Editing Cleckheaton (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Town Hall Cleckheaton.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cleckheaton Town Hall]] (1892) by Mawson & Hudson of Bradford]]
Cleckheaton was formerly a [[Township (England)|township]] in the parish of Birstall,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/place/930|title=History of Cleckheaton, in Kirklees and West Riding|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=9 October 2024}}</ref> in 1866 Cleckheaton became a separate [[civil parish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10411191|title=Relationships and changes Cleckheaton CP/Ch through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=9 October 2024}}</ref> Cleckheaton adopted the [[Local Government Act 1858]] in 1864 and a [[Local board of health|local board]] was formed. The [[Local Government Act 1894]] reconstituted the area of the local board as Cleckheaton [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban District]]. There were at this time attempts to involve all the local authorities in the valley in joint projects such as installation of sewers and water. In 1915, the three [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban districts]] of Cleckheaton, [[Liversedge]] and [[Gomersal]] were amalgamated to form [[Spenborough|Spenborough Urban District]]. In 1937, a [[Local Government Act 1929|county review order]] enlarged the urban district to include Birkenshaw, Hunsworth and [[Hartshead]].<ref name="youngs">Frederic A Youngs Jr., ''Local Administrative Units of England'', Vol II: Northern England, London 1991</ref> Spenborough (which included all the Spen Valley except for Heckmondwike) was granted a charter of incorporation and became a [[municipal borough]] on 23 May 1955. The borough used the [[coat of arms]] which bore the motto "Industry Enriches" which it had been granted in 1949.<ref>Geoffrey Briggs, ''Civic and Corporate Heraldry'', London 1971</ref> In 1951 the parish had a population of 13,440.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10411191/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Cleckheaton CP/Ch through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=9 October 2024}}</ref> On 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/spen%20valley.html|title=Spen Valley Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=9 October 2024}}</ref>

On 1 April 1974, the [[Local Government Act 1972]] reorganised administration throughout [[England and Wales]]. The borough of Spenborough was abolished, and its area combined with that of ten other local authorities to form the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, one of five [[metropolitan borough]]s of [[West Yorkshire]].<ref>Local Government Act 1972, (1972 c.70), Schedule I</ref>
Cleckheaton is a [[ward (politics)|ward]] of Kirklees and is [[unparished area|unparished]]. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 16,622.<ref name="2011 census">{{NOMIS2011|id=E05001393|title=Cleckheaton Ward (as of 2011)|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref> It elects three of the borough council's 69 councillors. In 2007 all three councillors were members of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]].<ref>[http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/councillors/yourcouncillors.asp?w_id=6 ''Your Councillors in Cleckheaton'', Kirklees Council, accessed 1 April 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618022518/http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/councillors/yourcouncillors.asp?w_id=6 |date=18 June 2008 }}</ref> Under the borough council's [[decentralisation]] scheme, Cleckheaton's councillors and those from Heckmondwike and Liversedge and Gomersal form the Spen Valley Area Committee.<ref>[http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/area-committee/committeedetails.asp?acID=10 ''Spen Valley Area Committee'', Kirklees Council, accessed 1 April 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618022510/http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-howcouncilworks/area-committee/committeedetails.asp?acID=10 |date=18 June 2008 }}</ref> In August 2014, it was announced that Cleckheaton councillor [[Kath Pinnock]] was to be elevated to the House of Lords as a life peer taking the title Baroness Pinnock, of Cleckheaton.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.libdems.org.uk/nick_clegg_announces_new_liberal_democrat_peers|title = Liberal Democrats|date = 8 August 2014|access-date = 8 August 2014|website = Nick Clegg announces new Liberal Democrat Peers}}</ref>