Spenborough was, from 1915 to 1974, a local government district in the
administrative county
An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until 1973 in Northern Ireland, 2002 in the Republic of Ireland. They are now abolished, although most Northern ...
of
Yorkshire, West Riding, England.
Spenborough was created as an
urban district in 1915 by the merger of
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and so ...
,
Gomersal and
Liversedge urban districts.
[
] The amalgamation was carried out at the instigation of Cleckheaton Urban District Council, in order to resist plans by the
County Borough of Bradford
The County Borough of Bradford was a local government district with city status in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, from 1847 to 1974.
Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and a county borough in 1888, making it administrative ...
to annex the area. The name "Spenborough", after the
River Spen, was also suggested by Cleckheaton UDC. The district was expanded in 1937 by taking in the abolished
Birkenshaw and Hunsworth urban districts, as well as part of the parishes of
Clifton and
Hartshead from the
Halifax Rural District.
[ Attempts to incorporate neighbouring Heckmondwike which is considered to be in the Spen Valley area, were never successful.
On 29 July 1955, it was granted a charter of incorporation creating it a ]municipal borough
A municipal borough was a type of local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
.
In 1974, Spenborough was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, with its area forming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
. Today, Kirklees Council recognises the former Spenborough borough area, with neighbouring Heckmondwike, as the Spen Valley Locality in its structure.
Legacy
Despite the borough's abolition in 1974, the name continues in use in the area. Examples are the ''Spenborough Guardian'', a Cleckheaton-based local newspaper and the Spenborough and District Athletic Club, both in Liversedge.
See also
*Spen Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Spen Valley is a United Kingdom constituencies, parliamentary constituency in the valley of the River Spen in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It returns one Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons o ...
, 1885–1950
* Brighouse and Spenborough (UK Parliament constituency), 1950–1983
* Cleckheaton Town Hall, the meeting place of Spenborough Urban District Council
References
Districts of England abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
Local government in Kirklees
Unparished areas in West Yorkshire
Geography of Kirklees
{{WestYorkshire-geo-stub