Records of Countryside Divisions

Division within HLG

1950-1969

Records of the Countryside Division and its predecessors relating to rural aspects of planning and local government.

Files of the division are in HLG 140

See also the records of the Countryside Commission: COU

Files relating to land tenure and commons and allotments are in MAF 235

General and finance files relating to national parks and countryside are in HLG 92

Public Record(s)

English

• Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Countryside Division, 1967-1968
• Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Planning Divisions, 1951-1970
• Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, 1964-1967

1 series

From 1951 access to the countryside and tree preservation work was undertaken by the Planning Divisions of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. In 1965 responsibility passed to the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources. When that department was abolished in 1967 responsibility in these matters for England returned to the Minister of Housing and Local Government and a Countryside Division was set up to carry out this work together with duties in connection with commons and allotments.

The division also assumed responsibility for work in connection with historic buildings, control of advertisements, caravans and gipsies, control of mineral workings, and reclamation of derelict land formerly carried out by the Planning Divisions. By 1970 the division had been reabsorbed within the Planning Divisions and its countryside liaison work was being conducted with the Countryside Commission.