Warwick (district)

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 It has been suggested that List of wards in Warwick district by population be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
Warwick
Warwick
Shown within Warwickshire
Geography
Status: Non-metropolitan district
Region: West Midlands
Admin. County: Warwickshire
Area:
- Total		 Ranked 161
282.88 km²
Admin. HQ: Leamington Spa
ONS code: 44UF
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2006 est.)
- Density		 Ranked 137th
132,900
470 / km²
Ethnicity: 92.9% White
4.7% South Asian
Politics
Leadership: Leader and cabinet
Control: Conservative
MPs: James Plaskitt (L)
Jeremy Wright (C)

Warwick is a local government district of central Warwickshire in England. The current leader of the district council is Conservative Party member Michael Doody.[1]

The district comprises the towns of Warwick itself, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Whitnash, and also includes the surrounding rural areas. The district is bordered to the south and west by Stratford district to the north-east by Rugby borough and to the north by Coventry City Council.

Contents

[edit] Politics and History

Despite being named after Warwick, the district council headquarters are actually based in Leamington Spa. It employs over 500 people in a four storey building near to the River Leam. Warwick hosts the county council headquarters. The district council deal with issues such as waste management, council tax, planning/building regulations, council housing and council house repairs. The county council looks after such matters as education, social services, culture and highways.

The district was created on 1 April 1974, by a merger of the former Leamington Spa and Warwick municipal boroughs, the Kenilworth urban district and the Warwick Rural District. The council claims to have the 33rd cheapest council tax out of the 238 shire districts in the country[2]. The district is trialing a scheme which will allow all residents, for a fee, to connect to wireless broadband internet anywhere in the district, indoors or out[3]. This is the first such scheme in Europe. On 6th August 2007 on-street parking charges were introduced in certain parts of central Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth for the first time.

[edit] Tourism and Leisure

Two of the most well known tourist attractions in the district are Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle, the latter being preserved the second ruined during the English Civil War. Also of interest are the National Trust property Baddesley Clinton and Wroxall Abbey. All three of the districts main towns, Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth have many hotels, two of the better known ones being The Regent Hotel and a Hilton Hotel at Warwick. Warwick Racecourse hosts televised meetings several times a year and the English women's lawn bowls championships takes place in Leamington each year.

There are three public swimming pools and three leisure centres in the district as well as many public open spaces, the most well known being Leamington's Jephson Gardens and Newbold Comyn. There are two public pay-per-play golf courses, one in Leamington and one in Warwick. The biggest football teams in the area are Leamington F.C. and Racing Club Warwick. All three towns have their own theatres including the Royal Spa Centre, Loft Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre Company and The Bridge House Theatre.

[edit] Travel

The district has four railway stations. These are at Warwick, Leamington, Hatton and Lapworth. The Grand Union Canal flows through the district and the M40 motorway also passes through.

[edit] Parishes and settlements

The Warwick district includes the settlements and Parishes of:

For a list of wards in Warwick district by population click here.

v • d • e
Warwick district towns, parishes and settlements
Towns
Parishes, settlements
v • d • e
Districts of the West Midlands Region
Counties with multiple districts: Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire