Changes in 1974
Local government in England was reformed in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. Under the act, the ridings lost their lieutenancies and shrievalties and the administrative counties, county boroughs and their councils were abolished. The area of Yorkshire was divided between a number of metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties:
| County after 1974 | Existing area |
|---|---|
| Cleveland (southern part) | Teesside and part of the North Riding |
| Cumbria (part only) | Sedbergh Rural District from the West Riding |
| Durham (part only) | Startforth Rural District from the North Riding |
| Greater Manchester (part only) | Saddleworth Urban District from the West Riding |
| Humberside (northern part) | Kingston upon Hull and most of the East Riding plus Goole from the West Riding |
| Lancashire (part only) | Bowland Rural District, Barnoldswick, Earby, and part of Skipton Rural District from the West Riding |
| North Yorkshire | York; most of the North Riding; Harrogate, Knaresborough and Selby from the West Riding; and part of the East Riding around Filey |
| South Yorkshire | Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham from the West Riding |
| West Yorkshire | Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield from the West Riding |
The reform sought to amalgamate the urbanised parts of the West Riding in the South and West Yorkshire metropolitan counties. The other counties, known as non-metropolitan or shire counties, recognised the urbanised areas that had developed around the River Tees and the Humber, leaving North Yorkshire as a predominantly rural county. The metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties also became counties for purposes such as lieutenancy.
Read more about this topic: History Of Local Government In Yorkshire