Types of council and the services they provide
There are eight different types of council: county, district, London borough, metropolitan, English unitary, Scottish unitary, Welsh unitary and Northern Irish districts. In primarily urban areas, London boroughs, metropolitan and unitary councils provide all local council services. In other, mostly rural, areas responsibilities for service provision are split between county councils and district councils.
There are 27 counties, 33 London boroughs, 36 metropolitans, 201 districts and 56 English unitaries. There are 32 Scottish unitaries, 22 Welsh unitaries and 26 Northern Irish districts.
The different responsibilities for different services are show in the table below:
| Service provided | County | District | Metropolitan/Unitary | London Borough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture, building and design |
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| Art galleries and museums |
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| Building control |
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| Car parking – off street |
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| Car parking – on street |
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| Cemeteries |
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| Economic development |
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| Education |
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| Environmental health |
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| Fire service |
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| Highways |
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| Housing |
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| Leisure and recreation |
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| Libraries |
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| Libraries |
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| Parks and open spaces |
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| Planning (local) |
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| Planning (strategic) |
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| Police service |
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| Roads and footpaths |
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| Social services |
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| Tourism |
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| Trading standards |
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| Traffic and transportation co-ordination |
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| Waste collection |
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| Waste disposal |
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*Please note that the above table applies to England, Wales and Scotland only, not Northern Ireland.
Translation
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