Orpington Urban District facts for kids

Orpington was a local government area in England. It existed from 1934 to 1965 in northwest Kent, near the town of Orpington. This area was considered a suburb of London. It was also part of the Metropolitan Police District, which is the area policed by London's main police force. Today, most of what used to be the Orpington district is now part of the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London.

History of Orpington's Local Government

Orpington became an urban district on April 1, 1934. An urban district was a type of local government area in England. It was created by combining parts of two older districts that were being closed down: Bromley Rural District and Chislehurst Urban District.

How Orpington District Was Formed

The new Orpington Urban District included several smaller areas. It took in all of the parishes (small local areas) called Chelsfield, Cudham, and Knockholt. It also included most of Farnborough, part of Keston, most of Orpington itself, most of St Mary Cray, part of St Paul's Cray, and part of West Wickham.

Once these areas were combined, the entire new urban district was reorganized into one single civil parish also named Orpington. Because it was an urban parish, it did not have its own separate parish council. Instead, the Orpington Urban District Council was the main local governing body for the entire area.

Changes and Abolition

The Orpington Urban District was located within the Metropolitan Police District. It was also part of a special review by the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London. This commission looked at how local government was organized around London.

In 1965, the Orpington Urban District was officially closed down. This happened because of a law called the London Government Act 1963. Its area was then moved from Kent to Greater London. The former Orpington area was combined with other districts to create the new London Borough of Bromley.