Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972

District councils

Each local government district was to have a district council consisting of elected councillors of whom one would be chairman and another could be vice-chairman.

Provision for the continuation of city and borough status was included in the Act, which provided that the charter of each county borough should apply to the new district containing it, and that the council for a district which includes the whole or the major part of a borough other than a county borough may... resolve that the charter of the corporation of the borough shall have effect in relation to the district. In addition a district council could apply for a new charter making it a borough. In the original Act, the council could petition the Governor of Northern Ireland for a royal charter. By the time the Act came into effect, however, the office of governor had been abolished, and petitions were addressed to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Where a district was designated a city or borough, the chairman and vice-chairman became the mayor and deputy-mayor. In the case of Belfast, the chairman's title continued to be lord mayor.

Abolition of existing local authorities

Section 131 of the act stated that every county and every county borough shall cease to be an administrative area for local government purposes, and that every borough (other than a county borough), every urban district and every rural district shall be abolished.

Also abolished were any joint boards established under the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878 or Water Supplies and Sewerage Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 and the Belfast City and District Water Commissioners.

Exempted from abolition were the corporations of the county boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry, and of any municipal borough whose charter had been adopted by the new district council. In these cases the district council was to become the corporation from 1 October 1973.

The act also provided for the dissolution of new town commissions established under the New Towns Acts (Northern Ireland) 1965 to 1968.

The composition of the new districts was as follows:

† In 1969, both Londonderry Corporation (the county borough council) and Londonderry Rural District Council were abolished. Their functions were transferred to the Londonderry Development Commission, established to provide new housing and infrastructure in and around Derry.

‡ All district councils in Fermanagh were abolished in 1968, creating a unitary county council.

§ Craigavon Urban District replaced Lurgan Rural District in 1967.

Staff commission

Section 40 of the Act established the Staff Commission of Northern Ireland to oversee the recruitment, training and terms and conditions of employment of council officers, and those of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The commission was to:

• Establish advisory appointment panels to advise councils on the suitability of applicants for appointment as officers
• Draw up a code of conduct to ensure fair and equal consideration of all applications for employment
• Monitor fair employment procedures in councils
• Assess future requirements of councils for officers, and publicise the opportunities for such employment to the public.
• Promote cooperation between councils
• Assist development of training for local government officers
• Assist with the negotiation of procedures for standard rates of remuneration, or other terms and conditions of employment

References

References

1. "Letters Patent bearing date the 9th day of May, 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Antrim." {{London Gazette. (13 May 1977)
2. the Charter of the Corporation of the Borough of Newtownards shall have effect in relation to the District of Ards... the name in the Charter shall be changed to Ards Borough Council.{{London Gazette. (24 August 1973)
3. Change of District Name (Armagh) Order (Northern Ireland) 1995. "This order changes the name of the local government district of Armagh... to Armagh City and District from 1st October 1995".{{London Gazette. (15 September 1995)
4. "...the Charter of the Corporation of the Borough of Larne shall have effect in relation to the District of Larne subject to the provisions of the Local Government (Modification of Borough Charters) Order (N.I.) 1973; ...the Charter of the Corporation of the Borough of Ballymena shall have effect in relation to the District of Ballymena... the name in the Charter shall be Ballymena Borough Council." {{London Gazette. (31 August 1973)
5. "Letters Patent bearing date the 18th day of February, 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to The Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Newtownabbey;... Letters Patent bearing date the 18th day of February, 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Ballymoney." {{London Gazette. (4 March 1977)
6. "...the Charter of the Corporation of the Borough of Carrickfergus shall have effect in relation to the District of Carrickfergus; the Charter of the Borough of Lurgan shall, from the first day of October, 1973, have effect in relation to the local government district of Craigavon, which said district shall thereinafter become the Municipal Borough of Craigavon; the Charter of Incorporation of the Borough Council of Lisburn shall have effect in relation to the District of Lisburn."{{London Gazette. (7 September 1973)
7. "Letters Patent bearing date the 22nd day of March, 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Castlereagh."{{London Gazette. (25 March 1977)
8. "...the existing Coleraine Borough Charter should continue subject to such modifications as may be necessary to bring the Charter into conformity with the provisions contained in or made under the Local Government Act (N.I.) 1972"{{London Gazette. (14 September 1973)
9. "Change of District Name (Dungannon) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999". National Archives.
10. "Notice is hereby given that a petition has been presented to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland... by Dungannon District Council praying for the grant of a Charter designating the District of Dungannon a Borough"{{London Gazette. (6 November 1998)
11. Granted city status 2002."The Statutory Rule will change the name of Lisburn Borough Council to Lisburn City Council following a special meeting of the Council on 23rd April 2002. This was initiated by the announcement by the Lord Chancellors Department that Lisburn is granted city status as part of the celebrations to commemorate the Queens Golden Jubilee." {{London Gazette. (5 July 2002)
12. Change of District Name (Londonderry) Order (Northern Ireland) 1984 (SR 1984 No. 121) "This Order comes into operation on 7th May 1984 and provides that the name of the district of Londonderry shall be changed to Derry." {{London Gazette. (27 April 1984)
13. "...the Charter of the Borough of Bangor shall have effect in relation to the District of North Down... the name in the Charter shall be North Down Borough Council."{{London Gazette. (17 August 1973)
14. [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisro/1967/57/contents/made New Towns (Municipal Functions—Craigavon) Order (Northern Ireland) 1967 (S.R. & O. 1967, No. 57)]