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A-Z of councils online

Information on the different types of council and their electoral arrangements


The structure of local government varies from area to area. In most of England, there are two tiers – county and district – with responsibility for council services split between them.

London, other metropolitan areas and parts of shire England operate under a single tier structure with councils responsible for all services in their area.

In total there are 317 local authorities in England made up of five different types:

  • county councils
  • district councils
  • unitary authorities
  • metropolitan districts
  • London boroughs.

List of councils in England (GOV.UK)

Interactive map showing the location of councils in England (GOV.UK)

List of councils in Wales (Welsh Local Government Association)