Clearing up the confusion on historic counties

SIR – MPS have called for the return of historic counties to signs and maps (report, September 11).

In fairness to the Government, it recognises the historic counties and their cultural importance, and has taken measures to support them. There is now provision in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions for historic county border signs. The Ordnance Survey produces digital boundary data for the historic counties, which is freely available, and the Office for National Statistics relates each place in Britain to its historic county in its Index of Place Names.

However, there is still confusion about the difference between historic counties and local government.

When modern local government was created in 1888, the areas of its “administrative counties” were based on historic ones. This remained so until 1965; but since then, local government has changed frequently. Few modern authorities have an area that resembles any historic county.

Yet the word “county” is still used to refer to some local government areas, and the phase “county council” is still used to refer to local authorities. Some local authorities make inappropriate use of a historic county name. For example, Monmouthshire County Council is a unitary authority covering about half of the historic county. It is no surprise that people are confused.

Fortunately, the solutions are simple. First, new terminology is needed in local government. Secondly, local authorities should use historic county names appropriately. Peter Boyce

Chairman Association of British Counties Cardiff