West Yorkshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**West Yorkshire**

Geography
Status	Ceremonial and Metropolitan county (no county council)
Origin	1974
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Capital	Wakefield
Area - Total	Ranked 29th 2,029 km²
ONS code	2F
NUTS 3	UKE4
Demographics
Population - Total (2005 est.) - Density	Ranked 4th 2,118,600 1,044 / km²
Ethnicity	88.6% White 8.7% S.Asian
Politics
Members of Parliament	Ed Balls John Battle Hilary Benn Colin Burgon Colin Challen Yvette Cooper Mary Creagh Ann Cryer Philip Davies Fabian Hamilton Shahid Malik Christine McCafferty Kali Mountford George Mudie Greg Mulholland Linda Riordan Terry Rooney Barry Sheerman Marsha Singh Gerry Sutcliffe Jon Trickett Paul Truswell Mike Wood
Districts
Leeds Wakefield Kirklees Calderdale Bradford

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It was created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 ^[1] and in 2005 covered an area of 2,029 km² and a population of 2.1 million. It is the most built up and biggest urban area in Yorkshire.

1 Divisions and environs
2 History
3 Politics
4 Economy
5 Cities, towns and villages
6 Places of interest
7 See also
8 References

[edit] Divisions and environs

West Yorkshire is divided into five local government districts; they are the City of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, the City of Leeds and the City of Wakefield. The county borders Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

[edit] History

It was formed as a metropolitan county in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972, and corresponds roughly to the core of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire and the county boroughs of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Huddersfield. The Wakefield district's industrial heritage is significantly different from most of the rest of the county in that coal-mining was a large employer whilst textiles was not a particularly large industry (except in Ossett, where the two industries were both important).

West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council inherited the use of County Hall at Wakefield, opened in 1898, from the West Riding County Council in 1974. Since 1987 it has been the headquarters of Wakefield City Council. ^[2]

It initially had a two-tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and five districts providing most services. ^[3] In 1986, throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The functions of the county council were devolved to the boroughs; joint-boards covering fire, police and public transport; and to other special joint arrangements. ^[4] Organisations such as West Yorkshire Police Authority and West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive continue to operate on this basis.

Although the county council was abolished, West Yorkshire continues to form a metropolitan and ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and a High Sheriff.

[edit] Politics

In Parliament, all but two of West Yorkshire's M.P.s are Labour. At local level, the councils are generally divided, apart from the Wakefield district, which has long been one the safest Labour councils in the country.

There are currently plans for a tram system in West Yorkshire, but those for a Leeds Supertram were rejected by the government in 2005.

[edit] Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of West Yorkshire at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Year	Regional Gross Value Added^[5]	Agriculture^[6]	Industry^[7]	Services^[8]
1995	21,302	132	7,740	13,429
2000	27,679	80	8,284	19,314
2003	31,995	91	8,705	23,199

[edit] Cities, towns and villages

Ackworth, Addingham, Allerton Bywater
Baildon, Bailiff Bridge, Batley, Beeston, Bingley, Birkby, Birkenshaw, Boothtown, Boston Spa, Bradford, Brighouse, Burley-in-Wharfedale
Castleford, Cleckheaton, Collingham, Copley, Cragg Vale, Cullingworth, Crofton , Crigglestone
Denby Dale, Dewsbury
Elland, Emley, Esholt
Fairburn Ings, Ferrybridge, Fitzwilliam
Garforth, Golcar, Gomersal, Greetland, Guiseley
Halifax, Harewood, Hartshead, Hartshead Moor, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike, Hemsworth, Heptonstall, Hipperholme, Holmfirth, Honley, Horbury, Horsforth, Huddersfield
Ilkley
Keighley, Kippax, Kirkburton, Kirkstall, Knottingley
Ledsham, Ledston, Leeds, Linthwaite, Liversedge
Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield, Morley, Mytholmroyd
New Mill, Newmillerdam, New Farnley, Nostell, Norristhorpe
Oakworth, Ossett, Oxenhope, Otley, Oulton
Pontefract, Pudsey
Queensbury
Rastrick, Riddlesden, Ripponden, Rothwell, Roberttown
Saltaire, Sandal, Scammonden Scarcroft, Scholes, Shelley, Shepley, Shibden, Shipley, Silsden, Slaithwaite, Sowerby Bridge, Stanbury, Steeton, Swillington
Thornbury, Thornton, Thornhill, Todmorden, Tong
Wakefield, Walton, West Bretton, Wetherby, Wilsden
Yeadon

[edit] Places of interest

v • d • e

Part of a series of articles on
Yorkshire

County Town: York

The ridings:

East • North • West

Ceremonial counties

East Riding of Yorkshire

North Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

Further information

Yorkshire Day 1 August

[edit] Historic environment

Harewood House
Cliffe Hall, also known as Cliffe Castle
Esholt Hall
Firsby Hall
Kirklees Hall
Ledston Hall
Linthwaite Hall
Linton Hall
Lotherton Hall
Kershaw House
East Riddlesden Hall
Oakwell Hall
Oulton Hall
Sandal Castle
Shelley Hall
Shibden Hall
Tong Hall
Bretton Hall
Kirkstall Abbey, Kirklees Priory, Nostell Priory, Pontefract Priory
Wetherby Castle
Scarcroft Water Mill
Roman Lagentium (Castleford)
Saltaire, a model village
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

[edit] Museums

Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth
Royal Armouries museum, Leeds
Colne Valley Museum
Pennine Farm Museum, Ripponden
Pontefract Museum
West Yorkshire Folk Museum, Shibden
National Coal Mining Museum for England (Netherton)
National Media Museum, Bradford
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton
Tolson Museum, Dalton (Huddersfield)
Wakefield Museum

[edit] Natural environment

Emley Moor, site of the tallest self-supporting structure in the UK (a TV mast)
Walton Hall, West Yorkshire, home of naturalist Charles Waterton and the world's first nature reserve
RSPB Fairburn Ings - wetland centre for birds
Seckar Woods LNR, a Local Nature Reserve
New Swillington Ings Nature Reserve
Otley Chevin - extensive wooded parkland on high ground with extensive views North over Wharfedale and South as far as the Peak District
Harewood Estate - Leeds Country Way public footpath runs through the estate, beautiful landscaped gardens and home to Red Kites amongst many other birds