Local Government Commission: Tyneside Proposals
| Date | 01 June 1962 |
| Published date | 01 June 1962 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1962.tb02961.x |
Quarterly
Notes
Local
Government Commission: Tyneside Proposals
The Local Government Commission for England published in February
their
draft
proposals for the rdorm of the existing local government
structure in the Tyneside Special Review Area*. Final proposals
will
be
made after they have considered the views of local authorities in the area
and other public authorities and bodies concerned.
THE CHARACTER
OF
THE REVIEW AREA
The Tyneside Special Review Area lies in the centre
of
the Northumberland
and Durham coalfield and consists of a narrow, densely populated urban
strip running along both banks of the river Tyne for about fifteen miles
from its mouth. Nearly a million people are governed by two county
councils (Northumberland and Durham) and fifteen other local authorities
:
four county boroughs,
three
municipal boroughs and eight urban districts
varying greatly in size and resources. Only part of the
two
administrative
counties
is
in the review area.
The
Commission lay great stress
on
the essential unity of the review area.
‘There
is
visible continuity of development, apart from negligible breaks,
throughout the built-up area, and, although the various parts have their
distinguishing features, there
is
a broad similarity over the whole’.
This
is
very apparent from the pattern of journeys to work. People no longer
seek employment close to their homes, but travel daily to all parts ofthe
area. Newcastle, as the principal commercial and shopping centre draws
large numbers of people from all parts of the conurbation as well as attract-
ing visitors from a much wider field. ‘These movements in themselves are
strong indications of the forces binding the area together’, say the Com-
mission. The Commission believe that the area would benefit from the
central direction of certain services by a single authority. Town planning,
housing, communications, sewage disposal and planning for industry give
rise to problems which affect the area
as
a whole.
REORGANIZATION PROPOSALS
In their report the Commission say that they have considered various ways
*For
summarim
of
other
prapoaals,
both
draft
and
final, made
by
the
Local
Government
Commission
for
England
see
Public
Adminirtration,
Summer,
1960,
pp.
174-5;
Autumn,
rg61,
pp.
273-6; Winter, ~961,
pp.
382-5.
217
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