West Dunbartonshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Dunbartonshire Wast Dunbairtonshire Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar
Coat of arms Council logo
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Lieutenancy area	Dunbartonshire
Admin HQ	Dumbarton
Government
• Body	West Dunbartonshire Council
Area
• Total	61.3 sq mi (158.8 km2)
Area rank	Ranked 31st
Population  (2020)
• Total	89,130
• Rank	Ranked 26th
• Density	1,453.7/sq mi (561.27/km2)
ONS code	S12000039
ISO 3166 code	GB-WDU

West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government areas in Scotland. It is located north-west of Glasgow. Many towns and villages where people live and travel to Glasgow for work are found here. West Dunbartonshire shares borders with Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, and Stirling.

This area was created in 1996. It was formed from parts of the old Clydebank district and Dumbarton district. These areas used to be part of a larger region called Strathclyde.

West Dunbartonshire has three main towns: Clydebank, Dumbarton, and the Vale of Leven. It also includes countryside areas like the Kilpatrick Hills and the south-eastern side of Loch Lomond. The main office for the council is in Dumbarton, even though Clydebank is the biggest town.

History of West Dunbartonshire

West Dunbartonshire was officially created in 1996. This happened when a new law changed how local government worked in Scotland. The old system of regions and districts was replaced with new "council areas."

West Dunbartonshire took over the areas that used to be the Clydebank district and the eastern part of the Dumbarton district. Before this, people in the western part of the old Dumbarton district, like Helensburgh, voted to join Argyll and Bute instead of staying with Dumbarton.

The new area was first going to be called "Dumbarton and Clydebank." However, local leaders asked for the name to be changed to "West Dunbartonshire," and the government agreed.

Local Communities

West Dunbartonshire is divided into 17 smaller areas called community council areas. As of 2023, ten of these areas have their own community councils. These councils help local people have a say in what happens in their neighborhoods.

How West Dunbartonshire is Governed

West Dunbartonshire
Leadership
Provost	Douglas McAllister, Labour Since 18 May 2022
Leader	Martin Rooney, Labour Since 18 May 2022
Chief Executive	Peter Hessett Since 2022
Structure
Seats	22 councillors
Labour	11 / 22
SNP	8 / 22
WDCP	1 / 22
Independent	2 / 22
Elections
Voting system	Single transferable vote
Last election	6 May 2022
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Burgh Hall, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, G82 1QL

The council is made up of 22 councillors. These councillors are elected from 6 different areas called wards.

Council Leaders

The person in charge of the council is called the Leader. Here are the leaders since 1996:

Council Buildings

The main office for the council is at the old Burgh Hall in Dumbarton. There is also an office in the main shopping area of Clydebank.

When the council was first formed in 1996, it used several buildings. Over time, the council brought most of its offices together into the Burgh Hall. This building was updated in 2018 with a modern office complex built behind the historic front.

Council Elections

Since 2007, elections for the council happen every five years. They use a system called "single transferable vote." This system helps make sure that more voices are heard in the council.

Here's a quick look at how many seats different parties have won:

After the 2022 election, one Labour councillor left their party. Also, one SNP councillor left their party. This means that no single party has a clear majority in the council anymore. This is called "no overall control."

Council Wards

Map of the area's wards (2017 configuration)

For the 2007 election, six new wards were created. A ward is an area that elects councillors to represent it. Each ward elects several councillors.

Main Towns and Villages

Here are the largest towns and villages in West Dunbartonshire, listed by how many people live there:

Places to See

West Dunbartonshire has many interesting places to visit, including:

• Erskine Bridge
• Dumbarton Castle
• Inchmurrin, the biggest island in a freshwater loch in the British Isles
• Kilpatrick Hills
• Loch Lomond
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
• Overtoun Bridge
• River Leven