There are currently 23 county councils in England, which serve areas known as non-metropolitan counties. 21 of the county councils serve as the upper-tier authorities in a two-tier arrangement; their areas are divided into a number of non-metropolitan districts, which each have a district council. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council are unitary authorities, which combine county and district functions.
The first county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. There was a significant reform of the number, powers and jurisdictions of county councils in 1974. County councils were also established for the metropolitan counties created in 1974, but the metropolitan county councils were all abolished in 1986. From 1995 onwards numerous unitary authorities have been created.
Current two-tier
Local authority Established District councils Administration Website Headquarters Cambridgeshire County Council 1974 5Liberal Democrats New Shire Hall, Alconbury Weald Derbyshire County Council 1889 8Reform County Hall, Matlock Devon County Council 1889 8Coalition: Liberal Democrats Green Independents County Hall, Exeter East Sussex County Council 1889 5Conservative County Hall, Lewes Essex County Council 1889 12Reform County Hall, Chelmsford Gloucestershire County Council 1889 6No Overall Control Shire Hall, Gloucester Hampshire County Council 1889 11No Overall Control Castle Hill, Winchester Hertfordshire County Council 1889 10 Liberal Democrats (minority) County Hall, Hertford Kent County Council 1889 12Reform County Hall, Maidstone Lancashire County Council 1889 12Reform County Hall, Preston Leicestershire County Council 1889 7No Overall Control County Hall, Glenfield Lincolnshire County Council 1974 7Reform County Offices, Lincoln Norfolk County Council 1889 7No Overall Control County Hall, Norwich Nottinghamshire County Council 1889 7Reform County Hall, West Bridgford Oxfordshire County Council 1889 5Liberal Democrats County Hall, Oxford Staffordshire County Council 1889 8Reform County Buildings, Stafford Suffolk County Council 1974 5Reform Endeavour House, Ipswich Surrey County Council 1889 11Conservative Woodhatch Place, Reigate Warwickshire County Council 1889 5No Overall Control Shire Hall, Warwick West Sussex County Council 1889 7No Overall Control County Hall, Chichester Worcestershire County Council 1998 6No Overall Control County Hall, Worcester
Current unitary
Local authority Established Became unitary Administration Website HeadquartersDurham County Council19742009Reform County Hall, DurhamNorthumberland County Council19742009Conservative Party County Hall, Morpeth
The unitary authority which calls itself Rutland County Council is legally a district council which also performs county functions rather than a county council, despite its corporate branding. The unitary authorities of Bristol City Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Dorset Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and Herefordshire Council share their geographic name with a ceremonial county (and they are identical in Bristol's and Herefordshire's case) but are likewise legally district councils that also perform county functions.
Former Local authority Established Abolished Avon County Council 1974 1996 Bedfordshire County Council 1889 2009 Berkshire County Council 1889 1998 Buckinghamshire County Council 1889 2020 Cambridgeshire County Council 1889 1965 Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely County Council 1965 1974 Cheshire County Council 1889 2009 Cleveland County Council 1974 1996Cornwall Council19742009 Cumberland County Council 1889 1974 Cumbria County Council 1974 2023 Dorset County Council 1889 2019 East Riding County Council 1889 1974 East Suffolk County Council 1889 1974 Greater Manchester County Council 1974 1986 Hereford and Worcester County Council 1974 1998 Herefordshire County Council 1889 1974 Holland County Council 1889 1974 Humberside County Council 1974 1996 Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council 1965 1974 Huntingdonshire County Council 1889 1965 Isle of Ely County Council 1889 1965Isle of Wight Council19741995 Kesteven County Council 1889 1974 Lindsey County Council 1889 1974 London County Council 1889 1965 Merseyside County Council 1974 1986 Middlesex County Council 1889 1965 Monmouthshire County Council 1889 1974 North Riding County Council 1889 1974North Yorkshire Council19742023 Northamptonshire County Council 1889 2021 Rutland County Council 1889 1974Shropshire Council19802009 Soke of Peterborough County Council 1889 1965Somerset Council19742023 South Yorkshire County Council 1974 1986 Tyne and Wear County Council 1974 1986 West Midlands County Council 1974 1986 Westmorland County Council 1889 1974 West Riding County Council 1889 1974 West Suffolk County Council 1889 1974 West Yorkshire County Council 1974 1986Wiltshire Council19742009 Worcestershire County Council 1889 1974
Footnotes : 1st creation 1889—1965; 2nd creation 1974—present : 1st creation 1889—1974; 2nd creation 1998—present : Monmouthshire considered part of Wales from 1974.
See also
Unitary authorities of England
References
Further reading List of English County Councils with Contact Details & Opening Times