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We all love a comeback story, and the county of Middlesex could be about to experience a resurgence more than six decades after it got the axe. This is because Surrey County Council will be split into two different unitary authorities next year and campaigners are calling for the ‘Middlesex’ name to be restored as part of the changes.
Now an historic county, Middlesex once covered much of north and west London, from Staines all the way up to Potters Bar. With the London Government Act 1963, however, these boundaries were redrawn. Certain areas of north London, such as Islington, were reapportioned into London boroughs, while Staines and Potters Bar – for example – became part of Surrey and Hertfordshire respectively.
As Surrey County Council is due to be carved up in 2027, however, the aforementioned campaigners have argued that the western section should not be called ‘West Surrey’ but ‘West Surrey and South Middlesex’. This is because the new county will cover around 20 square miles of the area that was once known as Middlesex. The other half of the county is due to be known as East Surrey.
The Association of British Counties (ABC) is behind the proposal and has claimed that the ‘Middlesex identity of this area should be reflected’. According to the Telegraph, a spokesperson said: ‘Since 1965, the people of the Spelthorne area of Middlesex have suffered the indignity of being under a local authority absurdly called Surrey county council.
‘But with the abolition of Surrey county council in April 2027, it is time to right this historic wrong and to bring the Middlesex identity of Spelthorne to the fore. ABC objects to the name “West Surrey council” being used for an area that includes the Spelthorne area of Middlesex.’
The issue has been raised in Parliament, with Lincoln Jopp, Conservative MP for Spelthorne, telling the Commons: ‘I have received a huge number of representations from constituents who would like the Secretary of State to consider calling that unitary authority West Surrey and South Middlesex.’ He added that campaigners wish for authorities ‘to take account of the fact that Spelthorne has been in Middlesex for 1,000 years and has never really thought of itself as being in Surrey’.
As a result, Communities Secretary Steve Reed announced that the issue will be officially examined. If the campaigners are successful, this could be the biggest London comeback story since the beloved Brockwell Lido was saved from the brink last week.
In futher comeback news, did you know that this famous 145-year-old English pier has reopened after a six-month closure?
Plus: The most desirable town to live in Britain is just 30 minutes from London
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