TCEP Citizenship

City and County of Canterbury

            In the year 1448, King Henry VI granted Canterbury a Royal Charter, decreeing that the City should be "of one Mayor and one commonalty, wholly corporate for ever".  The Charter conferred County powers.

            "For ever" came at midnight on 31 March 1974 with the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972 abolishing the City and County of Canterbury, Herne Bay Urban District Council, Whitstable Urban District Council and Bridge-Blean Rural District Council, replacing them by one larger Canterbury District Council and ending five hundred and twenty-six years of historically important independence for the City and County of Canterbury from Kent.

            County Boroughs were the original all in one local authority, with the city and county responsibilities fully integrated. 

            The Museums Act 1845 empowered the County Borough to raise a half penny rate to establish a public museum of arts and sciences. Early in 1847, Canterbury Corporation purchased for public use the museum and library of the Philosophical and Literary Institution by innovatively utilising flexibility in wider interpretation of that Act of Parliament, which provided for an admission charge of not more than one penny.  Members were also allowed to borrow books at one penny per volume. That privilege was subject in each case, initially for each borrowing, to an order from a member of the Museum Committee.  The City and County of Canterbury had established the first public library in Great Britain.

            Maidstone Corporation opened the first public library in Kent in 1858.  Kent County Council's library service did not commence until 1920, after the Public Libraries Act 1919.

            The Canterbury Education Authority of the City and County of Canterbury, as it existed until 1974, was also the managing agent for the St. Augustine's Division of the Kent Education Committee.  An effective and efficient use of resources without overlapping layers.

            There need not be any additional cost involved in transforming local government structures, with good management of resources.  The existing area members panels for Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable could each be upgraded to town council status, utilising provisions in the Localism Bill when it becomes law.  The town councils could then initially share resources within the existing District Council, which in turn is already sharing resources with neighbouring District Councils within a boundary similar to that Richard West identified in 1986 for a Riding of Kent based on the concept long established in Yorkshire.  The citizens of Herne Bay should determine themselves whether or not they want to be represented by a Mayor of Herne Bay or by a Lord Mayor of Canterbury.  Similarly for citizens of Whitstable.

            There were no Kent County Councillors elected to represent the City and County of Canterbury area before its abolition in 1974.

            The seat of King Ethelbert's kingdom deserves to be restored to full County Borough status, as a City and County in its own right, befitting its hard earned international place in world history and its achievements since Augustine travelled to Canterbury in the year 597 AD.

Media coverage.

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Copyright Richard West.  Page updated 1 October 2012.