ABSTRACT
England is part of a unitary or centralised state, but English local government has developed not so much from a move towards decentralisation but from the democratisation of local affairs in both urban and rural areas. Whilst local government in England inevitably involves an element of concern for administrative affectiveness by the transfer of functions from the central, national government, its predominate function and purpose has always been to enable the exercise of democratic control over a range of regional and local matters. Acts of the national parliament concerning local government, in common with all national legislation in the United Kingdom, are not subject to judicial review. The geographical areas of local authorities, the distribution of councillors and the electoral arrangements are kept under review by permanent Local Government Boundary Commissions. The capital expenditure of English local authorities on such items as buildings, schools or vehicles is traditionally financed by loans paid back with interest over an extended period.
