| Metropolitan district | |
|---|---|
| |
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| Category | Local authority districts |
| Location | England |
| Found in | Metropolitan county |
| Created by | Local Government Act 1972 |
| Created |
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| Number | 36 (as of 2008) |
| Possible status |
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| Additional status |
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| Populations | 0.1 - 1.1 million |
| This article is part ofa series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
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UK General Elections in England |
Ametropolitan borough (ormetropolitan district) is a type oflocal government district in England. Created in 1974 by theLocal Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined inEnglish law as metropolitan districts withinmetropolitan counties. All of the metropolitan districts have been granted or regrantedroyal charters giving themborough status (and in some cases, they also havecity status).[1] Metropolitan boroughs have been effectivelyunitary authority areas since the abolition of metropolitan county councils by theLocal Government Act 1985.[2] Metropolitan boroughs pool much of their authority in joint boards and other arrangements that cover whole metropolitan counties, such aslocal enterprise partnerships andcombined authorities and combined county authorities, with most of the latter having a directly electedmetropolitan mayor.
The term "metropolitan borough" was first used for administrative subdivisions of theCounty of London between 1900 and 1965. There were 28 of these metropolitan boroughs, which were replaced by a new system of largerLondon boroughs in 1965, when the County of London was replaced byGreater London.
The current metropolitan boroughs originated as metropolitan districts created in 1974 as subdivisions of new metropolitan counties, created to cover the six largest urban areas in England outside Greater London. The new districts replaced the previous system ofcounty boroughs,municipal boroughs, andurban andrural districts.
Metropolitan districts were originally parts of a two-tier structure of local government, and shared power with metropolitan county councils. They differed fromnon-metropolitan districts in the division of powers between district and county councils. Metropolitan districts werelocal education authorities, and were also responsible forsocial services andlibraries. In non-metropolitan counties these services were (and are) the responsibility ofcounty councils.[3]
Many metropolitan districts were boroughs from their establishment on 1 April 1974; others gainedborough status later.
In 1986 the metropolitan county councils were abolished under the Local Government Act 1985 and most of their functions were devolved to the metropolitan boroughs, making them, to a large extent,unitary authorities in all but name. At the same time some of the functions of the abolished metropolitan county councils were taken over by joint bodies such aspassenger transport authorities, and jointfire,police andwaste disposal authorities.[2]
The metropolitan districts are administered by metropolitan district councils. They are the principallocal authorities in the six metropolitan counties and are responsible for running most local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection, and roads.[4]
The 36 metropolitan boroughs are:
| Metropolitan county | Metropolitan districts | Number | County population[citation needed] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside | Liverpool,Knowsley,St Helens,Sefton,Wirral | 5 | 1,365,000 |
| Greater Manchester | Manchester,Bolton,Bury,Oldham,Rochdale,Salford,Stockport,Tameside,Trafford,Wigan | 10 | 2,573,200 |
| South Yorkshire | Sheffield,Barnsley,Doncaster,Rotherham | 4 | 1,290,000 |
| Tyne and Wear | Newcastle upon Tyne,Gateshead,South Tyneside,North Tyneside,Sunderland | 5 | 1,299,000 |
| West Midlands | Birmingham,Coventry,Dudley,Sandwell,Solihull,Walsall,Wolverhampton | 7 | 2,916,458 |
| West Yorkshire | Leeds,Bradford,Calderdale,Kirklees,Wakefield | 5 | 2,161,200 |
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