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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.

Contents 1 Divisions and environs 2 History 3 Politics 4 Economy 5 Cities, towns and villages 6 Places of interest 6.1 Historic environment 6.2 Museums 6.3 Natural environment 6.4 Waterways 7 See also 8 References

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.

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.

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.

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

• 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

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

Accent & Dialect

Anthem

Cricket

Famous People

History

Places

White Rose

Yorkshire Day 1 August

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Scammonden Water, Deanhead Reservoir - both in the moors near Ripponden
• River Aire, River Calder, River Hebble, River Spen, River Worth
• Aire & Calder Navigation
• Calder and Hebble Navigation
• Huddersfield Broad Canal
• Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Standedge Tunnel
• Leeds and Liverpool Canal
• Knottingley & Goole Canal
• Rochdale Canal

• The Kingdom of Elmet
• West Yorkshire Urban Area
• West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service
• West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)

1. ^ Arnold-Baker, C., Local Government Act 1972, (1973)
2. ^ Wakefield City Council (20 November 2004). County Hall.
3. ^ Redcliffe-Maud & Wood, B., English Local Government Reformed, (1974)
4. ^ Kingdom, J., Local Government and Politics in Britain, (1991)
5. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
6. ^ includes hunting and forestry
7. ^ includes energy and construction
8. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Metropolitan County of West Yorkshire

City of Bradford | City of Leeds | City of Wakefield Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale | Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees