Editing West Dunbartonshire (section)

==History==
West Dunbartonshire was created in 1996 under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], which abolished the [[Local government areas of Scotland (1975–1996)|regions and districts]] which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary [[council area]]s. West Dunbartonshire covered the area of the abolished [[Clydebank (district)|Clydebank district]] and the eastern part of [[Dumbarton (district)|Dumbarton district]]. In a referendum in 1994 the largely rural western part of the old Dumbarton district, including the town of [[Helensburgh]], had voted to join [[Argyll and Bute]] rather than stay with Dumbarton.<ref>{{cite news |title=Was Argyll and Bute move right decision? |url=https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/13979842.was-argyll-and-bute-move-right-decision/ |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=Helensburgh Advertiser |date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=21 February 2023}}</ref>

The 1994 act originally named the new district "Dumbarton and Clydebank", but the shadow authority elected in 1995 requested a change of name to "West Dunbartonshire", which was agreed by the government before the new council area came into force.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=17 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>