List of English districts
This is a list of the 296 districts of England, a type of country subdivision governed by a local authority, that cover all of England. Most English districts are known as non-metropolitan districts and are found in non-metropolitan counties. However, primarily in urban areas, other types of districts are found. Each district is contained within one ceremonial county, except Stockton-on-Tees, which is split for this purpose. Population figures are the mid-year estimates for 2021 from the Office for National Statistics.[1]
Nomenclature[edit]
There are currently 296 districts in England. The districts are divided into several categories which determine the powers and functions of the local authority.
- 32 London boroughs
- 36 metropolitan districts
- 164 non-metropolitan districts (in a two-tier county arrangement)
- 62 unitary authorities (all also non-metropolitan districts, but with the combined powers of non-metropolitan counties and districts)
- City of London (sui generis)
- Isles of Scilly (sui generis)
Each district can additionally hold the honorific statuses of borough, city and royal borough, which does not affect the powers and functions of the local authority.
List of districts[edit]
Former districts[edit]
The current pattern of districts was introduced in 1974 throughout England and Wales, replacing an older system of municipal boroughs, urban districts, rural districts and county boroughs.
In England, several changes have taken place, but only within the framework created then.
Former English districts are as follows
| District | Status | Date abolished | Former county | Successor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allerdale | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Cumberland | |
| Alnwick | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| Aylesbury Vale | 1 April 2020 | Buckinghamshire | ||
| Barrow-in-Furness | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Westmorland and Furness | |
| Bath | non-metropolitan district, City | 1 April 1996 | Avon | Bath and North East Somerset |
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| East Yorkshire Borough of Beverley | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Blyth Valley | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| Boothferry | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire |
| Bournemouth | unitary authority, borough | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Bridgnorth | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Shropshire | Shropshire |
| Brighton | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1997 | East Sussex | Brighton and Hove |
| Caradon | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| Carlisle | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Cumberland | |
| Carrick | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| Castle Morpeth | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| Chester | non-metropolitan district, City | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire West and Chester |
| Chester-le-Street | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Chiltern | 1 April 2020 | Buckinghamshire | ||
| Christchurch | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Cleethorpes | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | North East Lincolnshire |
| Congleton | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire East |
| Copeland | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Cumberland | |
| Corby | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | North Northamptonshire |
| Craven | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Crewe and Nantwich | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire East |
| Daventry | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | West Northamptonshire |
| Derwentside | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Durham | non-metropolitan district, City | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Easington | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| East Dorset | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Dorset |
| East Northamptonshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | North Northamptonshire |
| East Yorkshire | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Eden | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Westmorland and Furness | |
| Ellesmere Port and Neston | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire West and Chester |
| Forest Heath | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Suffolk | West Suffolk |
| Gillingham | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1998 | Kent | Medway |
| Glanford | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | North Lincolnshire |
| Great Grimsby | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | North East Lincolnshire |
| Hambleton | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Harrogate | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Hereford | non-metropolitan district, City | 1 April 1998 | Hereford and Worcester | Herefordshire |
| Holderness | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Hove | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1997 | East Sussex | Brighton and Hove |
| Kennet | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Wiltshire | Wiltshire |
| Kerrier | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| Kettering | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | North Northamptonshire |
| Kingswood | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Avon | South Gloucestershire |
| Leominster | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 1998 | Hereford and Worcester | Herefordshire (part to Malvern Hills) |
| Macclesfield | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire East |
| Malvern Hills | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 1998 | Hereford and Worcester | Herefordshire and Malvern Hills |
| Medina | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1995 | Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight |
| Mendip | 1 April 2023 | Somerset | Somerset | |
| Mid Bedfordshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Bedfordshire | Central Bedfordshire |
| North Cornwall | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| North Dorset | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Dorset |
| North Shropshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Shropshire | Shropshire |
| North Wiltshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Wiltshire | Wiltshire |
| Northampton | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | West Northamptonshire |
| Northavon | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 1996 | Avon | South Gloucestershire |
| Oswestry | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Shropshire | Shropshire |
| Penwith | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| Poole | unitary authority, borough | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Purbeck | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Dorset |
| Restormel | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cornwall | Cornwall |
| Richmondshire | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Rochester-upon-Medway | non-metropolitan district, City | 1 April 1998 | Kent | Medway |
| Ryedale | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Salisbury | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Wiltshire | Wiltshire |
| Scarborough | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Scunthorpe | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1996 | Humberside | North Lincolnshire |
| Sedgefield | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Sedgemoor | 1 April 2023 | Somerset | Somerset | |
| Selby | 1 April 2023 | North Yorkshire | North Yorkshire | |
| Shrewsbury and Atcham | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Shropshire | Shropshire |
| Somerset West and Taunton | 1 April 2023 | Somerset | Somerset | |
| South Bedfordshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Bedfordshire | Central Bedfordshire |
| South Bucks | 1 April 2020 | Buckinghamshire | ||
| South Herefordshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 1998 | Hereford and Worcester | Herefordshire |
| South Lakeland | 1 April 2023 | Cumbria | Westmorland and Furness | |
| South Northamptonshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | West Northamptonshire |
| South Shropshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Shropshire | Shropshire |
| South Somerset | 1 April 2023 | Somerset | Somerset | |
| South Wight | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 1995 | Isle of Wight | Isle of Wight |
| St Edmundsbury | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2019 | Suffolk | West Suffolk |
| Suffolk Coastal | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Suffolk | East Suffolk |
| Taunton Deane | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2019 | Somerset | Somerset West and Taunton |
| Teesdale | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Tynedale | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| Vale Royal | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2009 | Cheshire | Cheshire West and Chester |
| Wansbeck | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Northumberland | Northumberland |
| Wansdyke | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 1996 | Avon | Bath and North East Somerset |
| Waveney | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Suffolk | East Suffolk |
| Wear Valley | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | County Durham | County Durham |
| Wellingborough | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2021 | Northamptonshire | North Northamptonshire |
| West Dorset | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Dorset |
| West Somerset | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2019 | Somerset | Somerset West and Taunton |
| West Wiltshire | non-metropolitan district | 1 April 2009 | Wiltshire | Wiltshire |
| Weymouth and Portland | non-metropolitan district, borough | 1 April 2019 | Dorset | Dorset |
| Wycombe | 1 April 2020 | Buckinghamshire |
In most cases, these districts were merged to form unitary authorities, which are indicated in the right.
The exceptions were Malvern Hills and Leominster, which were both split between the new district of Herefordshire and a new district of Malvern Hills.
See List of rural and urban districts of England for a list of the districts as they stood immediately before 1 April 1974.
Renamings[edit]
Under section 74 of the Local Government Act 1972, the council of a district, county or London borough (or county borough in Wales) may change its name, providing the resolution to do so gains two-thirds of the votes at a special meeting. Until 1 April 1978, the council had to have the permission of the Secretary of State, but since that date they may do so unilaterally. At least one district name change was vetoed: the shadow authority for North Wolds wished to become "Bridlington and Yorkshire Wolds" before 1974 at the same time as other name changes were allowed.
Several English districts have done this, whilst others have been renamed under the 1990s UK local government reform. A few districts have even changed names twice.
| Original name | New name | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking | Barking and Dagenham | 1 January 1980 | [2] |
| Basingstoke | Basingstoke and Deane | 20 January 1978 | [3] |
| Beaconsfield | South Bucks | 1 April 1980 | [4] |
| Bedford | North Bedfordshire | 15 October 1975 | [5] |
| Bedford | 1 October 1992 | [6] | |
| Beverley | East Yorkshire Borough of Beverley | 12 May 1981 | [2] |
| Blackburn | Blackburn with Darwen | 2 May 1997 | (before unitary) |
| Bosworth | Hinckley and Bosworth | 20 November 1973 | † |
| Bracknell | Bracknell Forest | 27 April 1988 | [7] |
| Crewe | Crewe and Nantwich | 17 January 1974 | † |
| Ellesmere Port | Ellesmere Port and Neston | 21 June 1976 | |
| Grimsby | Great Grimsby | 1 January 1979 | |
| Hammersmith | Hammersmith and Fulham | 1 April 1979 | |
| Hartley Wintney | Hart | 17 January 1974 | † |
| Herefordshire | County of Herefordshire | 20 June 1997 | |
| Huntingdon | Huntingdonshire | 1 October 1984 | [8] |
| Langbaurgh | Langbaurgh-on-Tees | 1 January 1988 | [7] |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 1 April 1996 | (with unitary) | |
| Medway | Rochester-upon-Medway | 3 December 1979 | [2] |
| Medway Towns | Medway | 1 April 1998 | (with unitary) |
| Newark | Newark and Sherwood | 1 April 1985 | [8] |
| Newbury | West Berkshire | 1 April 1998 | (with unitary) |
| North Wolds | East Yorkshire | 1 February 1981 | [2] |
| Nuneaton | Nuneaton and Bedworth | 1 October 1980 | [2] |
| Pastonacres | North Norfolk | 20 September 1973 | † |
| Petersfield | East Hampshire | 8 October 1973 | † |
| Poole | Borough and County of the Town of Poole | 1 April 1997 | (with unitary) |
| Rutland | Rutland County Council | 1 April 1997 | (with unitary) |
| Shepway | Folkestone and Hythe | 1 April 2018 | [9] |
| Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury and Atcham | 12 June 1974 | |
| Thamesdown | Swindon | effective 1 April 1997 | (soon before unitary)[10] |
| Tiverton | Mid Devon | 6 February 1978 | [11] |
| Wallingford | South Oxfordshire | 20 September 1973 | † |
| West Derbyshire | Derbyshire Dales | 1 January 1987 | |
| West Norfolk | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 14 May 1981 | [2] |
| Wimborne | East Dorset | 1 January 1988 | [7] |
| Woodspring | North Somerset | 1 April 1996 | (with unitary) |
| Wrekin | The Wrekin | 7 February 1974 | † |
| Telford and Wrekin | 1 April 1998 | (with unitary) | |
| Yeovil | South Somerset | 1 April 1985 | [8] |
† The resolutions to change the name of the district were made by the "shadow" councils elected on 7 June 1973.
Additionally, one English county has been renamed. Shropshire was originally formally known as 'Salop'. Its name was changed effective 1 April 1980.
See also[edit]
- List of rural and urban districts in England in 1973
- 2019-2023 structural changes to local government in England
References[edit]
- ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bulletin of Changes in Local Authority Areas, Names and Status 1980-1982" (PDF). Department of the Environment. Retrieved 15 January 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ *"No. 47453". The London Gazette. 2 February 1978. p. 1397.
- ^ "Alteration of Areas and Status of Local Authorities October 1979 to April 1980" (PDF). Department of the Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "No. 46725". The London Gazette. 31 October 1975. p. 13813.
- ^ "Bulletin of Changes of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas 1 April 1992 – 31 March 1993" (PDF). Department of The Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "Bulletin of Changes of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas 1st April 1987- 31st March 1988" (PDF). Department of the Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ a b c "Alteration of Areas and Status of Local Authorities 1 April 1984 – 31 March 1985" (PDF). Department of the Environment. Retrieved 15 January 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "We've changed our name". www.shepway.gov.uk.
- ^ The Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area)(Borough of Swindon) Order 2003
- ^ "Alteration in Status and Areas of Local Authorities for Period February 1978 - September 1978" (PDF). Department of the Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
External links[edit]
| Region | |
|---|---|
| County | |
| District and civil parish | |
