Editing Greater Manchester (section)

===1974–1997===
[[File:Stockport (GMPTE).jpg|thumb|right|[[Stockport bus station]] in 1988. [[Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive|Greater Manchester Transport]] (later [[GM Buses]]) operated bus services throughout the county, from 1974 to 1993.]]
[[File:Westminster House.JPG|thumb|right|[[Westminster House, Manchester|GMC County Hall]] (now known as Westminster House) in [[Manchester]] housed the [[Greater Manchester County Council]] until its abolition in 1986.]]
[[File:Arms_of_the_Greater_Manchester_Metropolitan_County_Council.svg|thumb|right|The arms of the [[Greater Manchester County Council]], depicted here, became redundant with the abolition of the council in 1986 (though similar arms are used by the [[Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service]]).]]

The areas that were incorporated into Greater Manchester in 1974 previously formed parts of the [[Administrative counties of England|administrative counties]] of Cheshire, Lancashire, the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], and eight independent [[county borough]]s.<ref name="GM Gazetteer">{{cite web |title=Greater Manchester Gazetteer |url=http://www.gmcro.co.uk/Guides/Gazeteer/gazzg.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718144437/http://www.gmcro.co.uk/Guides/Gazeteer/gazzg.htm |archive-date=18 July 2011 |access-date=17 June 2008 |publisher=Greater Manchester County Record Office |at=Places names&nbsp;– G to H}}</ref> By the early 1970s, this system of demarcation was described as "archaic" and "grossly inadequate to keep pace both with the impact of motor travel, and with the huge increases in local government responsibilities".{{sfn|Clark|1973|p=1}}

The [[Local Government Act 1972]] reformed [[local government in England]], with the act enacted on the 1 April 1974. The area was given the name Greater Manchester and a [[metropolitan county]] designation. This was a two-tier [[metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England|counties]] and [[Districts of England|districts]] system.<ref name=lga1972>HMSO. [[Local Government Act 1972]]. 1972 c. 70</ref> The act formally ,<ref name=LGFSE16>{{cite web |url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/localgovernment/financialstatistics162005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807054452/http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/publications/localgovernment/financialstatistics162005 |archive-date=7 August 2011 |title=Local Government Finance Statistics England No.16 |author=[[Department for Communities and Local Government|Office of the Deputy Prime Minister]] |publisher=local.odpm.gov.uk |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref> although [[Greater Manchester County Council]] (GMCC) had been running since [[1973 United Kingdom local elections|elections in 1973]].<ref name="1973 Elections">{{cite web |url=http://ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/collection.htm?uri=hist-5319-1 |title=British Local Election Database, 1889–2003 |publisher=Arts and Humanities data service |date=28 June 2006 |access-date=5 March 2008}}</ref> The leading article in ''[[The Times]]'' on the day the Local Government Act came into effect noted that the "new arrangement is a compromise which seeks to reconcile familiar geography which commands a certain amount of affection and loyalty, with the scale of operations on which modern planning methods can work effectively".<ref>{{cite news |title=All change in local affairs |work=The Times |date=1 April 1974 |page=15}}</ref> Frangopulo noted that the creation of Greater Manchester "was the official unifying of a region which, through history and tradition, had forged for itself over many centuries bonds&nbsp;... between the communities of town and village, each of which was the embodiment of the character of this region".{{sfn|Frangopulo|1977|p=xii}} The name Greater Manchester was adopted, having been favoured over Selnec following public consultation,{{sfn|Clark|1973|p=101}} despite opposition claiming that "Greater Manchester [...] is a myth. An abomination. A travesty.".{{sfn|Bowden|2015|p=NP}}

By January 1974, a joint working party representing Greater Manchester had drawn up its county ''[[Structure Plan]]'', ready for implementation by the Greater Manchester County Council. The plan set out objectives for the forthcoming metropolitan county.{{sfn|Frangopulo|1977|p=246}} The highest priority was to increase the quality of life for its inhabitants by improving the county's physical environment and cultural facilities which had suffered following deindustrialisation – much of Greater Manchester's basic infrastructure dated from its 19th-century growth, and was unsuited to modern lifestyles.{{sfn|Bristow|Cross|1983|p=30}} Other objectives were to reverse the trend of depopulation in central-Greater Manchester, to invest in country parks to improve the region's poor reputation on leisure facilities, and to improve the county's transport infrastructure and patterns.{{sfn|Frangopulo|1977|pp=246, 255}}
[[File:Manchester Central Arena.jpg|thumb|right|The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (better known as the G-Mex centre and now rebranded as [[Manchester Central (Conference Centre)|Manchester Central]]) was the converted former [[Manchester Central railway station]], in [[Manchester city centre]], used for hosting the county's cultural events.]]
Because of political objection, particularly from Cheshire, Greater Manchester covered only the inner, urban 62 of the 90 former districts that the Royal Commission had outlined as an effective administrative metropolitan area.{{sfn|Wannop|2002|pp=144–145}} In this capacity, GMCC found itself "planning for an arbitrary metropolitan area&nbsp;... abruptly truncated to the south", and so had to negotiate several land-use, transport and housing projects with its neighbouring county councils.{{sfn|Wannop|2002|pp=144–145}} However a "major programme of environmental action" by GMCC broadly succeeded in reversing social deprevation in its inner city slums.{{sfn|Wannop|2002|pp=144–145}} Leisure and recreational successes included the Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (better known as the G-Mex centre and now branded [[Manchester Central (Conference Centre)|Manchester Central]]), a converted former railway station in Manchester city centre used for cultural events,{{sfn|Parkinson-Bailey|2000|pp=214–215}} and GMCC's creation of five new [[country park]]s within its boundaries.{{sfn|Taylor|Evans|Fraser|1996|p=76}} GMCC was, however, criticised for being too Manchester-centric by representatives from the outer suburbs.{{sfn|Clapson|2010|pp=123–124}}

A decade after they were established, the mostly [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]-controlled metropolitan county councils and the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) had several high-profile clashes with the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] government of [[Margaret Thatcher]], with regards overspending and high [[rates (tax)|rates]] charging. Government policy on the issue was considered throughout 1982, and the Conservative Party put a "promise to scrap the metropolitan county councils" and the GLC, in their manifesto for the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]].{{sfn|Wilson|Game|2002|p=61}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Tory plan to abolish GLC and metropolitan councils, but rates stay |author=Walker, David |work=The Times |date=15 January 1983 |page=2}}<br />•{{cite news |title=Tories may abolish county councils if they win election |author=Haviland, Julian |work=The Times |date=5 May 1983 |page=1}}<br />•{{cite news |title=Big cities defiant over police |author=Tendler, Stewart |work=The Times |date=16 June 1983 |page=2}}</ref> Greater Manchester County Council was abolished on 31 March 1986 under the [[Local Government Act 1985]]. That the metropolitan county councils were controlled by the Labour Party led to accusations that their abolition was motivated by party politics:{{sfn|Wilson|Game|2002|p=61}} the general secretary of the [[National Association of Local Government Officers]] described it as a "completely cynical manoeuvre".<ref name=angry_reaction>{{cite news |title=Angry reaction to councils White Paper |work=The Times |date=8 October 1983 |page=22}}</ref> Most of the functions of GMCC were devolved to the ten Greater Manchester [[metropolitan district]] councils, though functions such as emergency services and public transport were taken over by [[Joint-board|joint boards]] and continued to be run on a county-wide basis.{{sfn|Wilson|Game|2002|p=62}} The [[Association of Greater Manchester Authorities]] (AGMA) was established to continue much of the county-wide services of the [[county council]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agma.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/about-agma/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915191108/http://www.agma.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/about-agma/ |archive-date=15 September 2008 |title=About AGMA |publisher=[[Association of Greater Manchester Authorities]] |access-date=5 March 2008}}</ref> The metropolitan county continues to exist in law, and as a geographic frame of reference,<ref name="geographic frame of reference">{{cite book |author=[[Office for National Statistics]] |title=Gazetteer of the old and new geographies of the United Kingdom |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/ons_geography/Gazetteer_v3.pdf |isbn=1-85774-298-2 |date=1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308115317/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/ons_geography/Gazetteer_v3.pdf |archive-date=8 March 2008 |access-date=2 March 2014 |publisher=statistics.gov.uk |page=48}}<br />{{cite web |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |title=Beginners' Guide to UK Geography: Metropolitan Counties and Districts |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/administrative/england/metropolitan-counties-and-districts/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/administrative/england/metropolitan-counties-and-districts/index.html |archive-date=5 January 2016 |access-date=8 August 2013 }}<br />{{cite web |title=North West |url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/all-reviews/north-west |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114220421/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/all-reviews/north-west |archive-date=14 November 2008 |access-date=2 March 2014 |publisher=The Electoral Commission}}</ref> for example as a [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics|NUTS 2]] administrative division for statistical purposes within the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biser-eu.com/regions/Greater%20Manchester.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018154943/http://www.biser-eu.com/regions/Greater%20Manchester.pdf |archive-date=18 October 2006 |title=Regional Portrait of Greater Manchester – 5.1 Spatial Structure |publisher=BISER  |work=Workpackage 6: e-Europe Regions Domain Reporting |date=September 2003 |access-date=2 March 2014}}</ref> Although having been a [[Lieutenancy area]] since 1974, Greater Manchester was included as a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] by the [[Lieutenancies Act 1997]] on 1 July 1997.<ref>legislation.gov.uk. "[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970023_en_1 Lieutenancies Act 1997]", c.23. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522210452/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970023_en_1 |date=22 May 2010 }}.</ref>