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Scottish local-government reform: HCI calls for new authority names to respect county identities
HCI’s response to proposals for Scottish local-government reform argues that any new authorities should use names that do not obscure or misrepresent…
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Is Newmarket in Suffolk or Cambridgeshire?
Newmarket straddles Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with the historic High Street dividing the two, reflecting its dual geographic identity despite administrative designations.
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What is a sheriffdom – and is a Scottish sheriffdom the same thing as a county?
Scottish sheriffdoms were royal jurisdictions, while present sheriffdoms are judicial areas. They should not simply be equated with the geographic counties.
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Is Todmorden in Lancashire or Yorkshire?
Todmorden is a unique town straddling the boundary of Lancashire and Yorkshire, with its geographic borders defined by the old River Calder…
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Podcast Episode: What are “ceremonial counties”? What the term actually means
Listen to our podcast explainer on what “ceremonial county” means, why HCI prefers “lieutenancy area”, and how lieutenancy geography differs from geographic…
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Is Liverpool in Lancashire or Merseyside?
Liverpool is geographically in Lancashire, while administratively it became part of the Merseyside local-government area in 1974, a change that didn’t affect…
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Government pauses local government reorganisation – a chance to fix the lieutenancies once and for all
HCI argues that the Government’s September 2026 pause in local-government reorganisation is an opportunity to separate lieutenancy areas from changing council boundaries.
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Is Musselburgh in Midlothian?
Musselburgh is geographically in Midlothian but administered by East Lothian Council, illustrating the distinction and mismatch between the historic counties and administrative…
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Geography
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Which county a place lies in, county boundaries, detached parts and boundary interpretation.
Foundations
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County geography, terminology, legal distinctions and the history behind common county questions.
Public policy
Government & Policy
Local-government reform, council naming, lieutenancy reform, consultations and HCI policy interventions.
Evidence
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Census work, official sources, Ordnance Survey evidence, statistics and RealCounties mapping developments.
Identity
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County days, flags, boundary signs, heritage, celebrations, sport and cultural identity.
Institute
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Announcements, campaigns, corrections secured, Parliamentary engagement and organisational progress.
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