The district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government across mainland Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. East Kilbride was one of nineteen districts created within the region of Strathclyde. The district covered parts of three former districts from the historic county of Lanarkshire, all of which were abolished at the same time:[2]
Eighth District (the parts of High Blantyre, Cambuslang South, and Carmunnock electoral divisions lying within the designated area of East Kilbride New Town).
The district was one of five in Strathclyde's Lanark sub-region, and took its name from the district's main town, being the new town of East Kilbride. The district also contained the rural area to the south of East Kilbride itself, which included the small town of Strathaven and the villages of Chapelton, Glassford and Thorntonhall.
The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Political control of the council from 1975 was as follows:[4]
The council was based at the Civic Centre at the corner of Andrew Street and Cornwall Street in East Kilbride, which had been built in 1968 for the former East Kilbride Town Council.[5][6] The successor South Lanarkshire Council continues to use the building as offices, but has its headquarters at the Lanark County Buildings in Hamilton.[7]
