Kirklees is ametropolitan borough ofWest Yorkshire, England. The borough comprises the ten towns ofBatley,Birstall,Cleckheaton,Dewsbury,Heckmondwike,Holmfirth,Huddersfield,Meltham,Mirfield andSlaithwaite. It is governed byKirklees Council. Kirklees had a population of 422,500 in 2011; it is the third-largest metropolitan district in Yorkshire byarea, behindDoncaster andLeeds.[2]
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the provisions of theLocal Government Act 1972 as part of a reform oflocal government in England. Eleven former local government districts weremerged: thecounty boroughs ofHuddersfield andDewsbury, themunicipal boroughs ofBatley andSpenborough and theurban districts ofColne Valley,Denby Dale,Heckmondwike,Holmfirth,Kirkburton,Meltham andMirfield.
The nameKirklees was chosen by the merging councils from more than fifty suggestions, includingUpper Agbrigg,Brigantia andWooldale.[3] It was named afterKirklees Priory, which is claimed to be site ofRobin Hood's death, situated midway between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. The priory was located within the present-day Kirklees Park estate, most of which actually lies in the neighbouring borough ofCalderdale.[3][4]
Under the original draft of the Act, the district would have includedOssett, part of theDewsbury Parliamentary constituency at that time. It was eventually decided that Ossett was too remote to be governed from Huddersfield and the town was included within theWakefield district instead.[5]
Kirklees sits in quite a central position to all the other surrounding unitary boroughs of West Yorkshire, with people living in the northern parts commuting toLeeds andYork for work and education. People living in the western parts commute toBradford,Halifax andHuddersfield for education and work. People living in the southern and eastern parts commute toWakefield,Barnsley,Sheffield andManchester for work and education. The largest towns and principal districts in the borough areHuddersfield,Dewsbury,Batley,Heckmondwike andCleckheaton.
The principal settlements of Kirklees aremill towns in theColne Valley,Holme Valley,Calder Valley andSpen Valley. Those areas of the district with a more urban character boundCalderdale to the west,Bradford to the north-west,Leeds to the north-east andWakefield to the east.
The district also includes several rural villages, with the largest rural area extending from the south of Huddersfield. The Pennine countryside to the south-west of Meltham andHolme lies within thePeak District National Park.[6] This moorland area mostly boundsSaddleworth, a traditional part of Yorkshire but now locally governed fromOldham,Greater Manchester. There is also a relatively short border with theHigh Peak district ofDerbyshire, running across the summit ofBlack Hill, and the main border to the south of Kirklees is withBarnsley.
The inclusion of two county boroughs resulted in a district without an obvious centre. Over the years there have been suggestions of splitting the district into two, administered from Huddersfield and Dewsbury.[7][8]Graham Riddick, as MP forColne Valley, campaigned for a split in the early 1990s.[9][10] A similar ambition was mentioned byElizabeth Peacock, MP forBatley and Spen in 1991.[11] The boundaries of metropolitan boroughs were outside the remit of theBanham Commission appointed to review local government structures in 1992 or its successors, and only minor boundary changes were made with neighbouring districts in 1994.[12][13][14]
The district includes parts of three postcode areas. Huddersfield and the rural areas to the south haveHD postcodes,Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton andGomersal haveBD postcodes, and the rest of theHeavy Woollen area hasWF postcodes. Similarly the district is split between several telephone dialling codes, with most residents in the 01484 (Huddersfield), 01274 (Bradford) and 01924 (Wakefield) codes. A small number of residents in Birchencliffe and Birkenshaw villages fall within the 01422 (Halifax) and 0113 (Leeds) codes respectively.
Public transport information is provided byMetro, as is the case across West Yorkshire.
Kirklees lies along the coreHuddersfield line of theTransPennine Express network, with services calling atHuddersfield andDewsbury. DirectGrand Central services toLondon King's Cross call atMirfield. Other railway stations in the district on these routes and on thePenistone line have localNorthern Trains services. Some towns in Kirklees have not been served by rail transport since theBeeching cuts.Dewsbury andBatley are served by theCalder Valley Line and theTransPennine Express lines. These serve an important urban area around Leeds and Kirklees with services to further away stations includingManchester Victoria andLiverpool Lime Street.
Most bus services in the Huddersfield area are operated byTeam Pennine andFirst West Yorkshire, and most bus services in the Heavy Woollen area are operated byArriva Yorkshire.
The urban areas of Kirklees are served by theM62 andM1 motorways. Parts of the local road network are considered to require improvement, such as the main route from Huddersfield to the southbound M1 which narrows as it passes throughFlockton.[15]
Kirklees Council has developed a number of traffic-free cycle paths called Greenways in partnership withSustrans.[16]
Tourism in Kirklees is based around the area's countryside and industrial heritage:
Kirklees Council closed Dewsbury Museum andRed House Museum at the end of 2016, claiming it could not afford to continue running them followingcuts to its budget.[17]
Tourist information in Kirklees can be obtained from major libraries.[18]
Huddersfield Town playfootball in theEFL Championship as of the 2022–23 season. They were the first English club to win three successive league titles.There are also 3 semi professional football teams within Kirklees,Liversedge,Emley andGolcar United.
Thebirthplace of rugby league was at theGeorge Hotel, Huddersfield; local clubs includeSuper League sideHuddersfield Giants, alongsideBatley Bulldogs andDewsbury Rams who both play in theChampionship.
Kirkless is served byBBC Yorkshire andITV Yorkshire broadcasting from theEmley Moor transmitter which is situated near the village ofEmley, inHuddersfield.[19]
Local radio stations are:[20]
Local newspapers areHuddersfield Daily Examiner,Yorkshire Evening Post andYorkshire Post.
Kirklees Council is the local authority of the district. The council is composed of 69 councillors, three for each of the borough's 23wards. Elections are held three years out of four, on the first Thursday of May. One third of the councillors are elected, for a four-year term, in each election. The council is currently led by aLabour executive.
The shadow Kirklees District Council petitioned theprivy council for aroyal charter under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 granting thestatus of a borough from 1 April 1974.[21] The grant of borough status entitled the chairman of the council to the title of "mayor", effectively continuing the mayoralties of the former boroughs of Dewsbury (1862), Huddersfield (1898), Batley (1869) and Spenborough (1955).[22] The mayor is elected from among the councillors for a one-year term (the "civic year") at the council's annual meeting.[23]
Kirklees is the most populated borough or district in England not to havecity status. In 2001 it was announced that a grant of city status was to be made to an English town to mark theGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, and Kirklees council indicated that it was considering applying on behalf of Huddersfield. An unofficial telephone poll by theHuddersfield Examiner found a slim majority against the proposal, and the council did not proceed with the application.[24]
Borough status also allows the council to confer the freedom of the borough on "persons of distinction". Since its formation Kirklees Council has granted this right to two individuals and two groups:
Kirklees istwinned with:
Besançon, France[29]
Kostanay,Kazakhstan 1989
Bielsko-Biała,Poland 1997
Kreis Unna,Germany 1967[30]Kirklees Borough Council was grantedarmorial bearings by theCollege of Arms byletters patent dated 24 June 1974. theblazon of the arms is as follows:
Vert on a bend Argent a bendlet wavy azure on a chief Or a pale between two cog-wheels azure on the pale a Paschal Lamb supporting a staff of the fourth flying therefrom a forked pennon argent charged with a cross gules;and for a Crest, On a wreath of the colours a ram's head affronty couped argent armed Or gorged with a mural crown sable masoned argent.
Supporters: On either side a lion guardant purpure resting the inner hind leg on a cross crosslet Or embellished in each of the four angles with a fleur de lis azure.Badge or device: A roundel purpure charged with a Lacy Knot Or all within a circle of eleven roses argent barbed and seeded proper.[31]
The green colouring of the shield represents the fields, woods and moorland of the borough. The white stripe orbend represents theM62 motorway, while the blue wave upon it is for the many waterways of the area. On thechief or upper third of the shield is apaschal lamb, symbol ofSt John the Baptist. John was the patron saint of woolworkers, and the inclusion of the emblem represents the historic woollen industry. The cogwheels are for the modern engineering industries. The crest is a ram's head, found in the arms of the County Borough of Huddersfield and the Mirfield Urban District Council. The black mural crown stands for the district's status as a borough, recalling a city wall. Thesupporters are purple lions from the arms of thede Laci family, medieval lords of Huddersfield. For heraldic "difference" from other lion supporters a distinctive cross has been placed below their inner feet. This device, combining the symbols of Christ and the Virgin Mary, represents the priory from which the borough took its name.[31][32]
In five areas of the borough there is a second tier of local government: thecivil parish. Parish or town councils have limited powers of a purely local character, such as owning or maintaining allotments, burial grounds, footpaths and war memorials. Four of the parishes were formed assuccessor parishes to urban districts abolished in 1974.[33] The fifth was formed in 1988.[34] The five town or parish councils are:
| Council | Area covered | Number of councillors | Parish wards | Formed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denby Dale Parish Council | Denby Dale,Upper andLower Cumberworth,Upper and Lower Denby,Birdsedge and High Flatts,Scissett,Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd,Emley andEmley Moor andClayton West[33] | 17[35] | Clayton West, Denby & Cumberworth, Emley, Skelmanthorpe[35] | Successor to Denby Dale UDC 1973[36] |
| Holme Valley Parish Council | Holmfirth and Honley,Brockholes, Cinderhills,Hade Edge,Hepworth, Hinchliffe Mill,Holmbridge,Holme,Jackson Bridge,Netherthong,New Mill, Scholes, Thongsbridge, Upperthong, Wooldale[33] | 23[37] | Brockholes, Fulstone, Hepworth, Holmfirth Central, Honley Central and East, Honley South, Honley West, Netherthong, Scholes, Upper Holme Valley, Upperthong, Wooldale[37] | Successor to Holmfirth UDC 1973,[36] renamed Holme Valley 1975. |
| Kirkburton Parish Council | Farnley Tyas,Flockton,Grange Moor,Highburton,Kirkburton,Kirkheaton,Lepton,Shelley,Shepley and Thurston[33] | 25[38][39] | Flockton, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Lepton & Whitley Upper, Shelley, Shepley, Thurstonland/Farnley Tyas[38][39] | Successor to Kirkburton UDC 1973[36] |
| Meltham Town Council | Crosland Edge,Meltham,Helme, Wilshaw[33] | 12[40] | None[40] | Successor to Meltham UDC 1973[36] |
| Mirfield Town Council | Battyeford, Mirfield, Northorpe, Lower Hopton and Upper Hopton[33] | 16[34] | Battyeford, Crossley, Eastthorpe, Hopton, Northorpe[34] | Formed 1988[34] |
The remainder of the borough isunparished, with the borough council exercising parish powers.
Since 1997 Kirklees has been divided into five constituencies: four being entirely within the borough, while one ward (Wakefield) is included in the Wakefield Council borough.
The boundaries of two of the Colne Valley and Huddersfield constituencies were virtually unchanged from those defined in 1983. Denby Dale and Kirkburton wards were transferred from Dewsbury to Wakefield, with the former constituency receiving Heckmondwike ward from Batley and Spen.
The constituencies were first used at the1997 general election, when the Labour Party came to power in alandslide, gaining all the seats in the borough. The party held the seats at the subsequent elections of2001 and2005.[41] The incumbent MP forBatley and Spen,Jo Cox, was murdered on 16 June 2016.[42] Aconstituency by-election took place on 20 October 2016 andTracy Brabin was elected.[43] A furtherby-election will be held in the constituency on 1 July 2021, after Brabin's resignation, following her election asMayor of West Yorkshire.[44][45]
| Constituency | Wards | Member of parliament | Party | Majority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batley and Spen Borough Constituency | 1997–2005: Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Spen.[41] 2010–present: | Tracy Brabin | Labour Co-op | 2017: 8,961 (over Conservatives)[46] | |
| Jo Cox | Labour Party | 2015: 6,057 (over Conservatives)[46] | |||
| Mike Wood | 2010: 4,406 (over Conservatives) | ||||
| 2005: 5,788 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| 2001: 5,064 (over Conservatives)[47] | |||||
| 1997: 6,141 (over Conservatives)[47] | |||||
| Colne Valley County Constituency | Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor, Golcar, Holme Valley North, Holme Valley South, Lindley.[41] | Thelma Walker | Labour Party | 2017: 915 (over Conservatives)[48] | |
| Jason McCartney | Conservative Party | 2015: 5,378 (over Labour)[48] | |||
| 2010: 4,837 (over Liberal Democrats) | |||||
| Kali Mountford | Labour Party | 2005: 1,501 (over Conservatives) | |||
| 2001: 4,639 (over Conservatives)[49] | |||||
| 1997: 4,840 (over Conservatives)[49] | |||||
| Dewsbury County Constituency | 1997–2005: Dewsbury East, Dewsbury West, Heckmondwike, Mirfield, Thornhill.[41] 2010–present: | Paula Sherriff | Labour Party | 2017: 3,321 (over Conservatives)[50] | |
| 2015: 1,451 (over Conservatives)[50] | |||||
| Simon Reevell | Conservative Party | 2010: 1,526 (over Labour) | |||
| Shahid Malik | Labour Party | 2005: 4,615 (over Conservatives) | |||
| Ann Taylor | 2001: 8,323 (over Conservatives)[51] | ||||
| 1997: 4,840 (over Conservatives)[51] | |||||
| Huddersfield Borough Constituency | Almondbury, Birkby, Dalton, Deighton, Greenhead, Newsome, Paddock.[41] | Barry Sheerman | Labour Co-op | 2017: 12,005 (over Conservatives)[52] | |
| 2015: 7,345 (over Conservatives)[52] | |||||
| 2010: 4,472 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| 2005: 8,351 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| 2001: 10,046 (over Conservatives)[53] | |||||
| 1997: 15,848 (over Conservatives)[53] | |||||
| Wakefield County Constituency | 1997–2005: Denby Dale, Kirkburton, Wakefield Central, Wakefield East, Wakefield North, Wakefield Rural.[41] 2010–present: | Mary Creagh | Labour Party | 2017: 2,176 (over Conservatives)[54] | |
| 2015: 2,613 (over Conservatives)[54] | |||||
| 2010: 1,613 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| 2005: 5,154 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| David Hinchliffe | 2001: 7,954 (over Conservatives)[55] | ||||
| 1997: 14,604 (over Conservatives)[55] | |||||
The1983 general election was the first at which constituencies based on the administrative areas created in 1974 were used. Kirklees was divided into four constituencies.[56] The Conservative Party polled well in the 1983 election, and took two of the borough's constituencies. Labour held Huddersfield, while the Liberals, running in analliance with theSocial Democrats, held Colne Valley. In the followingelection in 1987 the Labour vote increased slightly, and they gained Dewsbury from the Conservatives. At the same time the Alliance vote fell, and the Conservatives took Colne Valley. The four MPs elected in 1992 were all returned in 1997.
| Constituency | Wards | Member of parliament | Party | Majority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batley and Spen Borough Constituency | Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike and Spen[56] | Elizabeth Peacock | Conservative Party | 1992: 1,408 (over Labour)[57] | |
| 1987: 1,362 (over Labour)[58] | |||||
| 1983: 870 (over Labour)[59] | |||||
| Colne Valley County Constituency | Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor, Golcar, Holme Valley North, Holme Valley South and Lindley.[56] | Graham Riddick | Conservative Party | 1992: 7,225 (over Labour)[60] | |
| 1987: 1,677 (over Liberal / Alliance)[61] | |||||
| Richard Wainwright | Liberal / Alliance | 1983: 3,146 (over Conservatives)[62] | |||
| Dewsbury County Constituency | Denby Dale, Dewsbury East, Dewsbury West, Kirkburton, Mirfield and Thornhill.[56] | Ann Taylor | Labour Party | 1992: 634 (over Conservatives))[63] | |
| 1987: 445 (over Conservatives)[64] | |||||
| John Whitfield | Conservative Party | 1983: 2,068 (over Labour)[65] | |||
| Huddersfield Borough Constituency | Almondbury, Birkby, Dalton, Deighton, Newsome and Paddock.[56] | Barry Sheerman | Labour Party | 1992: 7,258 (over Conservatives)[66] | |
| 1987: 7,278 (over Conservatives)[67] | |||||
| 1983: 3,955 (over Conservatives)[66] | |||||
Parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales continued to be defined in terms of the boroughs and districts abolished in 1974 until a general redistribution of seats in 1983. Accordingly, Kirklees was divided between seven constituencies, which had first been used in the1950 general election.[68]
| Constituency | Former administrative areas | Member of parliament | Party | Majority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batley and Morley Borough Constituency | Municipal Borough of Batley Also included the former Municipal Borough of Morley in theCity of Leeds. | Kenneth Woolmer | Labour Party | 1979: 5,352 (over Conservatives)[69] | |
| Alfred Broughton | October 1974: 8,248 (over Conservatives)[70] | ||||
| February 1974: 7,091 (over Conservatives)[71] | |||||
| Brighouse and Spenborough Borough Constituency | Municipal Borough of Spenborough Also included the former Municipal Borough ofBrighouse in theMetropolitan Borough of Calderdale. | Gary Waller | Conservative Party | 1979: 1,734 (over Labour)[72] | |
| Colin Jackson | Labour Party | October 1974: 2,177 (over Conservatives)[73] | |||
| February 1974: 1,546 (over Conservatives)[74] | |||||
| Colne Valley County Constituency | Colne Valley Urban District, Holmfirth Urban District, Kirkburton Urban District, Meltham Urban District Also included the formerSaddleworth Urban District in theMetropolitan Borough of Oldham. | Richard Wainwright | Liberal Party | 1979: 2,352 (over Labour)[75] | |
| October 1974: 1,666 (over Labour)[76] | |||||
| February 1974: 719 (over Labour)[77] | |||||
| Dewsbury Borough Constituency | Municipal Borough of Dewsbury, Heckmondwike Urban District, Mirfield Urban District Also included the former Municipal Borough of Ossett in theCity of Wakefield. | David Ginsburg | Labour Party (Defected to the | 1979: 4,381 (over Conservatives)[79] | |
| October 1974: 6,901 (over Conservatives)[80] | |||||
| February 1974: 5,412 (over Conservatives)[81] | |||||
| Huddersfield East Borough Constituency | Seven wards of the County Borough of Huddersfield: Almondbury, Dalton, Deighton, Fartown, Newsome, North Central, South Central | Barry Sheerman | Labour Party | 1979: 3,095 (over Conservatives)[82] | |
| J. P. W. Mallalieu | October 1974: 8,414 (over Conservatives)[83] | ||||
| February 1974: 7,304 (over Conservatives)[84] | |||||
| Huddersfield West Borough Constituency | Eight wards of the County Borough of Huddersfield: Birkby, Crosland Moor, Lindley, Lockwood, Longwood, Marsh, Milnsbridge, Paddock | Geoffrey Dickens | Conservative Party | 1979: 1,508 (over Labour)[82] | |
| Kenneth Lomas | Labour Party | October 1974: 1,364 (over Conservatives)[83] | |||
| February 1974: 630 (over Conservatives)[84] | |||||
| Penistone County Constituency | Denby Dale Urban District Remainder of constituency consisted of former urban and rural districts in theMetropolitan Borough of Barnsley and theCity of Sheffield | Allen McKay | Labour Party | 1979: 9,701 (over Conservatives)[85] | |
| 1978 by-election: 5,371 (over Conservatives) | |||||
| John Mendelson | October 1974: 1,364 (over Conservatives)[86] | ||||
| February 1974: 630 (over Conservatives)[87] | |||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
53°35′35″N1°48′04″W / 53.593°N 1.801°W /53.593; -1.801
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
