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69-410: The Borough of Blackpool is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Lancashire , North West England . It is named after the seaside town of Blackpool but covers a wider area which includes Anchorsholme , Bispham , Layton , Marton and Squires Gate . As well as the suburbs of Grange Park , North Shore , South Shore and Starr Gate . The borough also forms

138-415: A "town council". The majority of successor parishes, and a number of other small market towns now have town councils , with the power of parish councils but their chairmen are entitled to style themselves as " town mayor ". Similarly, a handful of parishes have been granted city status by letters patent : the council of such a parish is known as "city council" and the chairman is entitled to be known as

207-516: A few locations), but share strategic functions with joint boards and arrangements. On the other hand, the City of London Corporation and the 32 London borough councils, although they have a high degree of autonomy, share strategic functions with the directly elected Mayor of London and London Assembly . Unitary authorities should not be confused with another formation in English local government,

276-415: A geographical area known as a civil parish. The civil parishes were also grouped to form rural districts , which became the geographical areas of rural district councils. Civil geographical parishes continued to exist in urban districts, but did not have parish councils. Whilst the bulk of the rationalised activities went to district councils, parish councils took over a number of lesser powers including all

345-571: A local authority in England is 170,000, three times that of Europe. Most unitary authority areas are divided into a number of multiple member wards from which councillors are elected in the same way as in two-tier district council elections. The exceptions, which are divided into electoral divisions as in county council elections, are Cornwall, County Durham, the Isle of Wight, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire. Districts are usually named after

414-530: A number of districts were split off from their associated counties. The changes caused the ceremonial counties to be defined separately, as they had been before 1974. The review caused 46 unitary authorities to be created. A further review was initiated in 2007 and was enacted in 2009. The review established Cornwall and Northumberland as counties of a single district; established unitary authorities in County Durham , Shropshire and Wiltshire covering

483-519: A parish council has been able to alternatively style itself as a "village council", "neighbourhood council" or "community council". A provision of this Act is that is that civil parishes may now be established in the London boroughs. Since the enactment of the Local Government and Rating Act 1997 , district and unitary councils may create a parish council for a new civil parish either through

552-407: A parish council must be formed. Where there are between 151 and 999 electors the principal council may recommend the establishment of either a parish council or parish meeting. Where there are 150 electors or fewer a parish council may not be formed. Reviews come into effect on 1 April in the year following the date the reorganisation order is made. Where a new parish council is created, elections to

621-532: A parish council: smaller ones, typically those with fewer than 150 electors, often have parish meetings instead, which can fulfil many of the functions of a parish council. Alternatively, parishes with small populations may apply to be grouped together with one or more neighbouring parishes under a common parish council. Civil parish councils were formed in England under the reforming Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to take over local oversight of civic duties in rural towns and villages from

690-458: A petition of local government electors for an area. A petition is deemed valid where it is signed by a sufficient proportion of the electorate (ranging from 50% in an area with fewer than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500). The sufficient proportion of the electorate necessary in areas with more than 2,500 electors was reduced from 10% to 7.5% under an amendment to the Act made in 2015. At

759-604: A radical new power: to "do anything that individuals generally may do" as long as that is not limited by some other Act. This is known as the General Power of Competence (GPC), and is available to "eligible" parish councils. An eligible council is one which has resolved to adopt the GPC, with at least two-thirds of its members being declared elected, rather than co-opted, and the Clerk must hold an appropriate qualification. However

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828-491: A review or in response to a petition. This has led to the creation of new parish councils at an increased rate, especially in large towns and cities which do not have a history of parish governance. Since 13 February 2008 the power to create new parishes and parish councils, to alter parish boundaries, to dissolve parish councils and to abolish parishes has been devolved to district , unitary and London Borough councils (collectively known as "principal councils"). This process

897-554: A single large town or city, while those created since 2009 often cover entire non-metropolitan counties. The term " unitary authority " was first used in the Redcliffe-Maud Report in 1969 in its current sense of a local government authority which combines the functions of a county council and a district council. Strictly speaking, the term does not necessarily mean a single level of local government within an area, because in some cases there are also parish councils in

966-401: A town, city, geographical area or county (historic and or ceremonial). With no effect on powers or functions, districts can have the status of royal borough , borough or city . A district having a charter is dependent on the charter's wording: as a charter trustee to a place in the district; having joint charter to the place and district or to the district itself. Notes The Council of

1035-404: Is a power awarded in 2012 to eligible councils, which further broadens the scope of activities that councils can be involved in. Parish councils may exercise powers to provide, maintain and manage certain facilities. There are large variations in the facilities provided by parish councils, but they can include any of the following: They may also provide the following, subject to the consent of

1104-464: Is administered by Blackpool Council currently under Labour control. Unitary authorities of England The unitary authorities of England are a type of local authority responsible for all local government services in an area. They combine the functions of a non-metropolitan county council and a non-metropolitan district council, which elsewhere in England provide two tiers of local government. Unitary authorities are constituted under

1173-473: Is as follows: Unitary government has been criticised for damaging local democracy. Opponents to unitary authority criticise the 'bigger is better' assumption and highlight that larger councils breed mistrust of councillors and reduction in public engagement and voter turnout. Outside the UK, multi-level local government is the prevailing system, with major towns normally having a local authority. The average size of

1242-485: Is four years, and councillors are elected by the block vote system, with voters having the same number of votes as seats on the council, in a secret ballot . Those candidates with the highest number of votes sufficient to fill the number of vacant seats are elected. The legislation provides that the number of elected members of a parish council shall not be less than five. Larger parishes may be divided into parish wards, with separate elections for each ward. The timing of

1311-406: Is known as a "community governance review". Principal councils have the power to make a community governance review at any time for all or part of their district. It is envisaged that such reviews will occur at intervals of between 10 and 15 years, and will take into account population changes, the need for well-defined boundaries and the wishes of local inhabitants. Reviews may also be triggered by

1380-402: Is not a quorum elected the district council must dissolve it and order fresh elections. Where there are more candidates than vacancies, a poll must be held. Undivided parishes, or multi-member parish wards, hold elections under the block vote system. If a vacancy occurs during the term of a parish council, it may be filled by either election or co-option. Elections only occur if, following

1449-423: Is taken. Where there are fewer candidates than vacant seats, the parish council has the power to coopt any person or persons to fill the vacancies. This power, however, may only be exercised if there is a quorum of councillors present and within 35 days of the election. If the parish council fails to fill the vacancies within this period, the district council may dissolve it and order fresh elections. If there

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1518-495: Is the formal point of contact with the public, and a source of information for the public about the Council's activities. The necessary financial monitoring and reporting are the clerk's responsibility, and in this role the clerk is known as the "Responsible Financial Officer" (RFO) of the Council. The clerk also provides procedural guidance for the Council itself, and ensures that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting

1587-464: Is the role of the local planning authority to agree who should be the neighbourhood forum for the neighbourhood area. Neighbourhood forums and parish councils can use new neighbourhood planning powers to establish general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. These are described legally as "neighbourhood development plans". In an important change to the planning system, communities can use neighbourhood planning to permit

1656-568: The Blackpool Urban Area which covers all the unitary authority area. Blackpool was a municipal borough until 1889 when it became a county borough , on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 , the county borough of Blackpool was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district with the same boundaries as the county borough. Until 1998, Blackpool was administered as part of Lancashire County Council which

1725-416: The Local Government Act 1992 , which amended the Local Government Act 1972 to allow the existence of non-metropolitan counties that do not have multiple districts. Most were established during the 1990s , with more created in 2009 and 2019–23 . The size of the areas governed by unitary authorities varies greatly; the authorities created in the 1990s were generally created from single districts and covered

1794-889: The combined authority . Parish councils in England Parish councils receive the majority of their funding by levying a precept upon the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) covered by the council. In 2021-22 the amount raised by precept was £616 million. Other funding may be obtained by local fund-raising or grants for specific activities. They can vary enormously in size, activities and circumstances; representing populations ranging from fewer than 100 (small rural hamlets) to up to 130,000 ( Northampton Town Council ). Most of them are small: around 80% represent populations of less than 2,500; Parish councils are made up of unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years: there are about 70,000 parish councillors country-wide. Not every civil parish has

1863-507: The county council , unitary authority or London borough council of the area in which they lie: Parish councils have the statutory right to be consulted by the local district, borough, county council or unitary authority on: Parish councils may also exercise the following powers: Under the Localism Act 2011 eligible parish councils can be granted a " general power of competence " (GPC) which allows them within certain limits

1932-529: The vestry committee . Parish councils are generically referred to as "local councils" to distinguish them from " principal councils " (e.g. district councils , county councils , unitary authorities or London borough councils) and most are affiliated via County Associations to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), which represents their interests at a national level. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing

2001-503: The "city mayor". In England, there are currently eight parishes with city status, all places with long-established Anglican cathedrals: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . Despite its name, the City of Durham Parish Council is not a city; Durham's city status is held by charter trustees . Following the enactment of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 ,

2070-452: The 1894 Act and subsequent legislation. Compared to higher tiers of English local government, parish councils have very few statutory duties (i.e. things they are required to do by law) but have a much more extensive range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. For this reason, there are large variations in the activities of parish councils, depending on their size, resources and abilities. The "General Power of Competence"

2139-476: The Clerk. The Clerk as the Proper Officer "enacts" (cause to happen) the decisions of the Council, and they receive official correspondence and issue correspondence on the instructions of the Council. The clerk also prepares agendas for meetings of the Council and its committees, gives notice of these to the Council members and the public, and records and publishes the minutes of these meetings. The Clerk

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2208-410: The Council is managed by its Clerk, a paid employee appointed by the council, who acts in a combined statutory role of Proper Officer (secretary or chief executive) and Responsible Financial Officer (treasurer). They may be full-time or part-time, depending on the amount of council business, and large parish councils may require more than one official for these tasks, in which case they are a group led by

2277-401: The English ratepayers is between 28,000 and 29,000. Not only are we exposed to this multiplicity of authority and this confusion of rating power, but the qualification, tenure, and mode of election of members of these Authorities differ in different cases." The government chose the civil parish as the basic unit of local government in rural areas. Each parish council's area of responsibility was

2346-622: The Exchequer Rachel Reeves outlined that a forthcoming English Devolution Bill would include plans for "working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas", suggesting that a new round of local government reorganisation could be likely. The process of changing from a two-tier local government to a structure based on unitary authorities is called 'restructuring'. The Secretary of State responsible for local government invites proposals from local areas to restructure into unitary authorities, and

2415-418: The GPC can allow councils to engage in a range of activities such as setting up a trading company or co-operative to operate commercial activities, such as lending or investing money, or running a local shop, post office or energy company. Or allow it to contribute towards the provision of a service by another authority. The central function of the Council, the making of local decisions and policy relevant to

2484-461: The Isles of Scilly is a sui generis single-tier authority, created in 1890 and since 1930 has held the "powers, duties and liabilities" of a county council. It thus is not a unitary authority as those are such authorities created under the Local Government Act 1992 . The 36 metropolitan borough councils are also the sole elected local government units in their areas (except for parish councils in

2553-672: The Secretary decides whether or not the change should be implemented. The restructuring is carried out by an Order. There are no examples in the UK of councils restructuring back into a two-tier system. Unitary authorities combine the powers and functions that are normally delivered separately by the councils of non-metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan districts. These functions are housing, waste management, waste collection, council tax collection, education, libraries, social services, transport, planning, consumer protection, licensing, cemeteries and crematoria. The breakdown of these services

2622-414: The advertisement of the vacancy for 14 days, 10 electors send a written request to the returning officer. If no request is received, the parish council will be required to fill the vacancies by co-option. If vacancy occurs within 6 months of a scheduled election, then a by-election cannot be called, but the council has the power to co-opt. The nomination qualifications required of a candidate for co-option are

2691-499: The borough councils and joint boards. A review in the 1990s was initiated to select non-metropolitan areas where new unitary authorities could be created. The resulting structural changes were implemented between 1995 and 1998. Bristol, Herefordshire, the Isle of Wight and Rutland were established as counties of a single district; the district councils of Berkshire became unitary; the counties of Avon , Humberside and Cleveland were broken up to create several unitary authorities; and

2760-554: The ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire has been composed of two unitary authority areas. In March 2018, an independent report commissioned by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, proposed structural changes to local government in Northamptonshire . These changes would see the existing county council and district councils abolished and two new unitary authorities created in their place. One authority, West Northamptonshire , would consist of

2829-401: The chairman, and a quorum of the main council committee is at least one-third of the members, or three members, whichever is the greater. Every meeting is open to the public, who are encouraged to attend, except for those items where the Council formally resolves to exclude the public and press on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest. This would have to be due to

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2898-622: The confidential nature of the business. This latter also applies to any subcommittee of the parish council. A Council can form committees with delegated powers for specific purposes; however these must adhere to the protocols for public attendance, minute-taking and notice of meetings that apply to the main Council. A committee may form sub-committees. A Council can also appoint advisory groups which are exempt from these constraints to give flexibility, but these have no delegated powers and cannot make financial decisions. Such groups may contain members who are not councillors. Public notice of meetings of

2967-596: The core of the wider Blackpool conurbation . The borough is bordered to the north and north-east by the Borough of Wyre (including Fleetwood , Cleveleys , Thornton and Poulton-le-Fylde ), and to the south and south-east by Borough of Fylde (including Lytham St Annes ), both of which are non-metropolitan districts in Lancashire. The western boundary is the Irish Sea coast. Surrounding districts form part of

3036-556: The council and its committees must be given at least three clear days before and be displayed in a "noticeable place" in the Parish, giving time, date and venue. A summons to attend the meeting is also issued, specifying the agenda, to every member of the Council. Items not on the agenda cannot be formally debated or resolved. Items brought up by the attendance of the general public or in correspondence can be discussed, but formal resolutions on these must be deferred if they are not covered by

3105-404: The development they want to see - in full or in outline – without the need for planning applications. These are called "neighbourhood development orders". In 1974, the local government reforms allowed the creation of successor parish councils, to cover those areas formerly the responsibility of a municipal corporation. Such an area could be declared a "town", and the council would then be known as

3174-478: The election cycle is usually linked to that of the election of a district councillor for the ward containing the parish. Where the elections to a district council are delayed or cancelled (e.g due to its abolishment with the formation of a unitary council or a change from elections by thirds to the whole council), the term of a parish council may be extended to match the next elections to the new authority. A candidate must be at least 18 years old and at least one of

3243-435: The end of the review process, which must be completed within 12 months, the principal council is empowered to issue a reorganisation order setting out the changes. This order may: In order to abolish an existing parish council, the principal council must provide evidence that this in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Where a new parish is formed with 1,000 electors or more,

3312-445: The existing agenda to the next meeting so that due notice can be given. It is common practice to have a "public participation" item at the beginning of the agenda so that the public knows the time when this will occur. The minutes of the meeting are taken by the clerk, and are ratified at the next meeting of the council. They must also be displayed in a noticeable place in the parish, and for many councils, they are now also displayed on

3381-570: The existing districts of Daventry , Northampton and South Northamptonshire and the other authority, North Northamptonshire would consist of Corby , East Northamptonshire , Kettering and Wellingborough districts. This was confirmed in May 2019, with the new councils being created in April 2021. In July 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that in April 2023,

3450-482: The following: and candidates must state on their consent for nomination form their qualification for election, which must be at least one of the following: The chairman of the previous council shall remain in office, even if not elected to the newly constituted council, until a new chairman is appointed at the first meeting of the new council. Where there are an equal number or fewer candidates than there are vacancies, all candidates are elected unopposed, and no poll

3519-529: The freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this a parish council must meet certain conditions, such as at least two-thirds of the councillors being elected as opposed to being co-opted or appointed, and having a clerk with suitable qualifications. However, such activities cannot use precept funding, and specific funding must be obtained from other sources. In principle

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3588-533: The internet. Procedures for the conduct of meetings are set out in Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972, and where this is not overridden by legislation, by the standing orders of the Council. Most adopt the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) model standing orders. Councillors are expected to adhere to the "Nolan principles" of conduct in public life The administration of

3657-477: The large number of bodies which existed for a variety of activities such as public health, secular burials, water supply and drainage. It also finally removed secular duties from the local vestry committees and gave them to the new parish councils. An idea of the scope of this huge re-organisation can be gained from the words of H H Fowler , President of the Local Government Board, who said in

3726-436: The local community, delivering services to meet local needs, and improving quality of life and community well being. Parish councils have the power to tax their residents to support their operations and to carry out local projects, and this is done through the council tax system. Although there is no limit to the amount that can be raised, the money can only be raised for a limited number of purposes, listed below, as defined in

3795-489: The new council areas were formed ahead of their creation on 1 April 2019 . Buckinghamshire County Council and the non-metropolitan districts of Aylesbury Vale , Chiltern , South Bucks , and Wycombe in Buckinghamshire were replaced by a single unitary authority known as Buckinghamshire Council on 1 April 2020. The existing unitary authority of Milton Keynes was not affected; from 1 April 2020, therefore,

3864-451: The non-metropolitan counties of Cumbria , North Yorkshire and Somerset would be reorganised into unitary authority areas. The new authorities, Cumberland , Westmorland and Furness , North Yorkshire Council and Somerset Council were first elected in May 2022 and formally assumed their powers on 1 April 2023. The Labour Party returned to power following the 2024 general election , and in her Autumn budget statement , Chancellor of

3933-594: The non-metropolitan district of Christchurch , the other would be composed of the remainder of the county. In November 2017, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid stated that he was "minded to approve the proposals" and a final decision to implement the two unitary authority model was confirmed in February 2018. Statutory instruments for the creation of two unitary authorities, to be named Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council , have been made and shadow authorities for

4002-479: The original proposal to grant a general power of competence to councils was not carried through, and the doctrine of ultra vires remained. This meant that parish councils could not do anything outside their statutory powers. It was not until the Localism Act 2011 that parish councils were freed of the constraints of ultra vires which had limited the activities of parish councils to only those things for which they had been given statutory powers. They were given

4071-443: The parish council was retained as the "grass roots" tier of local democracy for rural areas. In addition, many small towns which had previously formed municipal boroughs or urban districts became " successor parishes " within larger districts . The Act also recognised the role of parish councils in development planning in their parish, and gave them the right to be informed and consulted on applications for such development. However,

4140-399: The parliamentary debate for the 1894 Act: "62 counties, 302 Municipal Boroughs, 31 Improvement Act Districts, 688 Local Government Districts, 574 Rural Sanitary Districts, 58 Port Sanitary Districts, 2,302 School Board Districts ... 1,052 Burial Board Districts, 648 Poor Law Unions, 13,775 Ecclesiastical Parishes, and nearly 15,000 Civil Parishes. The total number of Authorities which tax

4209-442: The part of the county that was not already split off in the 1990s review; and divided the remainder of Bedfordshire and Cheshire into two unitary authority areas. The review caused nine unitary authorities to be created. In 2017, it was proposed that two unitary authority areas be formed to cover the ceremonial county of Dorset . One of the authorities would consist of the existing unitary authorities of Bournemouth , Poole and

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4278-562: The precept may not be raised specifically for activities which rely only on the power of the GPC, and such funding must be obtained from other sources. The Localism Act also introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by coming together to prepare neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood planning can be taken forward by two types of body: town and parish councils or "neighbourhood forums". Neighbourhood forums are community groups that are designated to take forward neighbourhood planning in areas without parishes. It

4347-466: The public interest of the parish, is performed at the meetings of the Council. A parish council must hold an annual meeting and at least three other meetings in a year; however, monthly meetings are the most common, and some larger councils have fortnightly meetings. An extraordinary meeting may be called at any time by the chairman or members, but due notice must be given. A parish council consists of no fewer than five elected parish councillors, including

4416-580: The running of the Council are observed. Clerks are encouraged to have a formal qualification, such as the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA). A councillor cannot become the paid clerk of their council, due to conflict of interest, but they can be appointed on an unpaid basis; preferably temporarily. A councillor cannot become a paid clerk until 12 months after leaving office. The cycle of parish council elections

4485-656: The same area. Although the term was not applied to them, county boroughs between 1889 and 1974 were effectively unitary authority areas, that is, single-tier administrative units. Before 1889, local government authorities had different powers and functions, but from medieval times some cities and towns had a high degree of autonomy as counties corporate . Some smaller settlements also enjoyed some degree of autonomy from regular administration as boroughs or liberties . The Local Government Act 1972 created areas for local government where large towns and their rural hinterlands were administered together. The concept of unitary units

4554-564: The same as for those for election. If the number of vacancies on the parish council is such that there is no longer a quorum, the district council may temporarily appoint persons to bring the council up to strength in the interval prior to an election. Civil parish councils were formed in England under the reforming Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to take over local oversight of civic duties in rural towns and villages . The act created two new types of local authority, parish councils and district councils , to rationalise

4623-525: The secular activities of the parish Vestry committee; a system of local government based on ecclesiastical parishes that originated in the feudal system . Two principal Acts of Parliament have increased the general powers of parish councils, and removed onerous constraints. The Redcliffe-Maud Report led to the Local Government Act 1972 , which dramatically re-organised local government with amalgamation of district councils, large-scale changes to county boundaries and creation of metropolitan areas. However,

4692-483: Was abandoned with a two-tier arrangement of county and district councils in all areas of England, except the Isles of Scilly where the small size and distance from the mainland made it impractical. In 1986 a broadly unitary system of local government was introduced in the six metropolitan counties and Greater London , where the upper-tier authorities were abolished and their functions were split between central government,

4761-513: Was based in Preston . After the creation of unitary authorities by the government, Blackpool and Blackburn were successful in gaining their own right to govern independent from the county council. Blackpool gained unitary authority status, as did Blackburn and it was renamed "Blackburn with Darwen". As of 2021 these are the only two unitary authorities in Lancashire although they remain part of Lancashire for ceremonial purposes. Blackpool borough

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