Fire service historian and author

Roger Mardon

 

 

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A major reorganisation of local government outside London took place under the Local Government Act 1972, as a result of which England ended up with 39 non-metropolitan counties and six metropolitan counties, and Wales with eight non-metropolitan counties. County boroughs and their fire brigades were abolished. The new county councils became operational and assumed their responsibilities as fire authorities on 1 April 1974. The brigades created in England as a result were

 

Tyne & Wear

Area: 204 sq. miles

Fire stations: 20

 

West Midlands

Area: 344 sq. miles

Fire stations: 40

 

 

South Yorkshire

Area: 625 sq. miles

Fire stations: 27

 

West Yorkshire

Area: 787 sq. miles

Fire stations: 52

Greater Manchester

Area: 496 sq. miles

Fire stations: 41

 

Merseyside

Area: 259 sq. miles

Fire stations: 34

 

 

METROPOLITAN COUNTY BRIGADES

Effective from 1 April 1974

NON-METROPOLITAN COUNTY BRIGADES

Effective from 1 April 1974

The Local Government Act 1972 did not apply to the Isles of Scilly but the following is included for completeness

 

Isles of Scilly

Area: 6 sq. miles

Fire stations: 1

The Local Government Act 1972 did not affect Greater London or the London Fire Brigade but the following is included for the sake of completeness

 

London

Area: 620 sq. miles

Fire stations: 114 land, 2 river

ENGLAND Changes 1948 - 1974

ENGLAND 1 April 1948

ENGLAND 1 April 1974

ENGLAND Changes 1974 to date

Avon

Area: 512 sq. miles

Fire stations: 12 w/t, 12 r/t

 

Bedfordshire

Area: 477 sq. miles

Fire stations: 13

 

Royal Berkshire

Area: 484 sq. miles

Fire stations: 19

 

Buckinghamshire

Area: 725 sq. miles

Fire stations: 23

 

Cambridgeshire

Area: 1,316 sq. miles

Fire stations: 26

 

Cheshire

Area: 897 sq. miles

Fire stations: 23

 

Cleveland

Area: 225 sq. miles

Fire stations: 14

 

Cornwall

Area: 1,350sq. miles

Fire stations: 32

 

Cumbria

Area: 2,629 sq. miles

Fire stations: 38

 

Derbyshire

Area: 1,150 sq. miles

Fire stations: 31

 

Devon

Area: 2,591 sq. miles

Fire stations: 58

 

Dorset

Area: 1,025 sq. miles

Fire stations: 26

 

Durham

Area: 941 sq. miles

Fire stations: 18

 

East Sussex

693 sq. miles

Fire stations: 24

 

Essex

Area: 1,418 sq. miles

Fire stations: 51

 

Gloucestershire

Area: 1,018 sq. miles

Fire stations: 20

 

Hampshire

Area: 149 sq. miles

Fire stations: 54

 

Hereford & Worcester

Area: 631 sq. miles

Fire stations: 26

 

Hertfordshire

Area: 631 sq. miles

Fire stations: 33

 

Humberside

Area: 1,323 sq. miles

Fire stations: 30

 

Isle of Wight

Area: 157 sq. miles

Fire stations: 10

 

Kent

Area: 1,443 sq. miles

Fire stations: 65

 

Lancashire

Area: 1,180 sq. miles

Fire stations: 40

 

Leicestershire

Area: 986 sq. miles

Fire stations: 19

 

Lincolnshire

Area: 2,250 sq. miles

Fire stations: 37

 

Norfolk

Area: 2,142 sq. miles

Fire stations: 39

 

 

North Yorkshire

Area: 3,207 sq. miles

Fire stations: 34

 

Northamptonshire

Area: 914 sq. miles

Fire stations: 20

 

Northumberland

Area: 1,943 sq. miles

Fire stations: 17

 

Nottinghamshire

Area: 836 sq. miles

Fire stations: 16

 

Oxfordshire

Area: 1,008 sq. miles

Fire stations: 24

 

Shropshire

Area: 1,346 sq. miles

Fire stations: 25

 

Somerset

Area: 1,335 sq. miles

Fire stations: 24

 

Staffordshire

Area: 1,049 sq. miles

Fire stations: 30

 

Suffolk

Area: 1,466 sq. miles

Fire stations: 35

 

Surrey

Area: 647 sq. miles

Fire stations: 24

 

Warwickshire

Area: 767 sq. miles

Fire stations: 20

 

West Sussex

Area: 769 sq. miles

Fire stations: 26

 

Wiltshire

Area: 1,290 sq. miles

Fire stations: 22

 

 

 

 

SCOTLAND

WALES

NORTHERN IRELAND