Abstract
This article explores the reasons behind the variation in the quality of relationships between counties and districts in England and Wales, concentrating on the field of town and country planning, but within the context of a more general appraisal of the links between county and district. Three major types of influence are discussed: the attitude of the authorities concerned to the 1974 reorganisation; the political/technical power balance within authorities; and the nature of the formal and quasi-formal agreements at the county/district interface. The impact these factors have on the nature of county/district relationships in shire and metropolitan counties is compared in the light of the different sets of responsibilities and power balance in the two situations. The article is based on a range of interviews in selected authorities in England and Wales.

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