Borough status in the United Kingdom Totally Explained

Everything about Borough Status In The United Kingdom totally explained

Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and doesn't give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district.

Origins of borough status

Until the local government reforms of 1973 and 1974, boroughs were communities possessing charters of incorporation conferring considerable powers, and were governed by a municipal corporation headed by a mayor. The corporations had been reformed by legislation beginning in 1835 (1840 in Ireland). By the time of their abolition there were three types:

County boroughs
Municipal or non-county boroughs
Rural boroughs

Many of the older boroughs could trace their origin to medieval charters or were boroughs by prescription, with Saxon origins. Most of the boroughs created after 1835 were new industrial, resort or suburban towns that had grown up after the industrial revolution. Borough corporations could also have the status of a city.
For pre-1974 boroughs, see Municipal Corporations Act 1835, Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1835 - 1882, Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835 - 1886, Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1882 - 1974, Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840

Modern borough status

England and Wales

Outside Greater London, borough status is granted to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts under the provisions of section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972. This section allows the council of a district to petition the monarch for a charter granting borough status. The resolution must have the support of at least two-thirds of the councillors. Having received the petition the monarch may, on the advice of the Privy Council grant a charter whereupon:

The district becomes a borough

The district council becomes the borough council

The chairman and vice-chairman become entitled to the style mayor and deputy mayor of the borough, except in councils that have an elected mayor under the Local Government Act 2000. Charters granted under the 1972 Act may allow the borough council to appoint "local officers of dignity" previously appointed by an abolished borough corporation. Examples include:

Honorary Recorder: some borough and city councils have the right to appoint a circuit judge or recorder appointed under the Courts Act 1971 as honorary recorder. Usually this is the senior judge in the council's area.

Sheriff: These are appointed in a number of boroughs and cities that were formerly counties corporate. There is no obligation on the council to appoint persons to these positions.
In some boroughs the mayor has the additional title as "Admiral of the Port", recalling an historic jurisdiction. The Lord Mayor of Chester is Admiral of the Dee, the Mayor of Medway is Admiral of the River Medway, and the Mayors of Poole and Southampton are Admirals of those ports. Privileges or rights belonging to citizens or burgesses of a former borough can be transferred to the inhabitants of the new borough.
Borough councils are permitted to pass a resolution admitting "persons of distinction" and persons who have "rendered eminent service" to be an honorary freeman of the borough. This power has been used to grant freedom not only to individuals, but to units and ships of the armed forces.

England

Borough charters granted under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts of England

Name of District	Year of Charter	Previous Boroughs	Notes
Allerdale	1995	Workington (1883)	Charter trustees for Workington had existed 1974 to 1982
Amber Valley	1988	None
Ashford	1974	None
Barnsley	1974	Barnsley (1869)
Barrow-in-Furness	1974	Barrow-in-Furness (1867)
Basingstoke and Deane	1978	Basingstoke (reformed 1835)	Basingstoke had charter trustees 1974 - 1978
Bath	1974 (and city status)	Bath (reformed 1835)	Abolished 1996
Bedford	See North Bedfordshire
Berwick-upon-Tweed	1974	Berwick-upon-Tweed (reformed 1835)
Beverley	1974	Beverley (reformed 1835)	Renamed East Yorkshire Borough of Beverley 1981
Birmingham	1974 (and city status)	Birmingham (1838)
Blackburn	1974	Blackburn (1851), Darwen (1878)	Renamed Blackburn with Darwen 1997
Blackpool	1974	Blackpool (1876)
Blyth Valley	1974	Blyth (1922)
Bolton	1974	Bolton (1838)
Boothferry	1978	Goole (1933)	Goole had charter trustees 1974 - 1978. Abolished 1996
Boston	1974	Boston (reformed 1835)
Bournemouth	1974	Bournemouth (1890)
Bracknell Forest	1988	None
Bradford	1974 (and city status)	Bradford (1847)
Brentwood	1993	None
Brighton	1974	Brighton (1854)	Abolished 1997
Brighton & Hove	1997	Formed from Brighton, Hove districts
Bristol	1974 (and city status)	Bristol (reformed 1835)
Broxbourne	1974	None
Broxtowe	1977	None
Burnley	1974	Burnley (1861)
Bury	1974	Bury (1876)
Calderdale	1974	Halifax (1848), Brighouse (1893), Todmorden (1896)
Cambridge	1974 (and city status)	Cambridge (reformed 1835)
Canterbury	1974 (and city status)	Canterbury (reformed 1835)
Carlisle	1974 (and city status)	Carlisle (reformed 1835)
Castle Morpeth	1974	Morpeth (reformed 1835)
Castle Point	1992	None
Charnwood	1974	Loughborough (1888)
Chelmsford	1975	Chelmsford (1888)	Chelmsford had charter trustees 1974 - 1975
Cheltenham	1974	Cheltenham (1876)
Chester	1974 (and city status)	Chester (reformed 1835)
Chesterfield	1974	Chesterfield (reformed 1835)
Chorley	1974	Chorley (1881)
Christchurch	1974	Christchurch (reformed 1886)
Cleethorpes	1975	Cleethorpes (1936)	Cleethorpes had charter trustees 1974 - 1975. Borough abolished 1996
Colchester	1974	Colchester (reformed 1835)
Congleton	1974	Congleton (reformed 1835)
Copeland	1974	Whitehaven (1894)
Corby	1993	None
Coventry	1974 (and city status)	Coventry (reformed 1835)
Crawley	1976	None
Crewe and Nantwich	1974	Crewe (1877)
Dacorum	1984	Hemel Hempstead (1898)	Hemel Hempstead had charter trustees 1974 - 1984
Darlington	1974	Darlington (1867)
Dartford	1977	Dartford (1933)	Dartford had charter trustees 1974 - 1977
Derby	1974 (and city status in 1977)	Derby (reformed 1835)
Doncaster	1974	Doncaster (reformed 1835)
Dudley	1974	Dudley (1865), Stourbridge (1914), Halesowen (1936)
Durham	1974 (and city status)	Durham and Framwelgate (reformed 1835)
East Staffordshire	1992	Burton upon Trent (1878)	Charter trustees for Burton functioned 1974 - 1992. They were formally abolished in 2003.
East Yorkshire	See North Wolds
East Yorkshire Borough of Beverley	See Beverley
Eastbourne	1974	Eastbourne (1883)
Eastleigh	1974	Eastleigh (1936)
Ellesmere Port	1974	Ellesmere Port (1955)	renamed Ellesmere Port and Neston 1976
Elmbridge	1974	None
Epsom and Ewell	1974	Epsom and Ewell (1937)
Erewash	1975	Ilkeston (1887)	Ilkeston had charter trustees 1974 - 1975
Exeter	1974 (and city status)	Exeter (reformed 1835)
Fareham	1974	None
Fylde	1974	Lytham St. Annes (1922)
Gateshead	1974	Gateshead (reformed 1835)
Gedling	1974	None
Gillingham	1974	Gillingham (1903)	Abolished 1996
Glanford	1974	None	Abolished 1996
Gloucester	1974 (and city status)	Gloucester (reformed 1835)
Gosport	1974	Gosport (1922)
Gravesham	1974	Gravesend (reformed 1835)
Great Yarmouth	1974	Great Yarmouth (reformed 1835)
Grimsby	1974	Grimsby (reformed 1835)	Renamed Great Grimsby 1979, abolished 1996.
Guildford	1974	Guildford (reformed 1835)
Halton	1974	Widnes (1892)
Harrogate	1974	Harrogate (1884)
Hartlepool	1974	Hartlepool formed 1967 from Hartlepool (1850), West Hartlepool (1887)
Hastings	1974	Hastings (reformed 1835)
Havant	1974	None
Hereford	1974 (and city status)	Hereford (reformed 1835)	Abolished 1998
Hertsmere	1977	None
High Peak	1974	Glossop (1866), Buxton (1917)
Hinckley and Bosworth	1974	None
Holderness	1977	Hedon (1861) (formed a town council in 1974)	Abolished 1996
Hove	1974	Hove (1898)	Abolished 1997
Hyndburn	1974	Accrington (1878)
Ipswich	1974	Ipswich (reformed 1835)
Kettering	1974	Kettering (1938)
King's Lynn and West Norfolk	See West Norfolk
Kingston upon Hull	1974 (and city status)	Kingston upon Hull (reformed 1835)
Kingswood	1987	None	Abolished 1996
Kirklees	1974	Dewsbury (1862), >Huddersfield (1868), Batley (1868), Spenborough (1955)
Knowsley	1974	None
Lancaster	1974 (and city status)	Lancaster (reformed 1835)
Langbaurgh	1974	Formed from part of Teesside county borough, created in 1967, and including Redcar (incorporated in 1921)	Renamed Langbaurgh on Tees 1988 Renamed Redcar and Cleveland 1996
Leeds	1974 (and city status)	Leeds (reformed 1835)
Leicester	1974 (and city status)	Leicester (reformed 1835)
Lincoln	1974 (and city status)	Lincoln, Lincolnshire (reformed 1835)
Liverpool	1974 (and city status)	Liverpool (reformed 1835)
Luton	1974	Luton (1876)
Macclesfield	1974	Macclesfield (reformed 1835)
Maidstone	1974	Maidstone (reformed 1835)
Manchester	1974 (and city status)	Manchester (1838)
Medina	1974	Newport (reformed 1835), Ryde (1868)	Abolished 1995
Medway (1)	1974	Rochester (reformed 1835), Chatham (1890)	Renamed Rochester-upon-Medway 1979, and awarded city status. Abolished 1998
Medway (2)	1998	From Rochester upon Medway, Gillingham boroughs (qv)
Melton	1974	None
Middlesbrough	1974	Formed from part of Teesside county borough, created in 1967, and including Middlesbrough (incorporated in 1853)
Milton Keynes	1974	None
Newcastle-under-Lyme	1974	Newcastle-under-Lyme (reformed 1835)
Newcastle upon Tyne	1974 (and city status)	Newcastle upon Tyne (reformed 1835)
Northampton	1974	Northampton] (reformed 1835)
North Bedfordshire	1975	Bedford (reformed 1835)	Renamed Bedford 1992
North East Lincolnshire	1996	From Cleethorpes, Great Grimsby boroughs (qv)	Both former boroughs formed charter trustees
North Lincolnshire	1998	Formed from Boothferry, Glanford, and Scunthorpe boroughs (qv)	Scunthorpe's mayoralty is continued by charter trustees
North Tyneside	1974	Tynemouth (1849), Wallsend (1901)
North Warwickshire	1974	None
North Wolds	1974	Bridlington (1899)	Renamed East Yorkshire 1981. Abolished 1996
Norwich	1974 (and city status)	Norwich (reformed 1835)
Nottingham	1974 (and city status)	Nottingham (reformed 1835)
Nuneaton	1974	Nuneaton (1907)	Renamed Nuneaton and Bedworth 1980
Oadby and Wigston	1974	None
Oldham	1974	Oldham (1849)
Oswestry	1974	Oswestry Rural Borough (reformed 1835)
Oxford	1974 (and city status)	Oxford (reformed 1835)
Pendle	1976	Nelson (1890), Colne (1895)
Peterborough	1974 (and city status)	Peterborough (1874)
Plymouth	1974 (and city status)	Plymouth (reformed 1835)
Poole	1974	Poole (reformed 1835)
Portsmouth	1974 (and city status)	Portsmouth (reformed 1835)
Preston	1974 (granted city status in 2002)	Preston (reformed 1835)
Reading	1974	Reading (reformed 1835)
Redcar and Cleveland	See Langbaurgh
Redditch	1980	None
Reigate and Banstead	1974	Reigate (reformed (1863)
Restormel	1974	St. Austell with Fowey (formed 1968, including Fowey 1913)
Ribble Valley	1974	Clitheroe (reformed 1835)
Rochdale	1974	Rochdale (1856), Heywood (1881), Middleton (1886)
Rochester upon Medway	See Medway (1)
Rossendale	1974	Bacup (1882), Haslingden (1891), Rawtenstall (1891)
Rotherham	1974	Rotherham, (1871)
Rugby	1974	Rugby (1932)
Runnymede	1978	None
Rushcliffe	1974	None
Rushmoor	1974	Aldershot (1922)
St Albans	1974 (and city status)	St Albans (reformed 1835)
St Edmundsbury	1974	Bury St Edmunds (reformed 1835)
St Helens	1974	St Helens (1868)
Salford	1974 (and city status)	Salford (1844), Eccles (1892), Swinton and Pendlebury (1934)
Sandwell	1974	West Bromwich (1882), and including since 1966 the former borough of Tipton (incorporated 1938); Warley (formed 1966, including the boroughs of Smethwick incorporated in 1899, Rowley Regis in 1933, and Oldbury in 1935)
Scarborough	1974	Scarborough (reformed 1835)
Scunthorpe	1974	Scunthorpe (1936)	Abolished 1996
Sedgefield	1996	None
Sefton	1975	Southport(1866), Bootle (1868), Crosby (1937)	All three towns formed charter trustees 1974 - 1975
Sheffield	1974 (and city status)	Sheffield (1843)
Shrewsbury and Atcham	1974	Shrewsbury (reformed 1835)
Slough	1974	Slough (1938)
Solihull	1974	Solihull (1954)
Southampton	1974 (and city status)	Southampton (reformed 1835)
Southend-on-Sea	1974	Southend-on-Sea (1892)
South Ribble	1974	None
South Tyneside	1974	South Shields (1850), Jarrow (1875)
South Wight	1975	None	Abolished 1995
Spelthorne	1974	None
Stafford	1974	Stafford (reformed 1835)
Stevenage	1974	None
Stockport	1974	Stockport (reformed 1835)
Stockton-on-Tees	1974	Formed from part of Teesside county borough, created in 1967, and including Stockton-on-Tees (reformed 1835) and Thornaby-on-Tees (incorporated in 1892)
Stoke-on-Trent	1974 (and city status)	Stoke on Trent formed 1910, including boroughs of Hanley (incorporated in 1857), Longton (1865), Burslem (1878), Stoke-upon-Trent (1874).
Sunderland	1974 (granted city status in 1992)	Sunderland (reformed 1835)
Surrey Heath	1974	None
Swale	1977	Faversham (reformed 1835), Queenborough-in-Sheppey (created 1968, including borough of Queenborough, reformed in 1885)	Queenborough-in-Sheppey formed charter trustees 1974 - 1977
Swindon	See Thamesdown
Tameside	1974	Ashton-under-Lyne (1847), Stalybridge (1857), Hyde (1881), Mossley (1885), Dukinfield (1899)
Tamworth	1974	Tamworth (reformed 1835)
Taunton Deane	1975	Taunton (1885)	Taunton had charter trustees 1974 - 1975
Telford and Wrekin	2002	None
Test Valley	1976	Andover, Romsey, both reformed 1835	Andover had charter trustees 1974-1976. Romsey formed a town council.
Tewkesbury	1974	Tewkesbury (reformed 1835)
Thamesdown	1974	Swindon (1900)	Renamed Swindon 1997
Thurrock	1974	None
Tonbridge and Malling	1984	None
Torbay	1974	County borough of Torbay - created 1968, and including the borough of Torquay incorporated in 1892
Trafford	1974	Stretford (1933), Sale (1935), Altrincham (1937)
Tunbridge Wells	1974	Royal Tunbridge Wells (1888)	Charter trustees for Royal Tunbridge Wells existed from April 1 to December 20, 1974
Vale Royal	1988	None
Wakefield	1974 (and city status)	Pontefract (reformed 1835), Wakefield (1848), Ossett(1890), Castleford (1955)
Walsall	1974	Walsall(reformed 1835)
Warrington	1974	Warrington (1847)
Watford	1974	Watford (1922)
Waverley	1984	Godalming (reformed 1835)	Godalming formed a town council in 1974
Wellingborough	1974	None
Welwyn Hatfield	2006	None
West Devon	1982	Okehampton (reformed 1885	Okehampton formed a town council in 1974
West Norfolk	1981	King's Lynn (reformed 1835)	Renamed King's Lynn and West Norfolk 1981
Weymouth and Portland	1974	Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (reformed 1835)
Wigan	1974	Wigan (reformed 1835), Leigh (1899)
Winchester	1974 (and city status)	Winchester (reformed 1835)
Windsor and Maidenhead	1974 (Royal Borough)	Windsor, Maidenhead, both reformed 1835
Wirral	1974	Birkenhead (1877), Wallasey (1910), Bebington (1937)
Woking	1974	none
Wokingham	2007	None
Wolverhampton	1974. Granted city status 2000	Wolverhampton (1848). Had absorbed the borough of Bilston in 1967 (incorporated in 1938).
Worcester	1974 (and city status)	Worcester (reformed 1835)
Worthing	1974	Worthing, 1890
Wyre	1974	Fleetwood (1933)
York (1)	1974 (and city status)	York (reformed 1835)	The District was abolished and replaced with a larger unitary authority in 1996
York (2)	1996 (and city status)	Created in 1996. Inherited traditions from the smaller York district.

Greater London is divided into thirty-two London boroughs. Their borough status dates from 1965, although each of them had previously included municipal, county or metropolitan boroughs:

London Borough	Previous Boroughs	Notes
Barking	Barking (1931), Dagenham (1938)	Renamed Barking and Dagenham 1981
Barnet	Hendon (1932), Finchley (1933)
Bexley	Bexley (1937), Erith (1938)
Brent	Willesden (1933), Wembley (1937)
Bromley	Bromley (1903), Beckenham (1935)
Camden	Hampstead, Holborn, St Pancras all created 1900
Croydon	Croydon (1883)
Ealing	Ealing (1901), Acton (1921), Southall (1936)
Enfield	Southgate (1933), Edmonton (1937), Enfield (1955)
Greenwich	Greenwich, Woolwich both created 1900
Hackney	Hackney, Shoreditch, Stoke Newington all created 1900
Hammersmith	Hammersmith, Fulham both created 1900	Renamed Hammersmith and Fulham 1981
Haringey	Hornsey (1903), Wood Green (1933),Tottenham (1934)
Harrow	Harrow (1954)
Havering	Romford (1937)
Hillingdon	Uxbridge (1955)
Hounslow	Brentford and Chiswick, Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth both incorporated in 1932
Islington	Islington, Finsbury both created 1900
Kensington and Chelsea (Royal Borough)	Kensington, Chelsea both created 1900
Kingston upon Thames (Royal Borough)	Kingston upon Thames (reformed 1835), Malden and Coombe (1936), Surbiton (1936)
Lambeth	Lambeth created 1900
Lewisham	Lewisham, Deptford both created 1900
Merton	Wimbledon (1905), Mitcham (1934])
Newham	West Ham (1886), East Ham (1904)
Redbridge	Ilford (1926), Wanstead and Woodford (1937)
Richmond upon Thames	Richmond upon Thames (1890), Twickenham (1926), Barnes (1932)
Southwark	Bermondsey, Camberwell, Southwark all created 1900
Sutton	Sutton and Cheam (1934), Beddington and Wallington (1937)
Tower Hamlets	Bethnal Green, Poplar, Stepney all created 1900
Waltham Forest	Leyton (1926), Walthamstow (1926), Chingford (1938)
Wandsworth	Battersea, Wandsworth both created 1900
Westminster (and city status)	Paddington, St Marylebone, Westminster all created 1900

Wales

Borough charters granted under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 to Welsh districts

Name of District	Year of Charter	Previous Boroughs	Notes
Aberconwy	1974	Conway (1885)
Afan	1974	Port Talbot (formed 1921, including borough of Aberavon, reformed 1861)	Renamed Port Talbot 1986
Arfon	1974	Caernarvon (reformed 1835), Bangor (reformed 1883)	Bangor and Caernarfon formed town councils
Blaenau Gwent	1975	None
Brecknock	1974	Brecon (reformed 1835)	Brecon formed a town council
Cardiff	1974 (and city status)	Cardiff (reformed 1835)
Colwyn	1974	Colwyn Bay (1934)
Cynon Valley	By November 1974	None
Delyn	1974	Flint (reformed 1835)	Flint formed a town council
Dinefwr	1974	Llandovery (reformed 1835)	Llandovery formed a town council
Islwyn	1974	None
Llanelli	1974	Kidwelly (reformed 1885), Llanelli (1913)	Kidwelly and Llanelli formed town councils
Lliw Valley	1974	None
Merthyr Tydfil	1974	Merthyr Tydfil (1905)
Monmouth	1988	Monmouth (reformed 1835), Abergavenny (1899)	Abergavenny and Monmouth formed town councils
Neath	1974	Neath (reformed 1835)	Neath formed a town council
Newport	1974	Newport (reformed 1835)
Ogwr	1974	None
Port Talbot	See Afan
Rhondda	1974	Rhondda (1955)
Rhuddlan	1974	None
Swansea	1974 (and city status)	Swansea (reformed 1835)
Taff-Ely	1974	None
Torfaen	1974	None
Vale of Glamorgan	1974	Cowbridge (1887), Barry (1938)	Cowbridge and Barry formed town councils
Wrexham Maelor	1974	Wrexham (1857)
Ynys Mon - Isle of Anglesey	1974	Beaumaris (reformed 1835)	Beaumaris formed a town council

The districts created in 1974 were abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. The 1994 Act amended section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972, allowing for the new unitary county councils established by the Act to apply for a charter in a similar manner to the old district councils. On receiving a charter a county became a "county borough". Welsh unitary authorities granted a charter in 1996 bestowing county borough status

Name of County Borough	Previous Boroughs	Notes
Aberconwy and Colwyn	Aberconwy, Colwyn	Renamed Conwy 1996
Blaenau Gwent	Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend	Ogwr
Caerphillly	Islwyn
Cardiff	Cardiff has the status of a "city and county" by letters patent
Conwy	See Aberconwy and Colwyn
Merthyr Tydfil	Merthyr Tydfil
Neath and Port Talbot	Neath, Port Talbot	Renamed Neath Port Talbot 1996
Newport	Newport	Became "city and county" in 2002
Rhondda Cynon Taff	Cynon Valley, Rhondda, Taff-Ely
Swansea	Swansea has the status of a "city and county" by letters patent
Torfaen	Torfaen
Vale of Glamorgan	Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham	Wrexham Maelor

Northern Ireland

Since 1973, Northern Ireland has been divided into twenty-six local government districts. Under the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 districts can have borough status either by adopting the charter of a pre-1973 municipal or county borough, or by applying for a charter granting the status. Northern Ireland Local Government Districts with Borough status

District	Charter
Ards	1927 (charter of Newtownards)
Armagh	Has no borough charter, but does have city status granted by letters patent in 1994
Ballymena	1937
Ballymoney	1977
Belfast (City)	Charter reformed 1840. City status by letters patent of 1888.
Carrickfergus	1939
Castlereagh	1977
Coleraine	1928
Craigavon	1949 (charter of Lurgan)
Larne	1938
Limavady	1989
Lisburn	1964. Granted city status by letters patent in 2002.
Londonderry (City)	Charter reformed 1840 City council renamed Derry 1984, name of city remains Londonderry
Newtownabbey	1977
North Down	1927 (charter of Bangor)

The number of districts is to be reduced to eleven in 2011. As of May 2008, no legislation has been passed regarding the status of the new districts.

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