West Yorkshire Urban Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The West Yorkshire Urban Area is a term used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to refer to a conurbation in West Yorkshire, England, based mainly on Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, but excluding towns such as Castleford, Halifax and Pontefract which though part of the county of West Yorkshire are considered independently.
The ONS gives it a population of 1,499,465 (2001 census), which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in England and Wales. It is broken down into the following components:
- Baildon
- Batley
- Bingley
- Bradford
- Brighouse
- Cleckheaton and Liversedge
- Dewsbury
- Guiseley/Yeadon
- Heckmondwike
- Holmfirth/Honley
- Horbury
- Horsforth
- Huddersfield
- Keighley
- Leeds
- Lofthouse/Stanley
- Menston
- Mirfield
- Morley
- New Farnley
- Ossett
- Pudsey
- Queensbury
- Shelf
- Shipley
- Wakefield
These components seem to be mostly based on pre-1974 council areas. For example, Morley's population figures included residents of West and East Arsley, which had been part of the Morley County Borough prior to 1974. Pairings such as Lofthouse/Outwood, Cleckheaton/Liversedge, etc. seem to be based on a common pre-1974 council. However, it seems that the boundaries were altered in some cases. Wakefield's figures may include areas such as Crigglestone, Durkar and Newmillerdam, which were not part of the city prior to 1974. Belle Isle and Middleton were classified as suburbs of Leeds despite having been in the Rothwell district prior to 1974.