This is a list of boundary changes occurring in the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

region of England, since the re-organisation of local government following the passing of the

London Government Act 1963 The London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the ...

Administrative boundaries

Adjustments permitted by the London Government Act 1963

Greater London was created by combining whole existing units of local government and it was anticipated that this might provide an arbitrary boundary in some places. The London Government Act 1963 Section 6 (4) provided a mechanism for communities on the edge of Greater London to petition for transfer to a neighbouring county. The legislation required the petition to be submitted between 1965 and 1970, to be signed by more than 300 local electors and for the area to be transferred to have no more than 10% of the borough's local electors. These were completed in 1969 as the transfers of

Knockholt Knockholt is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located north west of Sevenoaks & south of Orpington, adjacent to the Kent border with Greater London. The village is mostly a ribbon development, sur ...

to Kent, and of Farleigh and

Hooley Hooley is a village in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. Within its small grid of streets is the 13th-century church of Chipstead which has been, since time immemorial, its ecclesiastical parish. Hooley is connected via pat ...

to Surrey. Section 6 (3) of the act allowed for transfers between Greater London and neighbouring counties where there was consensus for the change between all the relevant local authorities. This power was used to exchange two islands on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

that were connected to the river bank by bridges on the opposite side of the river to their respective counties.

Thames Ditton Island Three river islands (aits) form a linear group, close to the junction of the two main old streets of Thames Ditton village, in the River Thames in a corner of modern Surrey, on the Kingston reach above Teddington Lock. Thames Ditton Island, the ...

was transferred to Surrey from Greater London and

Platts Eyot Platt's Eyot or Platt's Ait is an island on the River Thames at Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, on the reach between Molesey Lock and Sunbury Lock. Geography The island was a typical ait used for growing osier ...

was transferred the other way.

Principal Area Boundary Reviews

The

Local Government Boundary Commission for England The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is a parliamentary body established by statute to conduct boundary, electoral and structural reviews of local government areas in England. The LGBCE is independent of government and pol ...

(or LGBCE) was established by the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

to review the administrative boundaries of every local authority in England. Between 1974 and 1992 they completed a series of Principal Area Boundary Reviews; reviewing the administrative boundaries of local authorities at their request.

Mandatory Reviews of non-Metropolitan Counties, Metropolitan Districts and London Boroughs

In 1985, they began the first full administrative review of all non-metropolitan counties. Their reviews of metropolitan counties and Greater London began in 1987 and both reviews were completed in 1992. † = also altered the boundaries of the

Metropolitan Police District The Metropolitan Police District (MPD) is the police area which is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. It currently consists of the Greater London region, excluding the City of London. The Metropolitan Police District was creat ...

Other mandatory meviews of non-metropolitan counties, metropolitan districts and London boroughs
Report No. 627: The Boundaries of Greater London and the London Boroughs
May 1992 File:City of London map 01.svg, Map showing the City of London boundaries pre & post-1994. The table below summarises the overall changes in area and population.

Electoral boundaries

First periodic review

The

(or LGBCE) was established by the

to review the electoral boundaries of every local authority in England. In 1973, there were early reviews of the electoral boundaries of Bexley and Kensington and Chelsea which needed minor boundaries redrawn in time for the 1974 local elections. In 1974, they began the first full electoral review of all metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts, completing it in July 1980. Their reviews of the county councils were completed in 1984.

Second periodic review

The

Local Government Act 1992 The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary C ...

established the Local Government Commission for England (or LGCE) as the successor to the LGBCE. In 1996, they began the second full electoral review of English local authorities. After the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum held on 7 May 1998 resulted in a yes vote, the LGCE drew the electoral boundaries for the new

Greater London Authority The Greater London Authority (GLA), colloquially known by the metonym "City Hall", is the devolved regional governance body of Greater London. It consists of two political branches: the executive Mayoralty (currently led by Sadiq Khan) and t ...

and

London Assembly The London Assembly is a 25-member elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds super-majority, to amend the Mayor's annual budget and to reject ...

. On 1 April 2002 the

Boundary Committee for England The Boundary Committee for England was a statutory committee of the Electoral Commission, an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. The committee's aim was to conduct thorough, consultative and robust reviews of local government areas in Eng ...

(or BCfE) took over the functions of the LGBCE and carried on the review, completing it in 2004.

Further electoral reviews by the LGBCE

The

(or LGBCE) was established by the

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The legislation places a duty on local authorities to promote understanding of the functions and democratic arrangements of th ...

on 1 April 2010 as the successor to the BCfE. It continues to review the electoral arrangements of English local authorities on an ‘as and when’ basis.

Proposed changes

In 2004, following a poll, a move was mooted by the

to entirely align the Greater London boundary to the M25 motorway. In 2005, then Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, suggested that

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The ...

and

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...

could be given the opportunity to vote on inclusion in Greater London in local

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

s although these never took place. In 2010, it was suggested that an extension of the boundary to include Elmbridge was being considered.

References

{{England electoral wards History of local government in London

Boundary Boundary or Boundaries may refer to: * Border, in political geography Entertainment * ''Boundaries'' (2016 film), a 2016 Canadian film * ''Boundaries'' (2018 film), a 2018 American-Canadian road trip film *Boundary (cricket), the edge of the pla ...

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than al ...