Wast Midlands conurbation

The Wast Midlands conurbation is the name gien tae the lairge conurbation that includes the ceeties o Birmingham an Wolverhampton an the lairge touns o Dudley, Walsall, Wast Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the Englis Wast Midlands.

No tae be ramfeeselt wi the region or metropolitan coonty o the same name, the conurbation daes no include pairts o the coonty such as Coventry, but daes include pairts o the surroondin coonties o Staffordshire (e.g. Little Aston, Perton), Warwickshire (specifically Coleshill an Water Orton) an Worcestershire (Hagley, Hollywood).

Accordin tae the 2001 Census the aurie haed a population o 2,284,093, makkin it the seicont maist populatit in the Unitit Kinrick.

Constituent Pairts
Awtho the exact bundaries o ony conurbation are open tae debate, dependent on wha criteria are uised tae determine whaur an urban aurie ceases,  the Office for Naitional Statistics defines the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie as includin the urban auries (in decreasin size) o Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, an Walsall amangst ithers.  Thir settlements are no coterminous wi the Metropolitan Boroughs o the same name, an the ONS takes its dounset bundaries athin the conurbation as the pre-1974 local authorities.

The conurbation is unuisual in haein a nummer o lairge settlements athin, wi Birmingham (2nt), Wolverhampton (13t), Dudley (19t) an Walsall (28t) aw bein amangst the lairgest 30 urban sub-auries in Ingland.

The aurie o conurbation atween Birmingham an Wolverhampton is kent as the Black Kintra. The Black Kintra is unuisual in that it haes nae single centre, haein grown up frae a nummer o historic mercat touns an industrial veelages that coalesced durin the 20t century. It remains essentially polyfocal wi mony o the touns an veelages remainin recognisable communities. Inhabitants o the Black Kintra generally resist hints at ony relationship tae fowk livin in Birmingham.  This can be seen bi recent (2006) controversy regardin the name o the newly creatit ceety region.  "Greater Birmingham" wis seen as unacceptable, an the feenal name gien wis "Birmingham, Coventry an the Black Kintra".

Coventry is separate frae the Wast Midlands conurbation, an ither urban auries, such as Cannock an Codsall are an aa anerlie narraely avoidit.

Relationship tae Metropolitan Coonty
Occasionally the conurbation is seen as bein coterminous wi the Wast Midlands coonty; housomeivver, this includes Coventry, which is separate frae the main urban aurie, an excludes the pairts o the surroondin coonties o Staffordshire, Warwickshire an Worcestershire that faw athin the conurbation.

For admeenistrative purposes, the vast majority o the conurbation faws athin the sax Metropolitan Boroughs o Birmingham,  Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall an Wolverhampton. Atween 1974 an 1986 thir auries (alang wi Coventry) wur additionally admeenistered bi the Wast Midlands Coonty Cooncil. Some bodies such as the Wast Midlands Polis an Centro (the Wast Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) still cover the Metropolitan Coonty, but no the entire urban aurie.

Settlements
The Wast Midlands conurbation consists o the follaein settlements:

Rank
(2001)SettlementPopulation 
(2001)Population
(1991)Population
(1981)1Birmingham970,892965,9281,024,1182Wolverhampton251,462257,943265,6313Dudley194,919192,171187,3674Walsall170,994174,739178,8525Oldbury / Smethwick139,855145,542153,4616West Bromwich136,940146,386154,5317Sutton Coldfield105,452106,001103,0978Solihull94,75394,53194,6139Stourbridge55,48055,62455,49910Halesowen55,27357,91857,53211Brownhills19,86618,15918,20012Knowle / Bentley Heath18,45213Aldridge15,65916,83217,58914Pelsall10,52410,00710,32815Shelfield6,8077,0796,02916Coleshill6,2356,32417Yew Tree6,10918Rushall5,8645,8716,13719Hagley5,7235,4175,75420Shelly Green5,70221Water Orton3,5733,55522Cheswick Green2,2612,511Knowle17,58816,872Bentley Heath5,984

Notes:
 Knowle an Bentley Heath are considered as ane dounset in 2001, but are considered separately in 1991 an 1981.  Bentley Heath wis no considered tae be a dounset athin the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie in 1981.
 Coleshill an Water Orton wur no considered tae be pairt o the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie in 1981, but a separate Coleshill/Water Orton Urban Aurie wi a tot population o 9,554; made up o Coleshill (6,113) an Water Orton (3,441).
 Yew Tree is anerlie considered pairt o the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie in the 2001 census.
 Cheswick Green wis no considered tae be a dounset athin the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie in 1981.
 Shelly Green wis no considered tae be a dounset athin the Wast Midlands Urban Aurie in 1981 or 1991.

See an aw
 Constituent auries o Birmingham, Ingland
 Leet o auries in Dudley
 leet o auries in Sandwell
 Leet o auries in Walsall
 Leet o auries in Wolverhampton

References

Freemit airtins
Maps showin breakup o the conurbation accordin tae the ONS in the 2001 census (PDF):
North West, includin Wolverhampton
North East, includin Walsall
South West, includin Dudley
South East, includin Birmingham an Solihull



Category:Urban auries o Ingland
Category:Wast Midlands (coonty)
Category:Wast Midlands (region)