North West Leicestershire

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Template:About Template:Infobox settlement North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. The towns in the district include of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Coalville (where the council is based) and Ibstock. Notable villages in the district include Donington le Heath, Ellistown, Hugglescote, Kegworth, Measham, Shackerstone, Thringstone and Whitwick.

Castle Donington is notable as the location of Donington Park, a grand-prix circuit and a major venue for music festivals. The area has a long history of mineral extraction, with coal, brick clay, gravel and granite amongst the products. All the deep coal mines in the area have closed, but opencast mining still continues. The district is also home to part of the Battlefield Line and the Ibstock Brick.

The neighbouring districts are Charnwood, Hinckley and Bosworth, North Warwickshire, Lichfield, South Derbyshire, Erewash and Rushcliffe.

History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of five former districts plus a single parish from a sixth, which districts were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

The new district was named North West Leicestershire, reflecting its position in the wider county.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Governance

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North West Leicestershire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Leicestershire County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref><ref name=electionmaps>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by an alliance of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and two of the independent councillors, led by Conservative councillor Richard Blunt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "North West Leicestershire" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

Party in control Years
Template:Party name with colour 1974–1976
Template:Party name with colour 1976–1979
Template:Party name with colour 1979–1983
Template:Party name with colour 1983–1991
Template:Party name with colour 1991–2007
Template:Party name with colour 2007–2023
Template:Party name with colour 2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Councillor Party From To
Frank Straw<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Party name with colour pre-2003 May 2007
Richard Blunt<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Party name with colour 15 May 2007

Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party Councillors
Template:Party name with colour 17
Template:Party name with colour 12
Template:Party name with colour 5
Template:Party name with colour 4
Total 38

The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and two of the independent councillors sit together as the "Alliance Group" which forms the council's administration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next election is due in 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Elections

Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the district has comprised 38 wards, each of which elects one councillor. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

The district is coterminous with the North West Leicestershire parliamentary constituency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Premises

The council meets at Stenson House on London Road in Coalville. The building was built in 1934 as the headquarters of the old Coalville Urban District Council.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Following the creation of North West Leicestershire in 1974 the building was significantly extended to the rear. In 2022 the extension was closed pending demolition, and the council opened a new customer services centre on Belvoir Road, retaining and refurbishing the 1934 front part of Stenson House to be used for meetings and civic functions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Demography

File:Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle.jpg
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, best known for Ashby Castle and the second-largest town in the district
Population growth in North West Leicestershire
Year 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011 2016 2021 2031
Population 64,892 65,615 71,671 78,048 80,550 85,485 93,348 98,600 101,500 107,000
Census<ref>Vision of Britain through time</ref> ONS<ref>mid year estimate</ref> ONS Projections<ref>ONS population projections 2014 base / projections uplifted by '21-1,700/'31-1,600 given underestimation at 2016 - 1,700/</ref>

North West Leicestershire has experienced steady population growth in recent times as the district balances the agro-rural economy with the end of labour-intensive deep coal-mining. Alternative employment opportunities exist within the district in the services and distributive sectors, together with local or nearby manufacturing and extractive/transformative/construction industries. The lack of rail services to/from Leicester, Loughborough and other nearby centres limits access for employment, commerce and leisure to a road journey that competes with freight and heavy-haulage vehicles especially to the south and east.

Economy

File:DoningtonHallCastleDonington.jpg
Donington Hall, headquarters of Norton Motorcycles, formerly of BMI

Since 2013 Norton Motorcycles has its head office in Donington Hall, Castle Donington.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> BMI (British Midland), an airline, was headquartered in Donington Hall.<ref name="BMIContact">"Contact us Template:Webarchive." BMI. Accessed September 23, 2008.</ref> The airline moved its headquarters to Donington Hall in 1982.<ref>"the eighties Template:Webarchive." British Midland International. Retrieved on 28 December 2011.</ref> The subsidiary bmibaby also had its head office in Donington Hall.<ref>"Company Information Template:Webarchive." bmibaby. Retrieved on 31 December 2011. "Registered office - Donington Hall Castle Donington Derby East Midlands DE74 2SB UK"</ref>

Prior to its disestablishment, Excalibur Airways had its head office on the grounds of East Midlands Airport in Castle Donington.<ref>"World Airline Directory." Flight International. 24–30 March 1993. "91.</ref> Prior to its disestablishment, Orion Airways had its head office on the grounds of East Midlands Airport.<ref>"World Airline Directory." Flight International. 29 March 1986. 114.</ref>

In 2011 Coalfield Resources plc were given permission to develop an opencast coal mining pit on the site of the former Minorca colliery between Measham and Swepstone on a seam which will be Template:Convert across and extract 1,250,000 tonnes (1,380,000 tons) of coal over five years, and 250,000 tonnes (280,000 tons) of clay.<ref>"Leicestershire opencast coal mine gains approval" BBC News</ref>

Media

In terms of television, the area receives better TV signals from the Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter which broadcasts BBC West Midlands and ITV Central (West) from Birmingham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some eastern parts of the district are still able to receive the Waltham TV transmitter to get BBC East Midlands and ITV Central (East) from Nottingham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio stations for the area are:

Parishes

File:Market Street - geograph.org.uk - 2253706.jpg
Castle Donington
File:North end of High Street, Ibstock - geograph.org.uk - 3384750.jpg
Ibstock

Most of the district is covered by civil parishes. Parts of the former Coalville Urban District covering the main part of Coalville and the Thringstone area are unparished areas.<ref name=electionmaps/> The parish councils for Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Ashby Woulds have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council". (Whilst Ibstock is a post town and Castle Donington is sometimes called a town, neither parish council has formally declared them to be towns.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The parishes are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Coat of arms

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References

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