ABSTRACT
Local authorities are statutory corporations established in tiers for the performance of a wide variety of local functions prescribed by statute. Local authorities act through their respective councils comprising democratically elected members. Most of the law relating to the status of local authorities is found in the Local Government Act 1972 which introduced a reorganised system of local government in 1974. That Act defined the main units of local government, the county and district councils, the metropolitan county and district councils and the parish councils (known as community councils in Wales). The metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council were abolished (with effect from 1 April 1986) by the Local Government Act 1985 and their functions transferred to other local authorities such as the metropolitan districts and London boroughs. The Local Government Act 1992 created a Local Government Commission for England. The Commission’s functions include the review of local government areas for the purpose of recommending ‘structural changes’ such as the creation of unitary authorities in non-metropolitan areas by a fusion of certain existing county and district councils.
