Reform of local government in Northern Ireland

Reform of local government in Northern Ireland saw the replacement of the twenty-six districts created in 1973 with a smaller number of "super districts". The review process began in 2002, with proposals for either seven or eleven districts made before it was suspended in 2010. On 12 March 2012, the Northern Ireland Executive published its programme for government, which included a commitment to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland to 11.^[1] The first elections to these new councils were on 22 May 2014.^[2]

26 councils reduced to 11 in April 2015

26 Northern Ireland local government districts, 1971–2015.

The 26 old districts

11 Northern Ireland local government districts, operating in shadow form 2014–2015.

The 11 new districts

^ "Priority 5: Delivering High Quality and Efficient Public Services; Key Commitments" (PDF). Programme for Government 2011–15. Belfast: Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
^ "European Parliament and council polls on same day", belfasttelegraph.co.uk; accessed 8 August 2015.

[pfg2015-1] "Priority 5: Delivering High Quality and Efficient Public Services; Key Commitments" (PDF). Programme for Government 2011–15. Belfast: Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.

[2] "European Parliament and council polls on same day", belfasttelegraph.co.uk; accessed 8 August 2015.

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