Kirklees local authority marks its 35th year

Apr 1 2009 By John Avison

It was all happening at the birth of Kirklees

KIRKLEES is 35 years old today. Feature writer John Avison looks back at how it got its name and discovers it could have been far worse. But what do you think of Kirklees so many years on? We are looking for your best anecdotes and storiesKIRKLEES came into being as a local authority under the Local Government Act 1972.

Its first day of operation was April 1, 1974. It celebrates (if a local authority can celebrate) its 35th birthday today.

It still has not been accepted by many people, who can remember the ‘good old borough days.’

The new authority joined the county boroughs of Dewsbury and Huddersfield along with the municipal boroughs of Batley and Spenborough and the urban districts of Colne Valley, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham and Mirfield, becoming the first of two tiers of local government.

With that size and diversity, it was always going to be an unwieldy authority.

The West Yorkshire County Council was formed on the same day, but became something of a white elephant and was abolished in 1986.

At this moment, Kirklees became a unitary or stand-alone authority, responsible for virtually all its own civic services and functions.

As plans for local government reorganisation advanced after 1972, Kirklees was simply known as Metropolitan Area 6D.

Suggestions were called for, and the names of Upper Agbrigg, Brigantia and Wooldale were briefly considered and rightly dismissed.

It is not clear who first came up with the name of Kirklees. The idea was to call the authority after a geographically central feature of the enormous area (408sq km, or 158 square miles).

The name came from Kirklees Priory, legendary burial place of Robin Hood – but only a ruined gatehouse now remains.

It is on the private Kirklees Park Estate in Clifton, yet Clifton, ironically, is part of Calderdale, not Kirklees.

This was spotted by Huddersfield councillor John Lewis.