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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 Yorkshire by area, behind Doncaster and Leeds. Kirklees MBC website - Community statistics, 2011 Census
The name Kirklees was chosen by the merging councils from more than fifty suggestions, including Upper Agbrigg, Brigantes and Wooldale. 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.
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. Ossett Town Hall, Ossett Historical Society, 2008, p. 104.
The principal settlements of Kirklees are mill towns in the Colne Valley, Holme Valley, Calder Valley and River Spen. 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. 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. Graham Riddick, as MP for Colne Valley, campaigned for a split in the early 1990s. A similar ambition was mentioned by Elizabeth Peacock, MP for Batley and Spen in 1991. 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.
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.
Tourist information in Kirklees can be obtained from major libraries.
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.
Kirklees Active Leisure is a charitable trust which operates sports centre. Kirklees Active Leisure, accessed on 5 December 2025
Local newspapers are Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Yorkshire Evening Post and Yorkshire Post.
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.
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 Korban Pesach, 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 Lacy 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. Kirklees Borough Guide, c. 1974.
The remainder of the borough is unparished area, with the borough council exercising parish powers.
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. The incumbent MP for Batley and Spen, Jo Cox, was murdered on 16 June 2016. A constituency by-election took place on 20 October 2016 and Tracy Brabin was elected. 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.
Geography
Kirklees sits in quite a central position to all the other surrounding unitary boroughs of West Yorkshire, with people living in the northern parts are closer to Leeds and York for work and education. People living in the western parts are closer to Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield for education and work. People living in the southern and eastern parts are closer to Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield and Manchester for work and education. The largest towns in the borough are Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley, Heckmondwike and Cleckheaton.
Transport
Public transport information is provided by Metro, as is the case across the rest of West Yorkshire.
Rail
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.
Bus
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.
Road
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.
Bicycle
Kirklees Council has developed a number of traffic-free cycle paths called Greenways in partnership with Sustrans.
Demography
Ethnicity
White: White British – – – – 325,348 83.7% 323,890 76.7% 305,579 70.5% White: White Irish – – 3,458 0.9% 2,635 2,335 White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – – – 158 168 White: Roma – – – – – – – – 314 White: Other White – – – – 3,853 7,587 10,573 Asian or Asian British: British Indians 9,809 12,379 15,829 20,797 22,739 Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 13,267 18,185 26,536 41,802 54,795 Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 168 234 388 731 1,065 Asian or Asian British: British Chinese 386 501 611 1,452 1,526 Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 690 958 1,352 3,000 4,077 Black or Black British: Caribbean 4,026 4,613 4,203 4,626 4,324 Black or Black British: African 348 396 476 2,364 4,180 Black or Black British: Other Black 1,434 1,833 567 915 1,444 Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – – – 2,927 5,167 6,433 Mixed: White and Black African – – – – 268 641 1,035 Mixed: White and Asian – – – – 1,557 2,714 3,980 Mixed: Other Mixed – – – – 662 1,268 2,140 Other: Arab – – – – – – 1,214 1,915 Other: Any other ethnic group 1,681 2,154 532 1,497 4,591
Tourism
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.
Sport
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.
Media
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.
Governance
Council
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.
Borough status and mayoralty
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. 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). The mayor is elected from among the councillors for a one-year term (the "civic year") at the council's annual meeting.
Freedom of the borough
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:
Twin towns
Kirklees is twinned with:
Coat of arms
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.
Parish and town councils
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 to urban districts abolished in 1974. The fifth was formed in 1988. The five town or parish councils are:
Denby Dale Parish Council Denby Dale, Upper and Lower Cumberworth, Upper Denby and Lower Denby, Birdsedge and High Flatts, Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd, Emley and Emley Moor and Clayton West 17 Clayton West, Denby & Cumberworth, Emley, Skelmanthorpe Successor to Denby Dale UDC 1973The Local Government (Successor Parishes) (No. 2) Order 1973
(S.I. 1973/1939). 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 23 Brockholes, Fulstone, Hepworth, Holmfirth Central, Honley Central and East, Honley South, Honley West, Netherthong, Scholes, Upper Holme Valley, Upperthong, Wooldale Successor to Holmfirth UDC 1973, renamed Holme Valley 1975. Kirkburton Parish Council Farnley Tyas, Flockton, Grange Moor, Highburton, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Shelley, Shepley and Thurston 25 Flockton, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Lepton & Whitley Upper, Shelley, Shepley, Thurstonland/Farnley Tyas Successor to Kirkburton UDC 1973 Meltham Town Council Crosland Edge, Meltham, Helme, Wilshaw 12 None Successor to Meltham UDC 1973 Mirfield Town Council Battyeford, Mirfield, Northorpe, Lower Hopton and Upper Hopton 16 Battyeford, Crossley, Eastthorpe, Hopton, Northorpe Formed 1988
Parliamentary representation
1997 to date
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.
Batley and Spen Borough Constituency 1997–2005:
Batley East, Batley West,
Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton, Spen.
2010–present:
Batley East, Batley West,
Birstall and Birkenshaw, Cleckheaton,
Heckmondwike, Liversedge and Gomersal.Tracy Brabin| style="color:inherit;background:" rowspan=1 Labour Co-op 2017: 8,961 (over Conservatives)
Jo Cox Labour Party 2015: 6,057 (over Conservatives) Mike Wood 2010: 4,406 (over Conservatives) 2005: 5,788 (over Conservatives) 2001: 5,064 (over Conservatives) 1997: 6,141 (over Conservatives) Colne Valley County Constituency Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor,
Golcar, Holme Valley North,
Holme Valley South, Lindley.Thelma Walker| style="color:inherit;background:" rowspan=1 Labour Party 2017: 915 (over Conservatives)
Jason McCartney Conservative Party 2015: 5,378 (over Labour) 2010: 4,837 (over Liberal Democrats) Kali Mountford Labour Party 2005: 1,501 (over Conservatives) 2001: 4,639 (over Conservatives) 1997: 4,840 (over Conservatives) Dewsbury County Constituency 1997–2005:
Dewsbury East, Dewsbury West,
Heckmondwike, Mirfield, Thornhill.
2010–present:
Denby Dale, Dewsbury East,
Dewsbury South, Dewsbury West,
Kirkburton, Mirfield.Paula Sherriff Labour Party 2017: 3,321 (over Conservatives) 2015: 1,451 (over Conservatives) 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) 1997: 4,840 (over Conservatives) Huddersfield Borough Constituency Almondbury, Birkby,
Dalton, Deighton,
Greenhead, Newsome, Paddock.Barry Sheerman Labour Co-op 2017: 12,005 (over Conservatives) 2015: 7,345 (over Conservatives) 2010: 4,472 (over Conservatives) 2005: 8,351 (over Conservatives) 2001: 10,046 (over Conservatives) 1997: 15,848 (over Conservatives) Wakefield County Constituency 1997–2005:
Denby Dale, Kirkburton,
Wakefield Central, Wakefield East,
Wakefield North, Wakefield Rural.
2010–present:
Horbury and South Ossett, Ossett,
Wakefield East, Wakefield North,
Wakefield Rural, Wakefield West.Mary Creagh Labour Party 2017: 2,176 (over Conservatives) 2015: 2,613 (over Conservatives) 2010: 1,613 (over Conservatives) 2005: 5,154 (over Conservatives) David Hinchliffe 2001: 7,954 (over Conservatives) 1997: 14,604 (over Conservatives)
1983 to 1997
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.The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/417). 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.
Batley and Spen Borough Constituency Batley East, Batley West,
Birstall and Birkenshaw,
Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike and SpenElizabeth Peacock Conservative Party 1992: 1,408 (over Labour) 1987: 1,362 (over Labour) 1983: 870 (over Labour) Colne Valley County Constituency Colne Valley West, Crosland Moor,
Golcar, Holme Valley North,
Holme Valley South and Lindley.Graham Riddick Conservative Party 1992: 7,225 (over Labour) 1987: 1,677 (over Liberal / Alliance) Richard Wainwright Liberal / Alliance 1983: 3,146 (over Conservatives) Dewsbury County Constituency Denby Dale, Dewsbury East, Dewsbury West,
Kirkburton, Mirfield and Thornhill.Ann Taylor Labour Party 1992: 634 (over Conservatives)) 1987: 445 (over Conservatives) John Whitfield Conservative Party 1983: 2,068 (over Labour) Huddersfield Borough Constituency Almondbury, Birkby,
Dalton, Deighton,
Newsome and Paddock.Barry Sheerman Labour Party 1992: 7,258 (over Conservatives) 1987: 7,278 (over Conservatives) 1983: 3,955 (over Conservatives)
1974 to 1983
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.Representation of the People Act 1948, (c.65), Schedule I.
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) Alfred Broughton October 1974: 8,248 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 7,091 (over Conservatives) Brighouse and Spenborough Borough Constituency Spenborough
Also included the former Municipal Borough of Brighouse
in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale.Gary Waller Conservative Party 1979: 1,734 (over Labour) Colin Jackson Labour Party October 1974: 2,177 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 1,546 (over Conservatives) 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) October 1974: 1,666 (over Labour) February 1974: 719 (over Labour) 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
Social Democratic Party in
1981 when he seemed unlikely
to be reselected
as Labour candidate for the next election.) (1995). 9780198280507, Oxford University Press. ISBN 97801982805071979: 4,381 (over Conservatives) October 1974: 6,901 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 5,412 (over Conservatives) Huddersfield East Borough Constituency Seven wards of the County Borough of Huddersfield:
Almondbury, Dalton, Deighton,
Fartown, Newsome, North Central,
South CentralBarry Sheerman Labour Party 1979: 3,095 (over Conservatives) J. P. W. Mallalieu October 1974: 8,414 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 7,304 (over Conservatives) Huddersfield West Borough Constituency Eight wards of the County Borough of Huddersfield:
Birkby, Crosland Moor, Lindley,
Lockwood, Longwood, Marsh,
Milnsbridge, PaddockGeoffrey Dickens Conservative Party 1979: 1,508 (over Labour) Kenneth Lomas Labour Party October 1974: 1,364 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 630 (over Conservatives) 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 SheffieldAllen McKay Labour Party 1979: 9,701 (over Conservatives) 1978 by-election: 5,371 (over Conservatives) John Mendelson October 1974: 1,364 (over Conservatives) February 1974: 630 (over Conservatives)
See also
External links
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