Principal area

In England and Wales local government legislation, a principal area is one of the various sub-national areas established for control by a principal council. They include most of the areas governed by the lowest level of local government above that of Parish or Community council.

England

In England the principal areas are defined by the Local Government Act 1992 as :-

• the non-metropolitan counties
• the districts
• the London boroughs

Note that while the areas of the City of London, Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Parish and Community councils are not included within this definition they otherwise remain defined as "local government areas".

While the phrase exists as a specific term in legislation such as the 1992 Act to refer to the geographical area governed by a principal council the usual descriptive title otherwise used for such an area is one of County, Borough, District, City or Unitary Area.

Wales

In Wales a "principal area" is any one of the units of local government created by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (which amended the Local Government Act 1972) and to which the first-named Act allocates the descriptive titles of :-

• County or County Borough

Outside local government legislation the term "principal area" is rarely, if ever, used in Wales. On the street and in the media the terms 'county' and - less commonly, even for areas designated as such - 'county borough' are the norm. It has found no accepted translation into Welsh and consequently no equivalent term is ever used in the language, officially or unofficially, even by the Welsh Assembly Government itself.^[1]

References

1. ^ Official translator's database of the Welsh Assembly Government, which does not include a translation for 'principal area'.