Editing London boroughs (section)

== History ==
=== Creation ===
From the mid-1930s, the Greater London area comprised four types of local government authorities. There were [[county borough]]s, [[municipal borough]]s, [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban districts]] and [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|metropolitan boroughs]]. The large county boroughs provided all local government services and held the powers usually invested in county councils. The municipal borough and urban district authorities had fewer powers. The situation was made more complex because county councils could delegate functions such as elementary education and library provision to the municipal borough and district councils, and this was implemented piecemeal. Reform of London local government sought to regularise this arrangement.

The [[Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London]] was established in 1957 and the report was published on 19 October 1960. It proposed 52 "Greater London Boroughs" with a population range of 100,000 to 250,000.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Report of The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London |year = 1961 |last = Sharpe |first = LJ }}</ref> This was made up of a mixture of whole existing units, mergers of two or three areas, and two boroughs formed as the result of a split. In December 1961 the government proposed that there would be 34 boroughs rather than 52, and detailed their boundaries. The proposed number was further reduced to 32 in 1962.

On 1 April 1965, the 32 London boroughs and [[Greater London]] were created by the ''[[London Government Act 1963]]''. Twelve boroughs in the former County of London area were designated [[Inner London]] boroughs and the 20 others were designated [[Outer London]] boroughs. Outer London borough councils were [[Local education authority|local education authorities]], but Inner London borough councils were so designated primarily to continue the existence of an [[Inner London Education Authority]], praised by official Opposition and government who further noted that unusually the former County of London's many small local authorities had no history of providing education. The [[City of London]] continued to be administered by the [[City of London Corporation]], and the [[Inner Temple|Inner]] and [[Middle Temple|Middle]] Temples continued to govern their own areas.{{NoteTag|Local government legislation makes special provision for the City of London Corporation, Inner Temple and Middle Temple to perform the functions of London borough councils in their areas.}}

Elections were held on [[1964 London local elections|7 May 1964]], with the new councils acting as shadow authorities before coming into their powers the following year.

=== Former authorities ===
The boroughs were created as follows. Some relatively minor changes have been made to the boundaries of boroughs since 1965, and two have changed their names.

[[File:Greater London composite parts.PNG|600px|thumb|center|Former local authorities in the Greater London area
* [[County borough]]s
* [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|Metropolitan boroughs]]
* [[Municipal borough]]s
* [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban districts]]
]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|-
! London borough
! Designation
! colspan="5" class="unsortable" | Former areas
|-
| [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead|Hampstead]] (11a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras|St Pancras]] (11b) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Holborn|Holborn]] (11c) || ||
|- 
| [[Royal Borough of Greenwich|Greenwich]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich|Greenwich]] (22a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich|Woolwich]] (part) (22b) || || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Hackney|Hackney]] (9a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch|Shoreditch]] (9b) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington|Stoke Newington]] (9c) || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham|Hammersmith]]{{NoteTag|Later renamed Hammersmith and Fulham}}
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith|Hammersmith]] (4a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Fulham|Fulham]] (4b) || || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Islington|Islington]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Islington|Islington]] (10a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury|Finsbury]] (10b) || || ||
|-
| [[Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea|Kensington and Chelsea]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Kensington|Kensington]] (3a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea|Chelsea]] (3b) || || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]] (6a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]] (part) (6b) || || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]] (21a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Deptford|Deptford]] (21b) || || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey|Bermondsey]] (7b) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell|Camberwell]] (7c) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Southwark|Southwark]] (7a) || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets|Tower Hamlets]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green|Bethnal Green]] (8a) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Poplar|Poplar]] (8c) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Stepney|Stepney]] (8b) || ||
|-
| [[London Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Battersea|Battersea]] (5b) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]] (part) (5a) || || ||
|-
| [[City of Westminster|Westminster]]
| Inner
| [[Metropolitan Borough of Paddington|Paddington]] (2c) || [[Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone|St Marylebone]] (2b) || [[Metropolitan Borough of Westminster|Westminster]] (2a) || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham|Barking]]{{NoteTag|Renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980}}
| Outer
| [[Municipal Borough of Barking|Barking]] (part) (25a) || [[Municipal Borough of Dagenham|Dagenham]] (part) (25b) || || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]]
| Outer
|[[Barnet Urban District|Barnet]] (31a)|| [[East Barnet Urban District|East Barnet]] (31b) ||[[Municipal Borough of Finchley|Finchley]] (31d)||[[Municipal Borough of Hendon|Hendon]] (31c)|| [[Friern Barnet Urban District|Friern Barnet]] (31e)
|-
|[[London Borough of Bexley|Bexley]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Bexley|Bexley]] (23b)  || [[Municipal Borough of Erith|Erith]] (23a) || [[Crayford Urban District|Crayford]] (23c) || [[Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District|Chislehurst and Sidcup]] (part) (23d)  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Brent|Brent]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Wembley|Wembley]] (12a) || [[Municipal Borough of Willesden|Willesden]] (12b) || || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Bromley|Bromley]] (20c) || [[Municipal Borough of Beckenham|Beckenham]] (20b) || [[Orpington Urban District|Orpington]] (20e) || [[Penge Urban District|Penge]] (20a) || [[Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District|Chislehurst and Sidcup]] (part) (20d)
|-
|[[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]]
| Outer
|[[County Borough of Croydon|Croydon]] (19a) || [[Coulsdon and Purley Urban District|Coulsdon and Purley]] (19b)  || || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Acton|Acton]] (13b) || [[Municipal Borough of Ealing|Ealing]] (13a) || [[Municipal Borough of Southall|Southall]] (13c) ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Edmonton|Edmonton]] (30c) || [[Municipal Borough of Enfield|Enfield]] (30a) ||[[Municipal Borough of Southgate|Southgate]] (30b)  ||   ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Haringey|Haringey]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Hornsey|Hornsey]] (29b) || [[Municipal Borough of Tottenham|Tottenham]] (29c) || [[Municipal Borough of Wood Green|Wood Green]] (29a) || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Harrow|Harrow]] (32)  ||  || ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Havering|Havering]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Romford|Romford]] (24a) || [[Hornchurch Urban District|Hornchurch]] (24b)  ||  ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Hillingdon|Hillingdon]]
| Outer
|[[Hayes and Harlington Urban District|Hayes and Harlington]] (33c) || [[Ruislip Northwood Urban District|Ruislip Northwood]] (33b) || [[Municipal Borough of Uxbridge|Uxbridge]] (33a) || [[Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District|Yiewsley and West Drayton]] (33d)  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Hounslow|Hounslow]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick|Brentford and Chiswick]] (14c) || [[Feltham Urban District|Feltham]] (14a) || [[Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth|Heston and Isleworth]] (14b)  ||  ||
|-
|[[Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston upon Thames]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston upon Thames]] (16a) ||[[Municipal Borough of Malden and Coombe|Malden and Coombe]] (16b) ||[[Municipal Borough of Surbiton|Surbiton]] (16c) ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Merton|Merton]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Mitcham|Mitcham]] (17c) || [[Merton and Morden Urban District|Merton and Morden]] (17b) || [[Municipal Borough of Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] (17a) ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Newham|Newham]]
| Outer
|[[County Borough of West Ham|West Ham]] (27a) ||[[County Borough of East Ham|East Ham]] (27b) ||[[Municipal Borough of Barking|Barking]] (part) (27c) ||[[Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich|Woolwich]] (part) (27d)  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Ilford|Ilford]] (26a) || [[Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford|Wanstead and Woodford]] (26b) || [[Municipal Borough of Dagenham|Dagenham]] (part) (26c) || [[Chigwell Urban District|Chigwell]] (part) (26d)  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|Richmond upon Thames]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Barnes|Barnes]] (15a) || [[Municipal Borough of Richmond (Surrey)|Richmond]] (15b) || [[Municipal Borough of Twickenham|Twickenham]] (15c) ||  ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Beddington|Beddington]] (18c) || [[Carshalton Urban District|Carshalton]] (18b) || [[Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam|Sutton and Cheam]] (18a)  || ||
|-
|[[London Borough of Waltham Forest|Waltham Forest]]
| Outer
|[[Municipal Borough of Chingford|Chingford]] (28a) || [[Municipal Borough of Leyton|Leyton]] (28c) || [[Municipal Borough of Walthamstow|Walthamstow]] (28b)  || ||
|}

===Greater London Council===
Between 1965 and 1986 the boroughs were part of a two-tier system of government and shared power with the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC). The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the London borough councils responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. Several London borough councils and the GLC were involved in the [[rate-capping rebellion]] of 1985. On 1 April 1986 the GLC was abolished and the borough councils gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the Greater London Council, such as [[Waste disposal authorities in London|waste disposal]]. The [[Inner London Education Authority]] continued to exist as an {{Lang|la|ad hoc}} authority. In 1990 it was abolished and the Inner London borough councils also became local education authorities.

=== Name and boundary changes ===
The [[Local Government Act 1972]] provided a mechanism for the name of a London borough and its council to be changed. This was used by the London Borough of Hammersmith (changed to Hammersmith and Fulham) on 1 April 1979 and the London Borough of Barking (changed to Barking and Dagenham) on 1 January 1980. Borough names formed by combining two locality names had been discouraged when the boroughs were created.

The London boroughs were created by combining whole existing units of local government and it was realised that this might provide arbitrary boundaries in some places. The London Government Act 1963 provided a mechanism for communities on the edge of Greater London to petition for transfer from London boroughs to a neighbouring county district.<ref>London Government Act 1963 Section 6 (4)</ref> This was used in 1969 in the transfers of [[Knockholt]] in Bromley to Kent, and of [[Farleigh, Surrey|Farleigh]] and [[Hooley]] in Croydon to Surrey. The Act also provided for transfers between London boroughs and neighbouring counties where there was consensus for the change between all the relevant local authorities. This provision was used to exchange two islands on the [[River Thames]] between Richmond upon Thames and Surrey. (See [[List of Greater London boundary changes]].)

The [[Local Government Boundary Commission for England]] was established by the Local Government Act 1972 to review periodically the boundaries of Greater London and the London boroughs. The first review of boundaries commenced on 1 April 1987 and reported in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |title = The Local Government Boundary Commission for England, The Boundaries of Greater London and The London Borough, Report 627 |date = 1992 |url = https://www.lgbce.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/11419/627-the-boundaries-of-greater-london-and-the-london-boroughs.pdf |website=Lgbce.org.uk |access-date=21 December 2017 }}</ref> Following the review a series of relatively minor adjustments were made to borough boundaries, for example uniting the whole of the [[Becontree]] estate in [[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham|Barking and Dagenham]]. The commission noted that many of its recommendations were strongly opposed and were not implemented. The boundary of the City of London with adjacent boroughs was adjusted to remove some anomalies.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1993/1445/made |title = The City and London Borough Boundaries Order 1993 |website = Legislation.gov.uk |access-date = 22 December 2017 }}</ref>

The London boroughs were incorporated using the provisions of the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1882]].<ref>{{cite web |title=London Government Act 1963 (as amended) |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/33 |website=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=15 February 2024 |quote=The Municipal Corporations Act 1882 shall apply to every London borough}}</ref> In the London boroughs the legal entity is not the council, as elsewhere in the country, but the inhabitants incorporated as a legal entity by [[royal charter]] (a process abolished elsewhere in England and Wales under the [[Local Government Act 1972]]). Thus, a London authority's official legal title is "The Mayor and [[Burgess (title)|Burgess]]es of the London Borough of X" (or "The Lord Mayor and Citizens of the City of Westminster").<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Act 1933 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1933/51/pdfs/ukpga_19330051_en.pdf |website=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=15 February 2024 |quote=The municipal corporation of a borough shall [...] (a) in the case of a borough being a city, the mayor of which is entitled to bear the title of lord mayor, bear the name of the lord mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city; (b) in the case of any other borough being a city, bear the name of the mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city; and (c) in the case of any other borough, bear the name of the mayor,' aldermen and burgesses of the borough.}}</ref>

=== Greater London Authority ===
In 2000 the [[Greater London Authority]] was created, comprising the [[Mayor of London]] and the [[London Assembly]]. As a strategic authority, it absorbed only limited powers, such as major highways and planning strategy, from the borough councils.