North Midlands

The North Midlands is a loosely defined area of England. A statistical definition, first defined in 1881, included the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland as part of the North Midlands region. The region has remained in informal use for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, the northern parts of Lincolnshire and Staffordshire, and Cheshire and South Yorkshire to a lesser extent. A combined authority area for the North Midlands was proposed during 2016 for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, but was cancelled when the devolution deal for it collapsed later in the year.

North Midlands
proposed Combined authority area
Counties typically included in the North Midlands are highlighted in pink. Counties sometimes included in the North Midlands are highlighted in light pink.
Country United Kingdom
Constituent country England
RegionEast Midlands
Counties

and northern parts of:

some definitions include

EstablishedN/A
HQNottingham
Districts
Government
 • TypeLocal enterprise partnership
 • BodyD2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
 • LeadershipChairman and board
 • ChairmanPeter Richardson
Area
 • Total1,847 sq mi (4,785 km2)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total1,861,200
Time zoneUTC0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Websitewww.northmidlands.org.uk

History and Extent

A North Midlands region was first defined for the 1881 UK census.[1] It was defined as the entirety of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. A new definition of the region appeared in 1939, for various government statistical purposes: Derbyshire without High Peak, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough. In 1942, High Peak was added, but it was removed again in 1946. In 1962, it was merged into a new Midlands statistical region.[2]

The North Midlands has remained in use as an informal term for part of the area, covering Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, the northern parts of Lincolnshire and Staffordshire, and Cheshire and South Yorkshire to a lesser degree, even though Staffordshire, Cheshire and South Yorkshire never formed part of the statistical region. For example, in the 1960s, Sheffield was described in an official publication as "the vigorous shopping and cultural centre of the North Midlands".[3][4][5]

The introduction to J. B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls specifies that it is set in the fictional town of Brumley in the North Midlands.

Organisations

The North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit was previously operated jointly by Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Police until 2013 when all police air support functions were taken over by the newly formed National Police Air Service. The service subsequently closed the North Midlands unit permanently in 2016.[6] The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust operates in Staffordshire and covers the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and the Stafford County Hospital.[7]

A North Midlands Combined Authority was proposed to be formed in April 2017. In March 2016 it was reported that plans for a combined authority may not proceed,[8] as South Derbyshire District Council, High Peak Borough Council, Amber Valley Borough Council and Erewash Borough Council had all voted to reject the proposal. In addition, Chesterfield Borough Council decided to sign up to the South Yorkshire Combined Authority, rather than the North Midlands Combined Authority.[9] In July 2016, it was reported that the North Midlands devolution deal had collapsed.[10]

Politics

The North Midlands covers a part of the red wall; areas traditionally represented by the Labour Party.

See also

References
  1. Woollard, Matthew (1999). "1881 census for England and Wales, the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man: introductory user guide v.0.3" (PDF). University of Essex. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  2. Hardill, Irene; Benneworth, Paul; Baker, Mark; Budd, Leslie, eds. (2006). The Rise of English Regions?. New York: Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-41533-632-1.
  3. Turner, Graham (1967). The North Country. London, UK: Eyre & Spottiswoode. p. 15.
  4. "Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire launch 'North Midlands' devolution deal". BBC News. BBC News. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  5. Ingram, Harold (1948). North Midland Country: A Survey of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. London, UK: B. T. Batsford. pp. 0–116. Retrieved 31 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  6. "Police helicopter service to close Derbyshire base to save cash". Derby Telegraph. 20 February 2015.
  7. "New NHS Trust to run mid and north Staffordshire hospital". NHS Stafford and Surrounds. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  8. Charity, Nick (4 March 2016). "Plans for combined Notts and Derby mayor could be scrapped". Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  9. "Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire combined authority a step nearer despite setbacks". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  10. Scott, Jennifer (21 July 2016). "Devolution is dead - so what is the plan for Nottingham's future?". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 14 February 2017.


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