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Wikipedia: North West England
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North West England
North West
North West region shown within England
Geography
Status Region
Area
— Total		 Ranked 6th
14,165 km²
5,469 sq mi
NUTS 1 UKD
Demographics
Population
— Total
— Density		 Ranked 3rd
6,853,200 (2006)
475/km²
GDP per capita £15,088 (7th)
Government
HQ Liverpool / Manchester
Assembly
— Type		 North West
non-directly elected
European parliament North West England
Website

North West England is one of the nine official regions of England. It has a population of 6,853,200[1] and comprises five counties of England – Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire.

North West England is bounded on the west by the Irish Sea and on the east by The Pennines, and stretches from the Scottish Borders in the north, to the Welsh Mountains in the south. The highest point in the region is Scafell Pike, in Cumbria, which is England's highest peak at 3209 feet (978 m).

Two large conurbations, centred on the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, occupy the south of the region and are its largest centres of population. The north of the region, including northern Lancashire and Cumbria, is largely rural.

Local government

The official region consists of the following subdivisions:

Ceremonial county County/Unitary Districts
Cheshire Cheshire † Ellesmere Port and Neston, Chester, Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton, Macclesfield, Vale Royal
Warrington
Halton
Cumbria † Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland, Copeland, Allerdale, Eden, Carlisle
Greater Manchester * Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan
Lancashire Lancashire † West Lancashire, Chorley, South Ribble, Fylde, Preston, Wyre, Lancaster, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Burnley, Rossendale, Hyndburn
Blackpool
Blackburn with Darwen
Merseyside * Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral

Key: shire county = † | metropolitan county = *

After abolition of the Greater Manchester and Merseyside County Councils in 1986, power was transferred to the Metropolitan Boroughs, effectively making them Unitary Authorities.

Demographics

Population, Density and Settlements

Region/County Population Population Density Largest town/city Largest metropolitan area
North West England 6,853,200 475/km² Manchester (452,000) Greater Manchester Urban Area (2,240,230)
Greater Manchester 2,553,800 1,997/km² Manchester (452,000) Greater Manchester Urban Area (2,240,230)
Lancashire 1,449,600 468/km² Blackpool (142,700) Preston/Chorley/Leyland urban Area (335,000)
Merseyside 1,353,600 2,118/km² Liverpool (436,100) Liverpool Urban Area (816,000)
Cheshire 999,800 424/km² Chester (77,040) Warrington (194,700)
Cumbria 496,200 73/km² Barrow-in-Furness (71,980) City of Carlisle (105,200)

North West England's population accounts for just over 13% of England's overall population. 37.86% of the North West's population resides in Greater Manchester, 21.39% in Lancashire, 20.30% in Merseyside, 14.76% in Cheshire and 7.41% live in the largest county geographically, Cumbria.

Ethnicity

This data is from the 2001 UK Census, and due to increasing migration in the region and country, the ethnic minority populations are likely to be much higher than stated below.

94.4% (6,355,495) of people in the region classified themselves as 'White' in the 2001 UK Census. 92.1% (6,203,043) of the overall regional population is White British, 1.15% (77,499) White Irish and 1.11% (74,953) White Other.

The Mixed Race population makes up 0.92% (62,539) of the region's population. There are 229,875 British Asians in the region, making up 3.41% of the population, and 41,637 Afro-Caribbeans. 0.39% of the population (26,887) is Chinese and 0.19% (13,331) of people classified themselves as 'Other' in the census [1].

North West England is a very diverse region, and cities such as Manchester and Liverpool are amongst the most diverse in Europe. 19.4% of Blackburn with Darwen's population are Muslim, the third highest among all local authorities in the United Kingdom and the highest outside London and a significant South Asian population of over 20%. Areas such as Moss Side in Greater Manchester are home to over a 30% Black British population. Even isolated towns such as Barrow-in-Furness (considered to be at the end of England's largest cul-de-sac) have significant and ever increasing ethnic minority populations, the town now has higher proportions of Mixed Race and Oriental people than the UK average which can only be said for a few North West towns. The City of Liverpool is now over 800 years old, and is one of the few places in Britain where ethnic minority populations can be traced back over dozens of decades, being one of the closest English cities to Ireland it is home to a significant Irish population, and links to the British Slave Trade resulted in the city being home to one of the first ever Afro-Caribbean communities in the UK.

Important cities and towns

Liverpool skyline across the River Mersey
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Liverpool skyline across the River Mersey
Blackpool along the Irish Sea coastline
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Blackpool along the Irish Sea coastline
Oldham town centre
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Oldham town centre
Carlisle city centre and castle
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Carlisle city centre and castle
Walney Channel and Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness
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Walney Channel and Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness
Widnes Industrial areas
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Widnes Industrial areas
Lancaster city centre across the River Lune and Millennium Bridge
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Lancaster city centre across the River Lune and Millennium Bridge
Chester city centre with medieval buildings
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Chester city centre with medieval buildings

Population > 400,000

City Population > 100,000

Population > 70,000

Population > 50,000

Population > 30,000

Population > 20,000

Elected regional assembly

Proposed flag for the region designed by Peter Saville.
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Proposed flag for the region designed by Peter Saville.

It is one of the two regions (along with Yorkshire and the Humber) that were expected to hold a referendum on the establishment of an elected regional assembly. However, when the North East region of England rejected having an elected regional assembly in a referendum, further referendums where cancelled and the proposals for elected regional assemblies in England put on hold. The regional assembly, an unelected quango, is based on Waterside Drive in Wigan.

European Parliament

The North West England European Parliament constituency has the same boundaries as the Region.

History

Ten English regions were established by the government in 1994. At that time, Merseyside, which already had its own Government Office, formerly the Merseyside Task Force, was regarded as a separate region. In 1998, Merseyside was merged into the North West region. This action was controversial in some quarters.

Transport

Road

The M6 motorway is one of the North West's and UK's primary road networks
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The M6 motorway is one of the North West's and UK's primary road networks

Regionwide

Regionwide the principal road link is the M6, this runs all the way from Carlisle and Scotland in the north to Warrington in the south, connecting such towns and cities as Penrith, Kendal, Lancaster, Preston, Liverpool and Manchester. The M6 intersects many of the North West's motorways and A-roads, and carries almost 120,000 vehicles per day (41,975,000 per year).[2]

Old meets new at the Stockport viaduct near Manchester Airport.
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Old meets new at the Stockport viaduct near Manchester Airport.

Greater Manchester and Merseyside

The Greater Manchester and Merseyside areas are home to almost 4 million people, and over half the region's population. The road networks intertwining these metropolitan areas are extremely important to the economy and are largely motorway, including the M62 which crosses the entire country (east to west – Hull to Liverpool), this motorway directly connects the cities of Manchester and Liverpool. The M62 sees 78,000 vehicles using the motorway in the North West per day.[3] The Merseyside-Manchester region has many motorways, that serve many millions on a daily basis, other include the M61 which connects Manchester to Preston, the M56 which runs south of Manchester ot Cheshire and Wales, The M57 and M58 motorways run north of Liverpool, and connect towns such as St Helens and Wigan. The M60 is Manchester's ring road, the M67 and M66 motorways run east and north respectively, both of these motorways are under 10 miles and link Manchester to smaller outlying settlements. On top of this there are countless numbers of A-roads, B-roads and minor roads which circle, entwine and serve these two major metropolises. For more information, see: Transport in Manchester.

A sign marking entry to Scotland located on the A74, a major road crossing the border.
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A sign marking entry to Scotland located on the A74, a major road crossing the border.

Cumbria

In Cumbria the M6 runs all the way down the east of the county connecting the very north of England to the Lancashire border. The A590 links Barrow-in-Furness to Kendal with around 14,000 vehicles per day.[4] The A595 runs all the way along the West Cumbrian coast beginning near Barrow and ending in Carlisle, linking towns such as Whitehaven and Workington. The A591 road runs from Kendal to the centre of the county connecting Lake District settlements like Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick. Other important A-roads include the A5092, A66, A596 and A74 (connecting Carlisle and the M6 to Scotland and the major A74 road).

Lancashire

The Lancashire economy relies strongly on the M6 which also runs from north to south (Lancaster to Chorley). Other motorways in the region include the fairly short M55 which connects the cities of Preston and Blackpool at 11.5 miles (18.3 km) in length. The M65 motorway runs from east to south starting in the town of Colne, running through Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn, Preston and entering Merseyside linking the M6 to the M58. Lancashire is home to many A-roads, the Lancaster-Morecambe area is served by the A683 and A589 roads, the Blackpool-Fylde-Fleetwood area is home to the A587, A584, A583 and A585 roads. the city of Preston and its surroundings are served by the A6, A583, A582 and to the very south-east, the M61 motorway. To the east of the county are the A59, A6119, A677, A679, A666, A680, A56, A646 and A682.

Cheshire

In Cheshire there are three motorways the M6, the M56 (linking Chester to the east), the M53 (linking Chester to Birkenhead) and the M62, which runs just along the county's northern border with Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The Cheshire road system is made up of 3417 miles (5500 km) of highway, and the principal one (M6) carries 140,000[5] vehicles in the county daily, linking the North West to the West Midlands. The county town of chester is served by the A55, A483 and A494 roads which lead to all directions of the UK including Wales, which part of the city lies in. To the west of the M6, Crewe, Northwich and Sandbach are served by the A54, A51, A49, A533 and A530 roads, these all eventually link up connecting the towns to the larger cities, including Stoke-on-Trent to the south. To the east of the M6 in Cheshire lies the Peak District, and towns such as Macclesfield and Congleton which are served by the A6, A537, A536, A34, A523 and A566 roads.

Air

Manchester Airport – The UK's fourth busiest airport, and 21st busiest international airport in the world
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Manchester Airport – The UK's fourth busiest airport, and 21st busiest international airport in the world

The primary international airport in the region is by far Manchester Airport, which served 22,120,000 million passengers in 2006 (18,596,505 of which were international) [2], this is above some of the world's major aviation hubs, including Los Angeles International Airport. The airport is home to four terminals (including the World Freight Terminal), which serve destinations worldwide with Airlines such as American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, BMI, Air Canada, Continental Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa and many more. In 2006 Manchester had a recorded 234,835 [3] aircraft movements, the airport is also a hub for MyTravel, Thomas Cook Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Jet2.com as well as a focus airport for BA. The regions second largest airport is Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which in recent years has been one of Europe's fastest growing airports, having increased its annual passenger numbers from 875,000 in 1998 to 4.96 million in 2006, LJLA serves destinations primarily in the UK, Europe and North America and is a major hub for easyJet, Ryanair and MyTravel Airways. The only other significant passenger airport in the region is Blackpool International Airport, the airport has only been established recently and receives around half a million passengers annually. Destinations range from the Canary Islands in Spain to the Republic of Ireland. Below is a list of every airport and airfield in the North West, categorised by county and alphabetically.

Cheshire

Cumbria

Greater Manchester

Lancashire

Merseyside

Rail

Manchester's Piccadilly station is the largest train station in the region, and the largest and busiest in England outside of London
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Manchester's Piccadilly station is the largest train station in the region, and the largest and busiest in England outside of London

The main connection by train is the West Coast Main Line (Virgin Trains), connecting most of the North West. Other important lines are the Liverpool to Manchester Lines and the North TransPennine which connects Liverpool to Manchester through Warrington. East-west connections in Lancashire are carried via the Caldervale Line to Blackpool.

Sea

Sea ferries depart from Liverpool (Gladstone Dock) to Dublin (P&O Irish Sea) and to Douglas on the Isle of Man (Isle of Man Steam Packet); Birkenhead (Twelve Quays Terminal) to Belfast and Dublin (Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries – former Norse Merchant Ferries); Fleetwood to Larne (Stena Line) in Northern Ireland; and Heysham to Douglas (Isle of Man Steam Packet).

Economy

The North West is historically linked with the textiles industry, mainly before the mid 20th century. Cheshire is linked with the salt industry. Nationally well-known companies in the region include Reebok in Bolton and Lancaster, Kelloggs in Trafford Park (Manchester), Littlewoods in Garston, and Pilkington in St Helens. Makro is in Eccles. JJB Sports is in Wigan. ICI Chemicals is in Runcorn. Scottish & Newcastle have their large Royal Brewery in Manchester. InBev have a brewery in Samlesbury near Preston. The Co-op is based in Manchester and Rochdale. Inventive Leisure is in Ashton-under-Lyne. Princes are in Liverpool. Heinz, although based in Hayes in Middlesex, has the largest food processing complex in Europe at a 55 acre site at Kitt Green in Wigan, which produces 1.4 billion cans of food each year. AstraZeneca is in Macclesfield. BNFL and its subsidiary British Nuclear Group are based in Daresbury near Runcorn, although most of BNG's operations take place at Sellafield in Cumbria. Vauxhall and Shell are in Ellesmere Port. Ford is in Halewood. British Salt is in Middlewich. Royal Navy submarines and ships are made by BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. The Lake District is popular with holiday makers. MAN B&W Diesel is in Stockport. BAE Systems build aircraft in Chadderton and Woodford in Manchester, and Warton and Samlesbury near Preston.

Education

Secondary schools are mostly comprehensive, except Trafford retains a wholly selective school system, and there are some other grammar schools in Lancashire, Wirral, Liverpool and Cumbria. At GCSE, the lowest performing area by a country mile is Knowsley, one of the worst performing in the UK. Other low performing areas in Greater Merseyside are Halton and Liverpool. Sefton performs much better than its neighbour, Liverpool. Warrington is the best performing area, followed by Wirral. In Greater Manchester, Manchester performs the worst, followed by Salford then Oldham. The best performing area is Trafford (one of the best in the UK), followed by Stockport and Bury. In the Lancashire area, Blackpool is low performing. Bury, Cheshire, Lancashire, Stockport, Trafford, Warrington and Wirral perform higher than the UK average. At A level, Trafford performs the best, and again like GCSE is one of the best areas in the UK. The lowest performing area is, again, Knowsley but followed by Rochdale. Areas performing above the UK average are Lancashire, Bury, Wigan, Blackpool, Cheshire, and Wirral. Blackpool performs not particularly well at GCSE, yet produces much better results at A level – even better than Cheshire.

Top twenty state schools in the North West (2006 A level results)

Local media

Local media include:

See also

References

  1. ^ Mid-2006 population estimates for the United Kingdom (XLS). Office of National Statistics (2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
  2. ^ Final strategy report – Area 9, M6 (Jct 11a to Jct 20). Route Management Strategy. Highways Agency. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
  3. ^ Road Traffic Statistics 2006 (XLS). Department for Transport. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
  4. ^ A590 High and Low Newton Bypass. Highways Agency. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
  5. ^ Road Policing. Cheshire Police Web Site. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.

External links

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg
Flag of England Districts of North West England