Martin Underwood wrote:

You'd think that it would make sense for the boundaries between one "county"
and another to be moved from time to time

They are. Repeatedly. And it always causes arguments and wastes a lot of
time and money.

The problem is that as soon as a line is drawn on a map to enclose some
particular area or not, people notice that generally it is advantageous
to develop just outside that boundary because land or local taxes are
cheaper. Thus the sprawl develops. The only way this will stop is to
return to the days of greenbelt policy, and make the belts sufficiently
wide and well protected. Fat chance.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p14486547.html
(37 073 at Wolverhampton, 1985)