Local government areas of England

Metropolitan Borough of Oldham

Metropolitan Borough of Oldham: Greater Manchester metropolitan district (E08000004), created 1 April 1974 from the County Borough of Oldham plus Chadderton, Failsworth, Crompton, Royton, Lees, and Saddleworth; population about 252,000, governed by Oldham Council.

Metropolitan Borough of Solihull

The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England, created on 1 April 1974 and governed by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

Metropolitan Borough of St Helens

Metropolitan Borough of St Helens: Merseyside metropolitan district formed 1 April 1974, governed from St Helens town hall; over 180,000 people, 18 wards, two town centres (St Helens, Earlestown), Liverpool City Region Combined Authority member.

Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

Metropolitan Borough of Wigan: Greater Manchester borough created 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 from 14 Lancashire districts; first mayor Robert Matthew Lyons; population about 329,300 (2021).

Middlesex

Middlesex (Middx) is a historic county in southeast England, the smallest by area, bounded by the Thames, Colne and Lea; its administrative county was absorbed into Greater London in 1965, but the geographic county persists.

Non-metropolitan county

Non-metropolitan county: an English local government area under the Local Government Act 1972 (shire county) with a county council above non-metropolitan districts; 21 two-tier counties remain as of 2025, covering about 20 million people, now slated for unitarisation.

North Northamptonshire

North Northamptonshire is a unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, created on 1 April 2021 and covering the former districts of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, and Wellingborough.

North Somerset

North Somerset, unitary authority in South West England created 1 April 1996 from the Avon district of Woodspring; main town Weston-super-Mare; population about 216,700 (Census 2021), adjoining Bristol on the Severn estuary.

North Tyneside

North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, North East England, governed from Wallsend and bounded by the River Tyne and the North Sea.

North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is an English unitary authority created 1 April 2023, merging the county council with seven districts (Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby) under a devolution deal with York.

Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire, an East Midlands county of England, has been run since April 2021 by two unitary authorities, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire, which replaced the county council and seven districts.

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire (County of Nottingham) is an East Midlands county, England, first recorded as Snotingahamscire in 1016; 843 sq mi, two-tier local government with seven districts, unitary Nottingham City, and a 2026 decision for two unitary councils.

Rape (county subdivision)

A rape was a historic territorial subdivision of Sussex, England, intermediate between county and hundred; six rapes (Arundel, Bramber, Chichester, Hastings, Lewes, Pevensey) were castle-centered lordships controlling London–Channel corridors.

Rutland

Rutland, England's smallest historical county, is a unitary authority in the East Midlands governed by Rutland County Council since 1997; population 41,000 (2021), now slated to merge into a larger Leicestershire and Rutland unitary under paused 2026 reorganisation plans.

Sandwell

Sandwell: metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England, formed 1974 from six towns (West Bromwich, Oldbury, Smethwick, Wednesbury, Tipton, Rowley Regis). Black Country borough of 341,835 people (2021), governed by Sandwell Council.

Sefton

Sefton is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England, formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, running 22 miles along the northwest coast and home to nearly 280,000 people.

Shropshire

Shropshire: rural West Midlands county and unitary authority (E06000051) on the Welsh border; 323,600 people (2021), density 101/km², tourism worth over £1bn, unitary since 2009.

South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire: unitary authority in the West of England, north and east of Bristol, created in 1996 from Kingswood and Northavon after Avon's abolition; 290,423 residents (2021), aerospace and advanced manufacturing economy.

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire: metropolitan county in northern England with boroughs Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield; former county council abolished; now led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and its mayor.

Subdivisions of England

Subdivisions of England: nine regions (1994), 317 local authorities in two-tier county/district or single-tier unitary, metropolitan borough, and London borough forms, plus wards and 10,480 parishes.

Suffolk

Suffolk, rural county in East of England (1,466 sq mi, population over 786,000, largest town Ipswich). Two-tier local government of county plus five district councils; 2026 plan for three unitary authorities withdrawn September 2026.

Surrey

Surrey, England, is a county south-west of London with 1,203,108 residents at the 2021 Census, its 12 councils due to become two unitary councils in 2027.

Sussex

Sussex is a historic county on the south coast of England, divided since the late 19th century into East Sussex and West Sussex, with Brighton and Hove separate.

Telford and Wrekin

Telford and Wrekin is a unitary authority borough in the West Midlands of England, created in 1998, covering the new town of Telford, Newport, and a largely rural area.

Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in North East England created in 1974, covering Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland; its county council was abolished in 1986.

Unitary authorities of England

Unitary authorities of England: single-tier councils providing all local government services, unlike two-tier county and district areas. 62 existed by 2023; the 2024-26 reorganisation programme replaces remaining two-tier areas, with Surrey first in 2027.