Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (district) facts for kids

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth district within Scotland
Geography
Status	District
HQ	Cumbernauld
History
Created	16 May 1975
Abolished	31 March 1996
Succeeded by	(Part of) North Lanarkshire
Quick facts for kids Demography
1991 population	62,412
Politics
Governance	Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth was a special area in Scotland that had its own local government. It was one of 19 "districts" in the larger "Strathclyde region" from 1975 to 1996. Think of it like a smaller part of a bigger puzzle, helping to manage local services for people living there.

A Look Back: How Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Was Formed

Before 1975, Scotland had a different way of organizing its local areas. In 1973, a new law was made to change this. It created a two-part system: bigger areas called "regions" and smaller areas called "districts."

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth became one of these new districts. It was part of the large Strathclyde region. This new district was made up of parts from older areas that were then removed. These older areas came from the historic counties of Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire.

The areas that formed the new district included:

• From Dunbartonshire:
  • The town of Cumbernauld (called a Burgh back then).
  • Parts of the Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld District.
• From Stirlingshire:
  • The town of Kilsyth (also a Burgh).
  • Parts of the Central No.2 district.

When the new law was first written, the district was just going to be called "Cumbernauld." But the local council, which was getting ready to take over, asked for the name to be changed. They wanted it to be "Cumbernauld and Kilsyth," and the government agreed.

The End of the District

The Cumbernauld and Kilsyth district did not last forever. In 1996, another new law changed how local government worked in Scotland again. This time, the "regions" and "districts" were replaced by single, larger areas called "unitary council areas."

Cumbernauld and Kilsyth became part of the new North Lanarkshire council area. This new area also included the former districts of Monklands, Motherwell, and a small part of the Strathkelvin district.

Even though the district no longer exists, the name "Cumbernauld and Kilsyth" is still used. It is the name for an area that elects people to the Scottish Parliament. It was also once a name for an area that elected people to the UK Parliament.

Who Was in Charge? Political Control

The first election for the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth district council happened in 1974. The people elected then worked as a "shadow authority." This means they planned how things would work before officially taking power on May 16, 1975.

Here's how different political groups were in charge over the years:

"No overall control" means that no single political party had more than half of the seats on the council. This often meant different parties had to work together.

The Council's Main Building

The council for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth had its main office in a new building. This building was called the Council Offices and was located on Bron Way in the center of Cumbernauld.

After the district was closed down in 1996, the building changed its name to Bron Chambers. It is now used by the North Lanarkshire Council for extra office space.

See also

• 1992 Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council election
• Subdivisions of Scotland