Local government minister, Eric Pickles, has commemorated St George’s day by giving formal recognition to some of England’s 39 historic counties which were ‘administratively abolished’ in the Local Government Act 1972.
Residents in areas covered by Cumberland Huntingdonshire, Middlesex and Westmorland have been encouraged by Mr Pickles to continue to champion their local identities regardless of existing local authority arrangements.
According to DCLG officials, this move complements the coalition’s abolition of the ‘artificial’ Government Office Regions, which were based on the European Union’s system for setting administrative boundaries.
To mark the symbolic move, a detailed map of England’s traditional counties, many of which pre-date the Norman conquest, has been place on the government’s official website.