Inverclyde

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Inverclyde
Inerclyde
Inbhir Chluaidh
Inverclyde in Scotland.svg
Coat of Arms Inverclyde.svg
Inverclyde Council.svg
Coordinates: 55°54′N4°45′W / 55.900°N 4.750°W / 55.900; -4.750 Coordinates: 55°54′N4°45′W / 55.900°N 4.750°W / 55.900; -4.750
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Scotland
Lieutenancy area Renfrewshire
Admin HQ Greenock
Government
  Body Inverclyde Council
  Control Labour minority (council NOC)
   MPs
   MSPs
Area
  Total62.0 sq mi (160.5 km2)
  Rank Ranked 29th
Population
 (2021)
  Total78,150
  Rank Ranked 28th
  Density1,300/sq mi (490/km2)
ONS code S12000018
ISO 3166 code GB-IVC
Website www.inverclyde.gov.uk

Inverclyde (Scots : Inerclyde, Scottish Gaelic : Inbhir Chluaidh, pronounced  [iɲiɾʲˈxlˠ̪uəj] , "mouth of the Clyde") is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire, which currently exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area. Inverclyde is located in the west central Lowlands. It borders the North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire council areas, and is otherwise surrounded by the Firth of Clyde.

Contents

Inverclyde was formerly one of nineteen districts within Strathclyde Region, from 1975 until 1996. Prior to 1975, Inverclyde was governed as part of the local government county of Renfrewshire, comprising the burghs of Greenock, Port Glasgow and Gourock, and the former fifth district of the county. Its landward area is bordered by the Kelly, North and South Routen burns to the southwest (separating Wemyss Bay and Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire), part of the River Gryfe and the Finlaystone Burn to the south-east.

It is one of the smallest in terms of area (29th) and population (28th) out of the 32 Scottish unitary authorities. Along with the council areas clustered around Glasgow it is considered part of Greater Glasgow in some definitions, [1] although it is physically separated from the city area by open countryside and does not share a border with the city.

The name derives from the extinct barony of Inverclyde (1897) conferred upon Sir John Burns of Wemyss Bay and his heirs.

Council

History

Inverclyde was created as a district 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. Inverclyde was one of nineteen districts created within the region of Strathclyde. The district covered the area of four former districts from the historic county of Renfrewshire, all of which were abolished at the same time: [2] [3]

The new district was named Inverclyde, meaning "mouth of the River Clyde", a name which had been coined in 1897 for the title of Baron Inverclyde which was conferred upon John Burns of Castle Wemyss, a large house at Wemyss Bay. The remaining parts of Renfrewshire were divided between the Eastwood and Renfrew districts. The three districts together formed a single lieutenancy area. [4]

In 1996 the districts and regions were replaced with unitary council areas under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. In the debates leading up to that act, the government initially proposed replacing these three districts with two council areas: "West Renfrewshire", covering Inverclyde district and the western parts of Renfrew district, and "East Renfrewshire", covering Eastwood district and the eastern parts of Renfrew district. [5] The proposals were not supported locally, with Inverclyde successfully campaigning to be allowed to form its own council area. The new council areas came into effect on 1 April 1996. [6] [7]

Communities

230711 Greenock.jpg
Greenock, the administrative seat of Inverclyde Council.
Greenock muni blgs2.jpg
Inverclyde Council is based at Greenock Municipal Buildings.

The area is divided into eleven community council areas, seven of which have community councils as at 2023 (being those with asterisks in the list below): [8]

Places of interest

National voting

In the 2014 independence referendum, the "No" vote won in Inverclyde by just 86 votes and a margin of 0.2%. By either measure, this was the narrowest result of any of the 32 council areas. In the 2016 EU Referendum, Inverclyde posted a "Remain" vote of almost 64%.

Education

Inverclyde has twenty primary schools serving all areas of its settlements. These are:

These are connected to several Secondary schools which serve Inverclyde as follows:

Demography

The average life expectancy for Inverclyde male residents (2013–2015) is 75.4 years, to rank 28th out of the 32 areas in Scotland. The average Inverclyde female lives for 80.4 years, to rank 26th out 32. [15] There are large health disparities between settlements in Inverclyde with many health indicators being above the Scottish average in certain areas, whilst considerably below in others. [16]

In 2019, the Inverclyde Council Area was rated as the most deprived in Scotland by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), with Greenock Town Centre the most deprived community. (The term "deprivation" refers not only to low income according to the BBC, but may also include "fewer resources and opportunities, for example in health and education".) After the announcement, Deputy leader Jim Clocherty said that he hoped that investment money would arrive soon, and that "no part of Scotland wants to be labelled as the 'most deprived'". A £3m investment was scheduled for Greenock Town Centre and there was also plan to create a new cruise visitor centre with other investment funds being expected. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenock</span> Town and administrative centre in Scotland

Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It forms part of a contiguous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gourock</span> Coastal town in Inverclyde, Scotland

Gourock is a town in the Inverclyde council area and formerly a burgh of the County of Renfrew in the west of Scotland. It was a seaside resort on the East shore of the upper Firth of Clyde. Its main function today is as a residential area, extending contiguously from Greenock, with a railway terminus and ferry services across the Clyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Glasgow</span> Town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland

Port Glasgow is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recent census in 2011 states that the population has declined to 15,414. It is located immediately to the east of Greenock and was previously a burgh in the county of Renfrewshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wemyss Bay</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Wemyss Bay is a town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in Inverclyde in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the traditional county of Renfrewshire. It is adjacent to Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. The town and villages have always been in separate counties, divided by the Kelly Burn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2005 onwards

Inverclyde is a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced Greenock and Inverclyde and the Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm areas from West Renfrewshire for the 2005 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverclyde Line</span> Railway line in Scotland, UK

The Inverclyde Line is a railway line running from Glasgow Central station through Paisley and a series of stations to the south of the River Clyde and the Firth of Clyde, terminating at Gourock and Wemyss Bay, where it connects to Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services. The line has been in operation since the 1840s between Glasgow and Greenock and was the first passenger service to follow the River Clyde to the coast. The line was electrified in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Renfrewshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997–2005

West Renfrewshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983 and again from 1997 until 2005. In 2005 the constituency was abolished and the area is now represented by Inverclyde, Paisley and Renfrewshire North and Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverkip</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Inverkip is a village and parish in the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Greenock and 8.1 miles (13 km) north of Largs on the A78 trunk road. The village takes its name from the River Kip and is served by Inverkip railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilmacolm</span> Village in Inverclyde, Scotland

Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area, and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley, 7+12 miles southeast of Greenock and around 15 miles (24 km) west of the city of Glasgow. The village has a population of around 4,000 and is part of a wider civil parish which covers a large rural hinterland of 15,000 hectares containing within it the smaller settlement of Quarrier's Village, originally established as a 19th-century residential orphans' home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenock West railway station</span> Railway station in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland

Greenock West railway station is a station in Greenock, Scotland, located on the Inverclyde Line which runs from Gourock to Glasgow Central. The route is currently operated by ScotRail under the auspices of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Each service to and from Glasgow on the Inverclyde Line stops at this station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wemyss Bay railway station</span> Railway station in Inverclyde, Scotland

Wemyss Bay railway station serves the village of Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, Scotland. The station is a terminus on the Inverclyde Line, about 26 miles (42 km) west of Glasgow Central. The station incorporates the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal connecting mainland Scotland to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. The station is managed by ScotRail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renfrewshire (historic)</span> Historic county and lieutenancy area of western Scotland

Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The lieutenancy area covers the three modern council areas of Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, and this area is occasionally termed Greater Renfrewshire to distinguish it from the modern council area called Renfrewshire. The historic county additionally included territory on the south-western edge of Glasgow which was gradually transferred to the administrative area of the city as it grew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverclyde Council</span>

Inverclyde Council is one of the 32 local authorities of Scotland, covering the Inverclyde council area. In its current form the council was created in 1996, replacing the previous Inverclyde District Council which existed from 1975 to 1996.

Greenock and Port Glasgow was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1974 until 1997, electing one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

The Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (GP&GR) was an early Scottish railway, opened in 1841, providing train services between Greenock and Glasgow. At the time the River Clyde was not accessible to sea-going ships, and the intention was to compete with river boats that brought goods to and from the city. In fact passenger traffic proved surprisingly buoyant, and connecting steamer services to island resorts in the Firth of Clyde provided a very great source of business.

The Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway was a railway owned by the Caledonian Railway, providing services between Greenock and Wemyss Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Columba's High School, Gourock</span> Comprehensive secondary school in Gourock, Renfrewshire, Scotland

St Columba's High School is a co-educational six-year Roman Catholic, comprehensive secondary school, located next to Tower Hill Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland. The school serves south west Greenock, Gourock, Inverkip and Wemyss Bay. The current enrolment (2018) is 682 pupils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverclyde Academy</span> Comprehensive school in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland

Inverclyde Academy is a secondary school in Greenock, Scotland that provides education to the majority of the Inverclyde area. The catchment area for the Academy stretches from the Inverclyde border at Wemyss Bay to Greenock's East End and Strone Farm areas.

References

  1. "Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan Joint Committee". www.gcvcore.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  2. "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1973 c. 65, retrieved 9 February 2023
  3. "No. 14632". The Edinburgh Gazette . 7 March 1930. p. 258.
  4. "The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1975/428, retrieved 9 February 2023
  5. "Local Government (Scotland and Wales) Volume 233: debated on Monday 22 November 1993". Hansard. UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. "Local Government Etc (Scotland) Bill: Volume 235: debated on Monday 17 January 1994". Hansard. UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  7. "Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1994 c. 39, retrieved 6 February 2023
  8. "Community Council Pages". Inverclyde Council. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Clyde Muirshiel – Scotland's Largest Regional Park". clydemuirshiel.co.uk.
  10. Archived 23 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Online Member Services". www.inverclydeleisure.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2005.
  12. "McLean Museum and Art Gallery - Inverclyde Council - Museum & Art Gallery". Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 1 September 2005.
  13. "Historic Environment Scotland". www.historic-scotland.gov.uk.
  14. "Online Member Services". www.inverclydeleisure.com.
  15. "Life expectancy for areas within Scotland 2013–2015" (PDF). National records for Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  16. "Browser Health". Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  17. "Scotland's most and least deprived areas named". BBC News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.