Editing Worcestershire (section)

===1974–1998===
From 1974, the central and southern parts of the county were amalgamated with Herefordshire and with Worcester County Borough to form a single [[non-metropolitan county]] of [[Hereford and Worcester]].<ref>Local Government in England: Government Proposals for Reorganisation (Cmnd. 4584) Circular 8/71 map</ref> The County Boroughs of Dudley and Warley, along with Stourbridge and Halesowen, were incorporated into the new West Midlands [[Metropolitan county]].<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk H.M. Government] [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70 Local Government Act 1972] – Retrieved 7 May 2020; [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/index.html Hansard 1803–2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801185005/https://hansard.millbanksystems.com/ |date=1 August 2023 }} [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1965/dec/02/local-government-west-midlands-order Local Government (West Midlands Order) Debate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928092416/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1965/dec/02/local-government-west-midlands-order |date=28 September 2020 }} – Retrieved 7 May 2020</ref> The [[West Midlands County Council]] existed for only a few years before abolition in April 1986, although the West Midlands still exists as a [[ceremonial county]].<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk HM Government Legislation] [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/51/contents Local Government Act 1985] – Retrieved 7 May 2020</ref>