London Borough of Bromley: History
A local government district called Bromley was created in 1867, covering the parish of Bromley. The neighbouring parish of Beckenham was also made a local government district in 1878. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894. Other urban districts were subsequently created for Penge and Chislehurst in 1900, and Orpington in 1934.
Bromley was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1903, as was Beckenham in 1935. Chislehurst Urban District merged with the neighbouring Sidcup Urban District in 1934.
The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined areas of the former Municipal Borough of Bromley, Municipal Borough of Beckenham, Orpington Urban District, Penge Urban District and the Chislehurst area from the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District (the Sidcup area went to the London Borough of Bexley). Penge Urban District was the only part of the new borough which had been within the boundaries of the London County Council and Metropolitan Board of Works, although it voted to leave in 1899 to become self-governing until 1965. The area was transferred from Kent to Greater London, to become one of the 32 London boroughs.
In 1969, after a local campaign, the village of Knockholt was removed from the borough and transferred to the neighbouring Sevenoaks Rural District; before 1965, it had been part of the Orpington Urban District. Knockholt railway station however remains in Orpington.
After the Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, its assets were inherited by the London Residuary Body. When the LRB was wound up in turn in 1996, its remaining assets in the area were transferred to Bromley.