Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. The borough comprises the ten towns of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite. It is governed by Kirklees Council. Kirklees had a population of 422,500 in 2011; it is the third-largest metropolitan district in England by area, behind Doncaster and Leeds. [2]
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 as part of a reform of local government in England. Eleven former local government districts were merged: the county boroughs of Huddersfield and Dewsbury, the municipal boroughs of Batley and Spenborough and the urban districts of Colne Valley, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham and Mirfield.
The name Kirklees was chosen by the merging councils from more than fifty suggestions, including Upper Agbrigg , Brigantia and Wooldale. [3] It was named after Kirklees Priory, which is claimed to be site of Robin 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 of Calderdale. [3] [4]
Under the original draft of the Act, the district would have included Ossett, part of the Dewsbury 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 the Wakefield 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 to Leeds and York for work and education. People living in the western parts commute to Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield for education and work. People living in the southern and eastern parts commute to Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield and Manchester for work and education. The largest towns and principal districts in the borough are Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley, Heckmondwike and Cleckheaton.
The principal settlements of Kirklees are mill towns in the Colne Valley, Holme Valley, Calder Valley and Spen Valley. Those areas of the district with a more urban character bound Calderdale to the west, Bradford to the north-west, Leeds to the north-east and Wakefield 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 and Holme lies within the Peak District National Park. [6] This moorland area mostly bounds Saddleworth, a traditional part of Yorkshire but now locally governed from Oldham, Greater Manchester. There is also a relatively short border with the High Peak district of Derbyshire, running across the summit of Black Hill, and the main border to the south of Kirklees is with Barnsley.
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 for Colne Valley, campaigned for a split in the early 1990s. [9] [10] A similar ambition was mentioned by Elizabeth Peacock, MP for Batley and Spen in 1991. [11] The boundaries of metropolitan boroughs were outside the remit of the Banham 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 have HD postcodes, Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton and Gomersal have BD postcodes, and the rest of the Heavy Woollen area has WF 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 by Metro, as is the case across West Yorkshire.
Kirklees lies along the core Huddersfield line of the TransPennine Express network, with services calling at Huddersfield and Dewsbury. Direct Grand Central services to London King's Cross call at Mirfield. Other railway stations in the district on these routes and on the Penistone line have local Northern Trains services. Some towns in Kirklees have not been served by rail transport since the Beeching cuts. Dewsbury and Batley are served by the Calder Valley Line and the TransPennine Express lines. These serve an important urban area around Leeds and Kirklees with services to further away stations including Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street.
Most bus services in the Huddersfield area are operated by Team Pennine and First West Yorkshire, and most bus services in the Heavy Woollen area are operated by Arriva Yorkshire.
The urban areas of Kirklees are served by the M62 and M1 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 through Flockton. [15]
Kirklees Council has developed a number of traffic-free cycle paths called Greenways in partnership with Sustrans. [16]
Tourism in Kirklees is based around the area's countryside and industrial heritage:
Kirklees Council closed Dewsbury Museum and Red House Museum at the end of 2016, claiming it could not afford to continue running them following cuts to its budget. [17]
Tourist information in Kirklees can be obtained from major libraries. [18]
Huddersfield Town play football in the EFL 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 and Golcar United.
The birthplace of rugby league was at the George Hotel, Huddersfield; local clubs include Super League side Huddersfield Giants, alongside Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams who both play in the Championship.
Kirkless is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from the Emley Moor transmitter which is situated near the village of Emley, in Huddersfield. [19]
Local radio stations are: [20]
Local newspapers are Huddersfield Daily Examiner , Yorkshire Evening Post and Yorkshire Post .
Kirklees Council is the local authority of the district. The council is composed of 69 councillors, three for each of the borough's 23 wards. 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 a Labour executive.
The shadow Kirklees District Council petitioned the privy council for a royal charter under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 granting the status 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 have city status. In 2001 it was announced that a grant of city status was to be made to an English town to mark the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, and Kirklees council indicated that it was considering applying on behalf of Huddersfield. An unofficial telephone poll by the Huddersfield 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 is twinned with:
Besançon, France [29] 
Kostanay, Kazakhstan 1989
Bielsko-Biała, Poland 1997
Kreis Unna, Germany 1967 [30] Kirklees Borough Council was granted armorial bearings by the College of Arms by letters patent dated 24 June 1974. the blazon 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 or bend represents the M62 motorway, while the blue wave upon it is for the many waterways of the area. On the chief or upper third of the shield is a paschal lamb, symbol of St 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. The supporters are purple lions from the arms of the de 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: the civil 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 as successor 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 and Lower Cumberworth, Upper and Lower Denby, Birdsedge and High Flatts, Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd, Emley and Emley Moor and Clayton 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 is unparished, 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 the 1997 general election, when the Labour Party came to power in a landslide, gaining all the seats in the borough. The party held the seats at the subsequent elections of 2001 and 2005. [41] The incumbent MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox, was murdered on 16 June 2016. [42] A constituency by-election took place on 20 October 2016 and Tracy Brabin was elected. [43] A further by-election will be held in the constituency on 1 July 2021, after Brabin's resignation, following her election as Mayor 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] | |||||
The 1983 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 an alliance with the Social Democrats, held Colne Valley. In the following election 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 the 1950 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 the City 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 of Brighouse in the Metropolitan 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 former Saddleworth Urban District in the Metropolitan 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 the City 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 the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the City 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] | |||||
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement.
Batley is a market town in the Kirklees district, in West Yorkshire, England, south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield, in the Heavy Woollen District. In 2011, the population was 48,730.
Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. Dewsbury forms part of the Heavy Woollen District of which it is the largest town. The population of the built-up area was 63,722 at the 2021 Census.
Cleckheaton is a town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds. It is at the centre of the Spen Valley and was the major town in the former borough of Spenborough. Cleckheaton has a history as a mill town and forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.
Heckmondwike is a town in the Kirklees district, West Yorkshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) south west of Leeds. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge. It is mostly in the Batley and Spen parliamentary constituency, and had an estimated population of 16,986 at the 2011 Census increasing to 18,149 at the 2021 Census. Heckmondwike forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.
Dewsbury was a constituency created in 1868 and abolished in 2024.
Colne Valley is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Paul Davies of the Labour Party.
Batley and Spen was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The most recent MP was Kim Leadbeater, a Labour politician, elected in a 2021 by-election by a 323-vote margin. The seat had returned Labour MPs since the 1997 general election.
Huddersfield is a constituency in West Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Harpreet Uppal of the Labour Party.
Kirklees Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, the council has comprised 69 councillors representing 23 wards. Elections are held three years out of four, with one third of the councillors elected each time for a four-year term.
Batley and Morley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the towns of Batley and Morley in West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Spen Valley is a parliamentary constituency in the valley of the River Spen in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Yorkshire South West was a European Parliament constituency covering the southern parts of West Yorkshire in England and, at times, part of South Yorkshire.
Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.
On 20 October 2016, a by-election was held in the UK parliamentary constituency of Batley and Spen. It was triggered by the murder of the incumbent member of parliament (MP), Jo Cox, on 16 June 2016. The Labour candidate, Tracy Brabin, won with 85.8% of the vote. Four parties with parliamentary representation did not enter candidates, out of respect for Cox. Nine candidates contested against Labour, and none reached the 5% threshold to keep their deposit.
The Heavy Woollen District Independents was a political party based in the Heavy Woollen District of West Yorkshire, England. The party was registered with the Electoral Commission on 13 September 2017. Its leader was Aleksandar Lukic-Scott, who was the chairman of UKIP's Dewsbury, Batley and Spen branch until 2017.
Kim Michele Leadbeater is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Spen Valley, formerly Batley and Spen, since 2021.
Dewsbury and Batley is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament, represented since 2024 by Iqbal Mohamed, an Independent. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested in the 2024 general election. The constituency is located in the borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire.
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