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unitary authority

British

noun

(in the United Kingdom) a district administered by a single tier of local government, esp those districts of England that became administratively independent of the county councils in 1996–98

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Southend-on-Sea City Council leader Daniel Cowan, who led on the five district proposal, said his team could draw on almost "thirty years" of already being a unitary authority.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The existing county council and six district councils would disappear - with Cheltenham joining Tewkesbury and the Cotswold district in a new eastern unitary authority.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The council said a transformed service would help boost the city's recycling rate of 22.9%, which is the lowest of any unitary authority in the country, with the exception of Liverpool.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025

Ms Harrison represents the Oundle ward on North Northamptonshire Council and is executive member for adults, health and wellbeing on the unitary authority.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2024

Mr Mackey has been an independent Central Beds councillor for Flitwick since 2019 and following May's local elections he is now on the executive team on the unitary authority, which is run by independents.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023