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

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Discussion[edit]

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)[reply]

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)[reply]

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)[reply]

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

Huntingdonshire, 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)[reply]

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)[reply]

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)[reply]

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

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)[reply]

Comment added by anon IP[edit]

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)[reply]

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