- See also: Independent city
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national government. An independent city is a City that does not form part of another general-purpose Local government entity Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State.
Typically unitary authorities cover towns or cities which are large enough to function independently of county or other regional administration. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. Sometimes they consist of national sub-divisions which are distinguished from others in the same country by having no lower level of administration.
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Canada
More commonly referred to as single-tier municipalities, they exist as a single level of government in a province that otherwise has two levels of local government. One should not confuse municipalities in provinces with no upper-level of local government as single-tier municipalities, as these are the only level of local government in that province.
Structure of a single-tier municipality varies, and while most function as cities with no upper level of government, some function as counties or regional municipalities with no lower municipal subdivisions below them. A Regional Municipality (or Region) is a type of Canadian Municipal Government similar to and at the same municipal government level as The vast majority of Canadian single-tier municipalities are located in Ontario, where they exist as individual census divisions, as well as separated municipalities. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec In the Canadian province of Ontario, there are three different types of Census divisions: single-tier municipalities upper-tier municipalities (which can In the Canadian province of Ontario, municipalities operate in various hierarchies
Germany
In Germany, kreisfreie Stadt is the equivalent term for a city which is responsible for the local and the Kreis (district) administrative level (the British counties having no directly corresponding counterpart in Germany). Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This is a list of urban districts in Germany. Germany is divided into 429 districts (not to be confused with the larger Regierungsbezirk) these consist German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis''
New Zealand
In New Zealand a unitary authority is a territorial authority (district or city) which also performs the functions of a regional council. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Territorial authorities are the second tier of Local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. The region is the top tier of Local government in New Zealand. New Zealand has four unitary authorities: Gisborne District, Nelson City, Tasman District and Marlborough District. For other uses of Gisborne see Gisborne (disambiguation. Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa is the name of a unitary authority in New Zealand History Early settlement Settlement of Nelson began about 1100 years ago by Māori Coverage Tasman District is a large area at the top western side of the South Island of New Zealand Geography Marlborough's geography can be roughly divided into four sections The Chatham Islands Council is not usually considered a unitary authority, although it acts as a regional council for the purposes of the Resource Management Act 1991. The Archipelago of the Chatham Islands ( Rekohu in the Moriori language and Wharekauri in the Māori language) is a territory The Resource Management Act (RMA is a significant and at times controversial Act of Parliament passed in 1991 in New Zealand.
Poland
In Poland a miasto na prawach powiatu or powiat grodzki (city with powiat rights or urban county) is a city which is also responsible for district (powiat) administrative level, being part of no other powiat (eg. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County Poznań, Kraków, Łódź). Poznań Lublin Voivodeship This article is about the city in Poland Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Łódź is Poland 's third largest city with population of 753192 in 2007 (lost its second rank to Krakow in 2007 In total 65 cities in Poland have this status.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, "Unitary Authorities" are English or Welsh local authorities set up by the Local Government Act 1992 which form a single tier of local government, and are responsible for almost all local government functions within their areas. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002 Local government in the United Kingdom is arranged into four different systems with one each for England Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales
This is opposed to the two-tier system of local government which still exists in most of England, where local government functions are divided between county councils and district councils. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Until 1996 similar two-tier systems existed in Scotland and Wales but these have now been replaced by fully unitary systems. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A unitary system has existed in Northern Ireland since 1973. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of
England
Although most of England is still two-tier, during the 1990s, some cities, large towns and groups of neighbouring towns became unitary authorities and thus independent from county councils, with the local council taking over both county and district functions. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County.
In some English counties with small populations, such as Rutland, Herefordshire and the Isle of Wight, the entire county is a unitary authority. Rutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the The counties of Cornwall, Wiltshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, County Durham and Northumberland are also set to become unitary authories in April 2009 after legislation was passed in December 2007. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west It is planned that during 2009 there will be structural changes to local government in England, whereby a number of new unitary authorities will be created In Kent, the City of Rochester upon Medway and the Borough of Gillingham and Chatham merged to become the unitary Medway Council. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format The City of Rochester-upon-Medway was a local government district in north Kent, England from 1974 to 1998 A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice Gillingham ( is a town in the Unitary authority of Medway in South East England. History The Medway area has a long and varied history dominated
In practice most unitary authorities in England are not entirely unitary, as they often run some services on a joint basis with other authorities; these typically include policing, fire services, and sometimes waste disposal and public transport. In addition some unitary authorities contain civil parishes, which effectively form another limited tier of local government. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government.
History
When county councils were first established in 1889, a type of unitary authority was created called a County Borough which was independent of county council administration. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City County Boroughs typically covered large towns and cities. However in 1974 County Boroughs were abolished and a two-tier system was put in place everywhere.
By the 1990s it was clear that the two-tier system was in many places complicated and inefficient. Many large councils re-gained their unitary status throughout the 1990s, effectively returning to the pre-1974 system, although the County Boroughs were re-designated 'unitary authorities'.
The creation of each unitary authority was subject to a public consultation. The concept was not always widely accepted and often did not gain the support of the local councils, the county councils or the local public. It is likely the formation of an authority in north west Kent consisting of Dartford and neighbouring Gravesham probably failed in part because the local population opposed the move, fearing that a small administration separated from Kent would eventually be swallowed up by Greater London immediately to their west. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Government Since 1997 Dartford's MP is Howard Stoate (Labour The Mayor for the year May 2008 to May 2009 is Councillor Ian Armitt The name 'Gravesham' Robert H Hiscock Chairman of the Gravesend Historical Society in the foreword to his book 'A History of Gravesend' (Phillimore 1976 wrote Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England.
The term 'unitary authority' itself first surfaced in the Redcliffe-Maud Report, to describe the sort of authority the report recommended cover most of England. The Redcliffe-Maud Report (Cmnd 4040 is the name generally given to the report published by the Royal Commission on Local Government in England 1966-1969 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
Creation of unitary authorities
Unitary authorities can be created in England by statutory instruments, so do not require separate legislation, under the terms of the Local Government Act 1992. The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002 Typically a district of a non-metropolitan county is designated as a new non-metropolitan de jure county, but without a county council. A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. The borders of the original county are adjusted to exclude the unitary authority area. In common usage unitary authority areas are not usually referred to as counties (since they are not ceremonial counties); although there are exceptions such as the Herefordshire and Rutland, which are reinstatements of administrative counties lost in the 1974 reorganisation; and the Isle of Wight, (the first Unitary Authority created after the 1992 Act, and arguably one of the simplest and least controversial to create) which was, and remains, a separate county, but now with only a single council. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Constitution Herefordshire was reconstituted both as a new Non-metropolitan district (effective 19th July 1996 and as a new County comprising the area of the Rutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the
In some cases, such as the boroughs of the six metropolitan counties and the county of Berkshire, a different process was followed, where the county council was abolished, and its functions merely transferred to the districts. The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level Administrative division of England. Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South However, the new Wiltshire Council which will start operations in 2009 will operate as one council, and the district councils will be abolished, and the functions transferred to the new council. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Government approval has also now been given for county-wide single-tier authorities to commence in April 2009 in Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, and Shropshire. Whilst the Government has announced that Cheshire will be split into two unitaries to be called Cheshire West and Chester, and Cheshire East. Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. Cheshire West and Chester is the name for a new Unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. Cheshire East is the name for a new Unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. Bedfordshire will also be split into two unitaries called Bedford and Central Bedfordshire (Luton split from the county to form its own unitary in 1997). Bedford is a local government district with the status of a Borough in the East of England. Central Bedfordshire is a new Unitary authority which will be created from the merger of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire district councils and Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. However the Government has decided against granting permission for a unitary county in Somerset following a referendum in 2007, where 82% of voters rejected the proposal. Proposals for Unitary counties in Cumbria and North Yorkshire were also turned down.
London boroughs and the City of London are also counted as unitary authorities. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically The Isles of Scilly have a special council that is neither a district nor a county, but is in practise a sui generis unitary authority. Sui generis (English pronunciation ( IPA) /ˌsuːiˈdʒɛnərɪs/ roughly "SOO-ee JEN-a-ris" Latin pronunciation /ˌsuːiˈgeneris/ is a Neo-Latin
They have become more common in England since the 1990s. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland However the two-tier arrangement (increasing to three-tiers, for the remaining county administrations) has remained in a different form due to the introduction of a regional level of administration. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one
For listings of unitary authorities in England, see Regions of England or Subdivisions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The subdivisions of England consists of as many as four levels of subnational division and at some levels there are a variety of types of administrative entity
Legal definition
Unitary Authorities in England are typically defined in current legislation as "any authority which is the sole principal council for its local government area"[1]
While some legislation includes London Boroughs as "unitary authorities" for the purposes of those individual pieces of legislation, they do not fit the above description (as for various purposes they are subsidiary to the Greater London Authority) and are commonly listed separately along with the City of London and the Inner and Middle Temples, the two latter being within the boundary of the City of London but remaining as self-governing liberties. The Greater London Authority ( GLA) is the city-wide governing body for London, England. A Liberty was a local government unit in England. Originating in the Middle Ages, liberties were areas of widely variable extent which were independent of the usual
Scotland
Local authorities in Scotland are unitary in nature but not in name; there are 32 "Councils", one of which (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, formerly the Western Isles Council) has elected for the legal option of using the Gaelic designation "Comhairle". Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. For local government purposes Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Elections General elections to the council are held on a four year cycle Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. The phrase "Unitary Authority" is not used as a designation for Councils in Scottish legislation (whether of domestic or UK Parliament origin) although there are some councils who incorrectly use the description in publications [2] as well as numerous examples of such incorrect use by United Kingdom government departments.
Wales
Local Authorities in Wales (other than "communities") are unitary in nature and described by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 as "principal councils". The Local Government (Wales Act 1994 (1994 c 19 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure Various other legislation includes the Counties and County Boroughs of Wales within their individual interpretations of the phrase "Unitary Authority". In s. 2 of the Act each council formed from a county is allocated the respective Welsh and English descriptions of "Cyngor" or "County Council", each council formed from a County Borough is allocated the respective descriptions of "Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol" or "County Borough Council"; in all cases the shorter alternative forms "Cyngor" or "Council" can be used. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City
References
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