Back Local Government Act 1972 BAR Llei de Govern Local de 1972 Catalan Deddf Llywodraeth Leol 1972 Welsh Local Government Act 1972 German Local Government Act 1972 English Ley de Gobierno Local de 1972 Spanish Local Government Act 1972 French Local Government Act 1972 GV Local Government Act 1972 Italian Lei do Governo Local de 1972 Portuguese
The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. 70) is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974.[1]
Its pattern of two-tier councils remains in use today in large parts of England, although the metropolitan county councils were abolished in 1986 and it was replaced with unitary authorities in many areas in the 1990s. In Wales, it established a similar pattern of counties and districts.[2] These have since been entirely replaced with a system of unitary authorities. In Scotland, the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 established a similar system of two-tier regions and districts in 1975 – this was also replaced by a system of unitary council areas in 1996.
Elections were held to the new authorities in 1973, and they acted as 'shadow authorities' until the handover date. Elections to county councils were held on April 12, for metropolitan and Welsh districts on May 10 for non-metropolitan district councils on June 7.[3]