Metropolitan county

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Metropolitan county is a type of administrative division in England, which was established in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. These counties are typically large urban areas that encompass multiple metropolitan boroughs. The primary purpose of metropolitan counties is to provide a framework for the administration of services that are best managed on a larger scale than individual boroughs, such as public transport, waste management, and strategic planning.

History[edit | edit source]

The concept of metropolitan counties was introduced to address the administrative needs of densely populated urban regions. Prior to their creation, these areas were often managed by a combination of smaller boroughs and county councils, which led to fragmented and inefficient governance. The Local Government Act 1972 sought to streamline this by creating six metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.

Structure[edit | edit source]

Each metropolitan county is divided into several metropolitan boroughs, which are the primary units of local government within the county. These boroughs are responsible for most local services, such as education, housing, and social services. The metropolitan county councils, which were initially responsible for services that required coordination across the entire county, were abolished in 1986. Since then, joint boards and authorities have taken over these functions.

Governance[edit | edit source]

After the abolition of the metropolitan county councils, the governance of metropolitan counties has been managed through a combination of joint boards, authorities, and combined authorities. These bodies are responsible for services that benefit from being managed at a county-wide level, such as public transport and police services.