Knowledge

Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom

Source 📝

27: 282:
In urban areas, the wards within a local authority area typically each contain roughly the same number of electors, and each elect three councillors. In local authorities with mixed urban and rural areas, the number of councillors may vary from one to three, depending on the size of the electorate.
234:. Each ward/division has an average electorate of about 5,500 people, but ward population counts can vary substantially. As of 2021 there are 8,694 electoral wards/divisions in the UK. An average area of wards or electoral divisions in the United Kingdom is 28.109 km (10.853 sq mi). 278:
areas with both wards (used for district council elections) and electoral divisions (used for county council elections), the boundaries of the two types of divisions may sometimes not coincide, but more often the county electoral divisions will be made up of one or more complete wards.
472:
Districts in Northern Ireland are divided into electoral areas, with each electing between five and seven councillors by single transferable vote. These are themselves sub-divided into wards, but these wards have no official function. Post-1973 wards were first created by the
667: 44: 91: 791: 526: 513: 63: 1010: 941: 1015: 70: 1041: 956: 713: 489: 761: 695: 77: 836: 980: 59: 1005: 1000: 995: 990: 283:
Where civil parishes exist, a ward can be adjacent with a civil parish or consist of groups of civil parishes. Larger civil parishes (such as
975: 816: 876: 638: 911: 886: 871: 806: 741: 961: 951: 881: 851: 811: 746: 931: 916: 831: 826: 786: 424:
in Wales (the equivalent to the civil parish in England) are sometimes divided into wards for elections to the community council.
985: 936: 856: 726: 84: 946: 891: 796: 901: 861: 846: 771: 688: 1036: 821: 731: 467: 455: 906: 751: 311:
form of local government and is divided into wards, which are ancient and very long-standing sub-divisions of the city.
921: 896: 866: 766: 736: 926: 781: 110: 801: 776: 681: 494: 841: 624: 390:, as in other counties. Wards were areas originally organised for military purposes, each centred on a castle. 320: 48: 451: 328: 474: 433: 383: 363: 478: 262:
elections (as well as those for several unitary councils which were formerly county councils, such as the
756: 296: 602: 580: 343: 167: 339: 251: 198: 154: 354:). They need not bear any relation to wards or electoral divisions at district level, but often do. 447: 403: 275: 37: 625:"Research: Electoral Wards and Polling Districts - Research and data - Scottish Borders Council" 642: 263: 247: 8: 446:
All of Scotland is divided into over 300 wards for local government elections. Using the
437: 550: 411: 267: 189: 134: 673: 421: 407: 351: 255: 231: 219: 382: – were historically divided into administrative units called wards instead of 441: 327:
unitary authority, and has five wards, each returning either 1 or (in the case of
16:
Electoral districts at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors
379: 302: 259: 243: 227: 144: 1030: 375: 347: 203: 371: 307: 450:, most wards elect either three or four councillors. Starting from the 387: 367: 284: 193: 668:
Office For National Statistics list of UK wards as of 31 December 2011
479:
Local Government (District Electoral Areas) Regulations 1973 (No.94)
26: 458:, allows electoral wards to have between one and five councillors. 211: 564:
The Myth of Norman Administrative Efficiency: The Prothero Lecture
207: 331:) 12 councillors to the Council of the Isles of Scilly. 703: 475:
Local Government (Boundaries) (NI) Order 1972 (No. 131)
258:) are divided into wards for local elections. However, 202:
is the primary unit of English electoral geography for
342:
are sometimes divided into wards for elections to the
641:. Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. Archived from 60:"Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom" 186:
wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingdom
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 490:List of electoral wards in England by constituency 192:at sub-national level, represented by one or more 1028: 689: 568:Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 1042:Types of subdivision in the United Kingdom 696: 682: 527:"England - Office for National Statistics" 287:) can be divided into two or more wards. 111:Learn how and when to remove this message 516:(www.ons.gov.uk) Retrieved 15 June 2014 1029: 677: 468:Local government in Northern Ireland 456:Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 49:adding citations to reliable sources 20: 704:Lists of electoral wards in England 570:, 5th Ser., Vol. 34. (1984), p. 125 477:and DEAs were first created by the 461: 13: 314: 14: 1053: 661: 334: 290: 603:"Local Government Act 1972 § 35" 581:"Local Government Act 1972 § 25" 495:List of electoral wards in Wales 25: 357: 36:needs additional citations for 639:"Administrative Boundary Maps" 631: 617: 595: 573: 556: 551:Council of the Isles of Scilly 544: 519: 507: 414:). These were formally called 321:Council of the Isles of Scilly 1: 514:ONS Electoral wards/divisions 500: 452:2022 Scottish local elections 434:Local government in Scotland 226:is the unit used by English 7: 1037:Wards of the United Kingdom 483: 427: 297:Wards of the City of London 10: 1058: 465: 431: 294: 252:non-metropolitan districts 237: 218:is the unit used by Welsh 970: 722: 709: 670:, Retrieved 15 June 2014. 402:is used for elections to 340:Civil parishes in England 160: 150: 140: 130: 125: 1016:Yorkshire and the Humber 792:East Riding of Yorkshire 448:single transferable vote 393: 362:The four most northerly 605:. The National Archives 583:. The National Archives 412:county borough councils 276:non-metropolitan county 270:) instead use the term 466:Further information: 248:metropolitan boroughs 155:Statutory instrument 45:improve this article 438:Boundaries Scotland 416:electoral divisions 398:In Wales, the term 268:Shropshire Councils 256:unitary authorities 232:unitary authorities 190:electoral districts 172:Electoral divisions 1006:South West England 1001:South East England 996:North West England 991:North East England 817:Greater Manchester 714:All constituencies 404:principal councils 366:of England – 272:electoral division 224:electoral division 220:principal councils 135:Electoral district 1024: 1023: 972:Boundary changes 182: 181: 121: 120: 113: 95: 1049: 877:Northamptonshire 698: 691: 684: 675: 674: 655: 654: 652: 650: 645:on 25 March 2012 635: 629: 628: 621: 615: 614: 612: 610: 599: 593: 592: 590: 588: 577: 571: 560: 554: 548: 542: 541: 539: 537: 523: 517: 511: 462:Northern Ireland 442:Wards of Glasgow 364:ancient counties 254:(including most 123: 122: 116: 109: 105: 102: 96: 94: 53: 29: 21: 1057: 1056: 1052: 1051: 1050: 1048: 1047: 1046: 1027: 1026: 1025: 1020: 981:East of England 966: 912:South Yorkshire 887:Nottinghamshire 872:North Yorkshire 807:Gloucestershire 742:Buckinghamshire 718: 705: 702: 664: 659: 658: 648: 646: 637: 636: 632: 623: 622: 618: 608: 606: 601: 600: 596: 586: 584: 579: 578: 574: 561: 557: 549: 545: 535: 533: 525: 524: 520: 512: 508: 503: 486: 470: 464: 444: 430: 408:county councils 396: 360: 337: 317: 315:Isles of Scilly 299: 293: 244:London boroughs 240: 228:county councils 178: 175:Electoral wards 151:Created by 126:Electoral areas 117: 106: 100: 97: 54: 52: 42: 30: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1055: 1045: 1044: 1039: 1022: 1021: 1019: 1018: 1013: 1008: 1003: 998: 993: 988: 986:Greater London 983: 978: 971: 968: 967: 965: 964: 962:Worcestershire 959: 954: 952:West Yorkshire 949: 944: 939: 934: 929: 924: 919: 914: 909: 904: 899: 894: 889: 884: 882:Northumberland 879: 874: 869: 864: 859: 854: 852:Leicestershire 849: 844: 839: 834: 829: 824: 819: 814: 812:Greater London 809: 804: 799: 794: 789: 784: 779: 774: 769: 764: 759: 757:City of London 754: 749: 747:Cambridgeshire 744: 739: 734: 729: 723: 720: 719: 717: 716: 710: 707: 706: 701: 700: 693: 686: 678: 672: 671: 663: 662:External links 660: 657: 656: 630: 616: 594: 572: 562:W. L. Warren, 555: 543: 531:www.ons.gov.uk 518: 505: 504: 502: 499: 498: 497: 492: 485: 482: 463: 460: 429: 426: 400:electoral ward 395: 392: 380:Northumberland 359: 356: 344:parish council 336: 335:Civil parishes 333: 316: 313: 303:City of London 295:Main article: 292: 291:City of London 289: 260:county council 239: 236: 216:electoral ward 214:councils, the 204:civil parishes 180: 179: 177: 176: 173: 170: 164: 162: 161:Possible types 158: 157: 152: 148: 147: 145:United Kingdom 142: 138: 137: 132: 128: 127: 119: 118: 33: 31: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1054: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1034: 1032: 1017: 1014: 1012: 1011:West Midlands 1009: 1007: 1004: 1002: 999: 997: 994: 992: 989: 987: 984: 982: 979: 977: 976:East Midlands 974: 973: 969: 963: 960: 958: 955: 953: 950: 948: 945: 943: 942:West Midlands 940: 938: 935: 933: 932:Tyne and Wear 930: 928: 925: 923: 920: 918: 917:Staffordshire 915: 913: 910: 908: 905: 903: 900: 898: 895: 893: 890: 888: 885: 883: 880: 878: 875: 873: 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 843: 840: 838: 837:Isle of Wight 835: 833: 832:Hertfordshire 830: 828: 827:Herefordshire 825: 823: 820: 818: 815: 813: 810: 808: 805: 803: 800: 798: 795: 793: 790: 788: 785: 783: 780: 778: 775: 773: 770: 768: 765: 763: 760: 758: 755: 753: 750: 748: 745: 743: 740: 738: 735: 733: 730: 728: 725: 724: 721: 715: 712: 711: 708: 699: 694: 692: 687: 685: 680: 679: 676: 669: 666: 665: 644: 640: 634: 626: 620: 604: 598: 582: 576: 569: 565: 559: 552: 547: 532: 528: 522: 515: 510: 506: 496: 493: 491: 488: 487: 481: 480: 476: 469: 459: 457: 453: 449: 443: 439: 435: 425: 423: 419: 417: 413: 409: 405: 401: 391: 389: 385: 381: 377: 376:County Durham 373: 369: 365: 355: 353: 349: 345: 341: 332: 330: 326: 322: 312: 310: 309: 304: 298: 288: 286: 280: 277: 273: 269: 265: 264:Isle of Wight 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 235: 233: 229: 225: 221: 217: 213: 209: 205: 201: 200: 195: 191: 187: 174: 171: 169: 166: 165: 163: 159: 156: 153: 149: 146: 143: 139: 136: 133: 129: 124: 115: 112: 104: 93: 90: 86: 83: 79: 76: 72: 69: 65: 62: –  61: 57: 56:Find sources: 50: 46: 40: 39: 34:This article 32: 28: 23: 22: 19: 937:Warwickshire 857:Lincolnshire 727:Bedfordshire 647:. Retrieved 643:the original 633: 619: 607:. Retrieved 597: 585:. Retrieved 575: 567: 563: 558: 546: 536:22 September 534:. Retrieved 530: 521: 509: 471: 445: 420: 415: 399: 397: 361: 358:Historic use 352:city council 338: 324: 318: 306: 305:has its own 300: 281: 271: 241: 223: 222:, while the 215: 197: 185: 183: 107: 101:January 2009 98: 88: 81: 74: 67: 55: 43:Please help 38:verification 35: 18: 947:West Sussex 892:Oxfordshire 797:East Sussex 422:Communities 372:Westmorland 325:sui generis 308:sui generis 194:councillors 1031:Categories 902:Shropshire 862:Merseyside 847:Lancashire 772:Derbyshire 501:References 432:See also: 388:wapentakes 368:Cumberland 323:is also a 285:Shrewsbury 71:newspapers 957:Wiltshire 822:Hampshire 732:Berkshire 553:Elections 329:St Mary's 230:and some 907:Somerset 762:Cornwall 752:Cheshire 609:29 April 587:29 April 484:See also 428:Scotland 384:hundreds 212:district 141:Location 131:Category 922:Suffolk 897:Rutland 867:Norfolk 767:Cumbria 737:Bristol 649:25 July 238:England 208:borough 85:scholar 927:Surrey 787:Durham 782:Dorset 454:, the 440:, and 196:. The 87:  80:  73:  66:  58:  802:Essex 777:Devon 394:Wales 274:. In 168:Wards 92:JSTOR 78:books 842:Kent 651:2023 611:2023 589:2023 538:2022 378:and 348:town 346:(or 319:The 301:The 266:and 250:and 242:The 210:and 206:and 199:ward 188:are 184:The 64:news 566:in 410:or 386:or 47:by 1033:: 529:. 436:, 418:. 374:, 370:, 246:, 697:e 690:t 683:v 653:. 627:. 613:. 591:. 540:. 406:( 350:/ 114:) 108:( 103:) 99:( 89:· 82:· 75:· 68:· 41:.

Index


verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
Electoral district
United Kingdom
Statutory instrument
Wards
electoral districts
councillors
ward
civil parishes
borough
district
principal councils
county councils
unitary authorities
London boroughs
metropolitan boroughs
non-metropolitan districts
unitary authorities
county council
Isle of Wight

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.