Staines Rural District facts for kids
| Staines Rural District | |
 Staines Rural District within Middlesex in 1911 (boundaries apply approximately 1904-1930) |
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| Geography | |
| Status | Rural district |
| History | |
| Created | 1894 |
| Abolished | 1930 |
Quick facts for kids Politics |
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|---|---|
| Governance | Staines Rural District Council |
The Staines Rural District was a special area in Middlesex, England. It existed from 1894 to 1930. This district was a type of local government area. It helped manage services for towns and villages outside of big cities.
It was created in 1894. Before that, the area was part of the Staines rural sanitary district. The new district worked with local parish councils. Over time, the Middlesex County Council also took on more responsibilities.
The district included several places. These were:
- Ashford
- Cranford
- East Bedfont (also known as Bedfont)
- Feltham
- Hanworth
- Harlington
- Harmondsworth
- Laleham
- Littleton
- Shepperton
- Stanwell (which included a small part of Colnbrook with Poyle until 1990)
The district was named after the town of Staines. The Staines Urban District was next to it on the west. The Sunbury on Thames Urban District was to its south-east. In 1904, Feltham became its own independent urban district. This meant that for 26 years, Hanworth was like a separate piece of the district. It was surrounded by five other urban districts.
The Staines Rural District was eventually split up in 1930. Its parts were added to other nearby urban districts. This district covered more than half of the old Spelthorne Hundred. This was one of six main areas in the historic county of Middlesex.
Contents
Why the District Changed
Before 1894, the area was called the Staines Rural Sanitary District. This group was in charge of things like public health. But it was very slow at building important drainage systems. People in places like Sunbury-on-Thames and Staines thought it was old-fashioned.
Many Members of Parliament agreed that these groups were not working well. They didn't collect enough taxes to do their job properly. This led to the Local Government Act 1894. This law created a new level of local government. It was meant to improve how local areas were run. After 1894, building sewers and drains became much faster and better managed.
How Local Decisions Were Made
Local government slowly changed over time. For example, in Stanwell, the local church group, called the vestry, used to make many decisions. They would meet, often with the vicar (a church leader) in charge. They elected local officers and collected taxes.
In 1895, a new civil parish council was formed. This council had nine members. They took over many of the vestry's jobs. The vicar no longer led these meetings. The council was very active. They helped with building the Staines Reservoirs. They also worked to provide land for gardens (allotments) in 1918. In 1927, they helped create a recreation ground.
The council even complained about dangerous driving on the London Road in 1909. They had paid staff to help them. These included assistant overseers who collected taxes and acted as clerks. The Stanwell council did not want to join the Staines urban district. But it happened anyway in 1930, and the council was then closed down.
In 1905, gas street-lighting was put in place in Poyle. The local people helped pay for this. The parish council managed the lighting. This lighting stopped in 1914. It didn't start again until electric lights were installed for the whole area in 1926.
What Happened Next
Immediate Changes in 1930
When the Staines Rural District was ended in 1930, its different parts were given to other nearby districts:
| Parishes | New District | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ashford, Laleham and Stanwell | Staines U.D. | Large water reservoirs were being built or were already there in Stanwell. |
| Littleton and Shepperton | Sunbury U.D. | A large reservoir was being built or was already there in Littleton. |
| East Bedfont and Hanworth | Feltham U.D. | These areas were on opposite sides of the main town. |
| Harlington | Hayes and Harlington U.D. | This district was known as Hayes U.D. before this change. |
| Cranford | Hayes and Harlington U.D. | Half of Cranford stayed here. The other half went to Heston and Isleworth U.D. in 1934. |
| Harmondsworth | Yiewsley and West Drayton U.D. | A large airport was soon to be built here. |
Changes from 1965 Onwards
Local government changed again in 1965. The areas that were once part of the Staines Rural District became part of new, larger areas:
- Feltham, Hanworth, East Cranford, and East Bedfont became part of the London Borough of Hounslow.
- The former manor of Poyle, within Stanwell, became part of the Borough of Slough.
- Harlington (including the former west Cranford) and Harmondsworth became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.
- The remaining areas became part of the Borough of Spelthorne in Surrey.
Images for kids
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Staines Rural District within Middlesex in 1911 (boundaries apply approximately 1904-1930)
