government District was formed in 1868, when the civil parish of Twickenham adopted the Local Government Act 1858. The district was governed by a local board of 27 members.The Local Government Act...
- Heston and Isleworth
Heston and Isleworth may refer to:* Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth* Heston and Isleworth...
- Acton
Acton was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1865 to 1965.In 1865 the Local Government Act 1858 was adopted by the parish of Acton, and a twelve-member local board of health was formed to govern the area. The Local Government Act 1894 constituted the area an urban district, and...
/Brentford and ChiswickBrentford and Chiswick may refer to:* Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick* Brentford and Chiswick...
- Ealing
Ealing was a local government district from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Ealing.A local board of health was formed for the southern part of the parish of Ealing, Middlesex, in 1863. In 1873 the board's area was extended to the rest of the parish....
- Hayes and Harlington
Hayes and Harlington could be*the former Hayes and Harlington Urban District*Hayes and Harlington *Hayes and Harlington railway station...
/SouthallSouthall was a local government district in the county of Middlesex, United Kingdom from 1891 to 1965. It consisted of the civil parish of Norwood....
- Ruislip-Northwood
Ruislip-Northwood may refer to:*the former Ruislip-Northwood Urban District*Ruislip-Northwood...
/UxbridgeUxbridge was a local government district in north west Middlesex from 1849 to 1965 around the town of Uxbridge.Uxbridge was one of the first towns in England to adopt the Public Health Act 1848 in 1849 and form a local board of health. Under the Local Government Act 1894 the local board's district...
/Yiewsley and West Drayton
- Harrow
- Wembley
Wembley was an urban district and later a municipal borough in Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1965.Wembley Urban District was created by the Local Government Act 1894 from part of the existing Hendon Rural Sanitary District, and originally consisted of two civil parishes: Kingsbury and Wembley...
- Willesden
Willesden was a local government district in the county of Middlesex, England from 1874 to 1965. It formed part of the Metropolitan Police District and London postal district...
- Hendon
Hendon was an ancient civil parish of around which included Mill Hill, , as well as Golders Green and Childs Hill . In 1894 it was created an urban district of Middlesex and in 1932 it became a municipal borough...
- Barnet
Barnet was a local government district in south Hertfordshire from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Barnet.-Creation:Barnet Local Government District was created on September 25, 1863 under the Local Government Act 1858, and was governed by a local board...
/East BarnetEast Barnet was a local government district in south Hertfordshire from 1863 to 1965 around the town of East Barnet.The district was created under the Local Government Act 1858 on September 25, 1863, as East Barnet Valley Local Government District. The district was governed by a local board...
/FinchleyFinchley was a local government district in Middlesex, England, from 1878 to 1965. It formed part of the northern suburbs of London and was within the Metropolitan Police District and London Passenger Transport Area. Its former area now forms part of the London Borough of Barnet.-Formation:The...
/Friern Barnet
- Hornsey
Hornsey was a local government district in east Middlesex from 1867 to 1965.In 1867, a Local Board was formed for part of the civil parish of Hornsey. The rest of the parish was already under South Hornsey Local Board formed in 1865....
/SouthgateSouthgate was a local government district of Middlesex from 1881 to 1965. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District....
/Wood GreenWood Green was a local government district in south east Middlesex from 1888 to 1965.Until 1888 Wood Green was part of Tottenham, and was included in the district of the Tottenham Local Board in 1850...
- Edmonton
Edmonton was a local government district in north-east Middlesex, England, from 1850 to 1965.Edmonton local board was formed in 1850 for the parish of Edmonton All Saints. In 1881 Southgate was separated from the Edmonton local board's district, forming its own local board. Edmonton became an urban...
/TottenhamTottenham was a local government district in north east Middlesex from 1850 to 1965. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District....
- Cheshunt
Cheshunt is a town in Hertfordshire, England with a population of around 52,000 according to the United Kingdom's 2001 Census . It is a dormitory town and part of the Greater London Urban Area and London commuter belt served by Cheshunt railway station...
/EnfieldEnfield was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1850 to 1965.The parish of Enfield adopted the Public Health Act 1848 in 1850, and formed a local board of health of 12 members to govern the area. The local board's area was reconstituted by the Local Government Act 1894, and...
Government reaction and legislation
By May 1961 the government had announced that a number of areas on the edge of the conurbation would be excluded from Greater London, and this was followed by the publication of a
white paperA White paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions...
on 29 November 1961, accepting most of the recommendations. However, they felt education should be a borough-level function in most parts of the capital, with a single authority for central London. They also proposed that boroughs should be larger and fewer in number. In December the government proposed that there be 34 boroughs rather than 52, and detailed their boundaries. By the time of the introduction of legislation in 1962, the number of boroughs had been reduced to 32, and the area of Greater London again reduced.
The London Government Act 1963 came into effect on 1 April 1965, with the creation of the
Greater London CouncilThe Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area.-Creation:...
and thirty-two
London borough councilsThe administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
.