West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands | |
|---|---|
 Map of the West Midlands conurbation in 2001, with the individual urban areas labelled. The cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton are highlighted in pink. | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Largest settlements | |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,284,093 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcode | |
| Area code(s) | 0121, 01562, 01384, 01902, 01922 |
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Sutton Coldfield, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge and Halesowen in the English West Midlands.
Not to be confused with the region or metropolitan county of the same name, the conurbation does not include parts of the county such as Coventry, but does include parts of the surrounding counties of Staffordshire (e.g. Little Aston, Perton), Warwickshire (specifically Coleshill and Water Orton) and Worcestershire (Hagley, Hollywood).
According to the 2011 Census the area had a population of 2,440,986[1], making it the third most populated in the United Kingdom behind the Greater London and Greater Manchester Urban Area Greater Manchester Built Up Areas.
Constituent parts
Although the exact boundaries of any conurbation are open to debate, dependent on what criteria are used to determine where an urban area ceases, the Office for National Statistics defines the West Midlands Built Up Area as including the urban areas (in decreasing size) of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, and Walsall amongst others. It should be noted that these settlements are not coterminous with the Metropolitan Boroughs of the same name.
The conurbation is unusual in being a truly polycentric conurbation - Birmingham and Wolverhampton have separate Eurostat Larger Urban Zones, and there are separate Travel to Work areas defined for Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley & Sandwell and Walsall & Cannock.
The area of conurbation between Birmingham and Wolverhampton is known as the Black Country. The Black Country is unusual in that it has no single centre, having grown up from a number of historic market towns and industrial villages that coalesced during the 20th century. It remains essentially polyfocal with many of the towns and villages remaining recognisable communities. Inhabitants of the Black Country generally resist hints at any relationship to people living in Birmingham. This can be seen by the 2006 controversy regarding the name of the newly created city region. "Greater Birmingham" was seen as unacceptable, and the final name given was "Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country".[citation needed]
Coventry is separated from the West Midlands conurbation by the Meriden Gap, and other urban areas, such as Cannock and Codsall are also only narrowly avoided.
Relationship to Metropolitan County
Occasionally the conurbation is seen as being coterminous with the West Midlands county; however, this includes Coventry, which is separate from the main urban area, and excludes the parts of the surrounding counties of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire that fall within the conurbation.
For administrative purposes, the vast majority of the conurbation falls within the six Metropolitan Boroughs of Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Between 1974 and 1986 these areas (along with Coventry) were additionally administered by the West Midlands County Council. Some bodies such as the West Midlands Police and Centro (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) still cover the Metropolitan County, but not the entire urban area.
Settlements
The West Midlands Built Up Area consists of the following settlements:
| Rank
(2001) |
Settlement | Population
(2001)[2] |
Population
(1991)[3] |
Population
(1981)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 970,892 | 965,928 | 1,024,118 |
| 2 | Wolverhampton | 251,462 | 257,943 | 265,631 |
| 3 | Dudley | 194,919 | 192,171 | 187,367 |
| 4 | Walsall | 170,994 | 174,739 | 178,852 |
| 5 | Oldbury / Smethwick | 139,855 | 145,542 | 153,461 |
| 6 | West Bromwich | 136,940 | 146,386 | 154,531 |
| 7 | Sutton Coldfield | 105,452 | 106,001 | 103,097 |
| 8 | Solihull | 94,753 | 94,531 | 94,613 |
| 9 | Stourbridge | 55,480 | 55,624 | 55,499 |
| 10 | Halesowen | 55,273 | 57,918 | 57,532 |
| 11 | Brownhills | 19,866 | 18,159 | 18,200 |
| 12 | Knowle / Bentley Heath | 18,452 | ||
| 13 | Aldridge | 15,659 | 16,832 | 17,589 |
| 14 | Pelsall | 10,524 | 10,007 | 10,328 |
| 15 | Shelfield | 6,807 | 7,079 | 6,029 |
| 16 | Coleshill | 6,235 | 6,324 | |
| 17 | Yew Tree | 6,109 | ||
| 18 | Rushall | 5,864 | 5,871 | 6,137 |
| 19 | Hagley | 5,723 | 5,417 | 5,754 |
| 20 | Shelly Green | 5,702 | ||
| 21 | Water Orton | 3,573 | 3,555 | |
| 22 | Cheswick Green | 2,261 | 2,511 | |
| Knowle | 17,588 | 16,872 | ||
| Bentley Heath | 5,984 |
Notes:
- Knowle and Bentley Heath are considered as one settlement in 2001, but are considered separately in 1991 and 1981. Bentley Heath was not considered to be a settlement within the West Midlands Urban Area in 1981.
- Coleshill and Water Orton were not considered to be part of the West Midlands Urban Area in 1981, but a separate Coleshill/Water Orton Urban Area with a total population of 9,554; made up of Coleshill (6,113) and Water Orton (3,441).
- Yew Tree is only considered part of the West Midlands Urban Area in the 2001 census.
- Cheswick Green was not considered to be a settlement within the West Midlands Urban Area in 1981.
- Shelly Green was not considered to be a settlement within the West Midlands Urban Area in 1981 or 1991.
See also
- Constituent areas of Birmingham, England
- List of areas in Dudley
- list of areas in Sandwell
- List of areas in Walsall
- List of areas in Wolverhampton
References
- ^ "2011 Census - Built-up areas". ONS. Retrieved 04 July 2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "2001 census: Key Statistics for Urban Areas". ONS. Retrieved 2013-04-10.}
- ^ "1991 Census: West Midlands Urban Area". ONS. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
- ^ "1981 Key Statistics for Urban Areas: The Midlands Table 1" (Document). Office for National Statistics. 1981.
External links
- Office for National Statistics (2004), Key Statistics for urban areas in the Midlands (PDF), London: TSO Laid before Parliament pursuant to Section 4(1) Census Act 1920 Census 2001, retrieved April 2013
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)
Maps showing breakup of the conurbation according to the ONS in the 2001 census (PDF):