Motherwell (district) facts for kids

Motherwell
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell
Motherwell district within Scotland
Geography
Status	District
HQ	Motherwell
History
Created	16 May 1975
Abolished	31 March 1996
Succeeded by	(Part of) North Lanarkshire
Quick facts for kids Demography
1994 population	143,730
Politics
Governance	Motherwell District Council

Motherwell (in Scottish Gaelic: Tobar na Màthar, in Scots: Mitherwall or Murwall) was a special area in Scotland that had its own local government. It was called a "district" and existed from 1975 to 1996. Motherwell district was part of a larger area called the Strathclyde region. It was located southeast of Glasgow, which was the main city of that region.

History of Motherwell District

How the District Was Created

The Motherwell district was formed in 1975. This happened because of a new law called the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. This law changed how local areas were managed across Scotland. It created two main levels of local government. There were larger "regions" and smaller "districts" within them.

Motherwell was one of 19 districts made inside the Strathclyde region. The new Motherwell district took over parts of three older areas. These older areas were from the historic county of Lanarkshire. They included the towns of Motherwell and Wishaw, plus parts of what were known as the Sixth and Seventh Districts.

Where Motherwell District Was Located

The district was named after its biggest town, Motherwell. The River Clyde formed its western border. Most of its northern border was along the North Calder Water.

Besides Motherwell itself, the district also included several other towns. These were Bellshill, Chapelhall, Holytown, Newarthill, Newmains, and Viewpark. There was also a countryside area around the small town of Shotts. This area stretched east to the border with West Lothian. Motherwell district was quite large, having the eighth-biggest population out of 53 districts in Scotland at that time.

When the District Ended

The Motherwell district stopped existing in 1996. This was due to another new law, the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. This law changed Scotland's local government system again. It replaced the regions and districts with new, single "council areas."

The North Lanarkshire council area was created at this time. It took over the areas that used to be Motherwell district. It also included the former districts of Monklands and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. A small part of the Strathkelvin district, called Chryston, also joined North Lanarkshire.

Political Control

Who Ran the Council

The first election for the Motherwell District Council happened in 1974. At first, this new council worked alongside the old local authorities. It officially started its duties on May 16, 1975.

Throughout the entire time the Motherwell District Council existed, the Labour party was in charge. They always had more than half of the seats on the council. This meant they could make most of the decisions.

Council Buildings

The Motherwell District Council had its main office at the Motherwell Civic Centre. This building is on Windmillhill Street in Motherwell. It was built between 1965 and 1970 for the council that existed before, the Motherwell and Wishaw Town Council. After the Motherwell district council was abolished in 1996, the building became the main office for the new North Lanarkshire Council.

See also

• 1992 Motherwell District Council election
• Subdivisions of Scotland