North East Derbyshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See also the North East Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency).
North East Derbyshire District
North East Derbyshire
Shown within Derbyshire
Geography
Status: District
Region: East Midlands
Admin. County: Derbyshire
Area:
- Total
Ranked 165th
275.61 km²
Admin. HQ: Chesterfield
ONS code: 17UJ
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2005 est.)
- Density
Ranked 229th
97,300
353 / km²
Ethnicity: 98.9% White
Politics
North East Derbyshire District Council
http://www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/
Leadership: Leader & Cabinet
Executive: Labour
MPs: Natasha Engel, Dennis Skinner

North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It borders the districts of Chesterfield, Bolsover, Amber Valley and Derbyshire Dales in Derbyshire, and Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire.

The district offices are based outside the district, in the town of Chesterfield, which the district surrounds on three sides, and thus acts as the shopping and work centre for much of the district.

Settlements in the district include:

Arkwright Town, Ashover
Barlow
Calow, Clay Cross
Danesmoor, Dronfield
Eckington
Grassmoor
Holmesfield, Holymoorside, Holmewood
Killamarsh
North Wingfield
Pilsley
Renishaw, Ridgeway
Shirland, Spinkhill, Stonebroom
Tupton
Wingerworth

The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was a merger of the Clay Cross and Dronfield urban districts along with all but one parish of Chesterfield Rural District.

[edit] Coal Mining

The district, along with the district of Bolsover and much of the surrounding area of South Yorkshire, was a major producer of coal when a large seam was discovered during the building of the Clay Cross railway tunnel. Coal mining became the main industry of the region. During the 1980s the Conservative government closed down many of the mines after a dispute between the government and the National Union of miners, which is known as the miners' strike.

The strike began when the government reneged on previous declarations and announced the closure of the majority of pits due to unprofitability and inefficiency. The strike lasted for a year between 1984 and 1985. The strike was observed by approximately 70% of miners in North East Derbyshire. It caused massive social upheaval as traditionally close-knit communities became divided between those who worked and those who didn't. Striking miners went unpaid and were not entitled to state welfare benefits, meaning that thousands of families relied on handouts and poverty became rife.

The strike was resolved by the spring of 1985, when the government effectively defeated the NUM and continued its policy of mine closures. The closure of the pits resulted in the closure of many associated industries, which decimated the local communities. Many former pit villages have struggled to recover. There are now no deep pit mines left in North East Derbyshire.