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Rural districts

Rural district
Category Local government district
Location England and Wales and Ireland
Found in Administrative county
Created by Local Government Act 1894
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
Created England Wales 1894
Ireland 1899
Abolished by Local Government Act 1925
Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971
Local Government Act 1972
Abolished Republic of Ireland 1925/1930
Northern Ireland 1973
England Wales 1974
Government Rural district council
Subdivisions Civil parish: England / Ireland
District Electoral Division

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.

In England and Wales they were created in 1894 (by the Local Government Act 1894) along with urban districts. They replaced the earlier system of sanitary districts (themselves based on poor law unions, but not replacing them).

Rural districts had elected rural district councils (RDCs), which inherited the functions of the earlier sanitary districts, but also had wider authority over matters such as local planning, council housing, and playgrounds and cemeteries. Matters such as education and roads were the responsibility of county councils.

Until 1930 the rural district councillors were also poor law guardians for the unions of which they formed part. Each parish was represented by one or more councillors.

Originally there were 787 rural districts in England and Wales, as they were based directly upon the sanitary districts and poor law unions which had preceded them. Gradual urbanisation over the following decades led to some rural districts being redefined as urban districts or merging with existing urban districts or boroughs. Other rural districts proved to be too small or poor to be viable, and under the Local Government Act 1929, 236 rural districts were abolished and merged or amalgamated into larger units. Further mergers took place over following decades and by 1965 the number of districts had been reduced to 473.


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