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East Kilbride Development Corporation was created under the New Town (East Kilbride) (Development Corporation) Order 1947 (Statutory Rules & Orders no. 1947/1758). This followed the establishment of the new town of East Kilbride after the New Towns Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. VI, c.68), one of two created in Scotland immediately after the passage of the Act. The Corporation members were appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland after consulting suitable local authorities. East Kilbride was created as a New Town within Lanarkshire to contain the growth of Glasgow, absorbing some of its congestion, and in the hope of attracting new industry into the region. There was already a village of East Kilbride, which in 1947 had a population of 300. It had been an agricultural and weaving community in the 19th century, and subsequently some engineering works were established there.
After the establishment of the Corporation, the majority of its local authority functions were carried out by Lanarkshire County Council. In the late 1950s, however, some residents proposed that there should be a town council in East Kilbride to run as many functions as possible. This was achieved when East Kilbride was created a 'small burgh' after a public inquiry before the Sheriff-Principal of Lanarkshire in February 1963 (following procedure within the Local Government [Scotland] Act 1947 [10 & 11 Geo. VI, c.43]), with effect from 16 May 1963. The population of the burgh was then about 34,000. The Town Council would act along with the East Kilbride Development Corporation, which was responsible for planning the town, attracting industry and commerce, and provision of houses. The Town Council was responsible for council housing, rating, drainage, lighting, cleansing, sanitary inspection, a Dean of Guild and Police Courts, and some other matters.
One of the Corporation's principal first duties was the preparation of a Master Plan for development in East Kilbride, and this was accomplished in 1950. The target population was at that stage about 40,000, which would take about 15 to 20 years to achieve once suitable industrial and domestic building construction had occurred. The area occupied by the New Town indicated that it would be a low-density settlement. Much of the Master Plan's expectations were achieved by the early 1970s, although the target population rose to 82,500, as the Glasgow overspill increased. By this stage, there was the possibility that the Corporation's role would have come to an end, and its assets transferred to a suitable local authority, but the position was clouded by the designation of a New Town at adjacent Stonehouse and by the reorganisation of Scottish local government in 1975. Under the New Town (East Kilbride and Stonehouse) (Development Corporation) Order 1973, the development of Stonehouse would be undertaken by the newly-created East Kilbride and Stonehouse Development Corporation, which was effectively the former East Kilbride Corporation. In 1976, however, it was decided not to proceed with the Stonehouse development. Subsequently the former designation for the Corporation was re-adopted.
The Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 (c. 35) made it possible for new town development corporations to be dissolved if their purposes had been achieved. Under the New Town (East Kilbride) (Transfer of Property, Rights and Liabilities) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/3068), the property, rights and liabilities of the Corporation were transferred to East Kilbride District Council with effect from 31 December 1995. Under the New Town (East Kilbride) Dissolution Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/1066), East Kilbride Development Corporation was dissolved with effect from 5 April 1996. The subsequent local authority in the area is South Lanarkshire Council.
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