The current structure of local government, consisting of 32 unitary authorities, came into being in 1996. Prior to the 1996 reorganisation the Scottish Office cited a number of reasons for the need to change to a single-tier structure including: “changes in both the role and the functions of local government since 1975 suggested a need for reform. The two-tier system was regarded as being not readily understood, leading to considerable confusion in the public mind about responsibilities, which clouds accountability. Old allegiances to the old counties and county towns remained, while some regional authorities were seen as too large and too remote from the local communities they serve. There was a measure of duplication and waste, particularly over central administrative costs, and of delay and friction because of the two-tier system. Finally, the government’s emphasis on consumer choice, competitive tendering, and private sector involvement, put the emphasis on the enabling role of local government rather than on direct service provision” (Midwinter 1995, p 87).
Local authority areas reflect the geographical diversity within Scotland with wide variations in size (from 60km2in Dundee City council area to 25,656km2 in Highland council area) and population (from under 20,000 people in Orkney Islands council area to over 600,000 in Glasgow City council area).
Glasgow City Council inherited its school estate from Strathclyde Regional Council’s Glasgow Division. The new authority had from the outset ambitious plans to modernise its inherited school legacy.