City of Milton Keynes: History
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, which were all abolished at the same time:
Bletchley Urban District
Newport Pagnell Urban District
Newport Pagnell Rural District
Winslow Rural District (part within the designated New Town area only, rest went to Aylesbury Vale)
Wolverton Urban District
The new district was named Milton Keynes after the new town which had been designated in 1967, covering a large area in the south of the new district. The district was given borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.
As established in 1974, the borough of Milton Keynes was one of five non-metropolitan districts of Buckinghamshire, with Buckinghamshire County Council providing county-level services to the area. On 1 April 1997, Milton Keynes became a self-governing unitary authority by being redefined as its own non-metropolitan county, independent from Buckinghamshire County Council. Milton Keynes remains part of the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire for the purposes of lieutenancy.
On 15 August 2022, letters patent were issued giving the borough the status of a city, allowing the council to change its name to Milton Keynes City Council.