West Dunbartonshire#Settlements

West Dunbartonshire was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. West Dunbartonshire covered the area of the abolished Clydebank district and the eastern part of Dumbarton district. In a referendum in 1994 the largely rural western part of the old Dumbarton district, including the town of Helensburgh, had voted to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.{{cite news |title=Was Argyll and Bute move right decision? |url=https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/13979842.was-argyll-and-bute-move-right-decision/ |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=Helensburgh Advertiser |date=15 August 2014}}{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=21 February 2023}}

The 1994 act originally named the new district "Dumbarton and Clydebank", but the shadow authority elected in 1995 requested a change of name to "West Dunbartonshire", which was agreed by the government before the new council area came into force.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=17 February 2023}}{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=17 February 2023}}

The area is divided into 17 community council areas, 10 of which have community councils as at 2023 (being those with asterisks in the list below):{{cite web |title=Active Community Councils |url=https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/community/community-planning-west-dunbartonshire/communities/community-councils/active-community-councils/ |website=West Dunbartonshire Council |access-date=21 February 2023}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Alexandria*
• Balloch and Haldane
• Bonhill and Dalmonach*
• Bowling and Milton*
• Clydebank East*
• Dalmuir and Mountblow
• Dumbarton East and Central*
• Dumbarton North
• Dumbarton West
• Duntocher and Hardgate
• Faifley*
• Kilmaronock*
• Linnvale and Drumry
• Old Kilpatrick*
• Parkhall, North Kilbowie and Central*
• Renton
• Silverton and Overtoun*

{{div col end}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = West Dunbartonshire

| native_name =

| transcription_name =

| legislature =

| coa_pic = West Dunbartonshire Council.svg

| coa_res = 150px

| house_type =

| body =

| houses =

| leader1_type = Provost

| leader1 = Karen Murray Conaghan

| party1 =
SNP

| election1 = 28 August 2024 {{cite news |title=First female Provost of West Dunbartonshire has been elected |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/24548008.first-female-west-dunbartonshire-provost-elected/#:~:text=Councillor%20Karen%20Murray%20Conaghan%20has,council's%20history%20to%20do%20so. |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=Clydebank Post |date=28 August 2024}}

| leader2_type = Leader

| leader2 = Martin Rooney

| party2 =
Labour

| election2 = 18 May 2022

| leader3_type = Chief Executive

| leader3 = Peter Hessett

| party3 =

| election3 = 2022{{cite news |title=West Dunbartonshire Council: Peter Hessett is new chief executive |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/20182249.peter-hesset-announced-new-chief-executive-west-dunbartonshire-council/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Clydebank Post |date=1 June 2022}}

| members = 22 councillors

| house1 =

| house2 =

| structure1 = United Kingdom West Dunbartonshire -Council 2024.svg

| structure1_res = 250px

| political_groups1 =

;Administration (10)

: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (10)

;Other parties (12)

: {{Color box|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|border=darkgray}} SNP (7)

: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (4)

: {{Color box|{{party color|West Dunbartonshire Community Party}}|border=darkgray}} WDCP (1)

| committees1 =

| committees2 =

| joint_committees =

| voting_system1 = Single transferable vote

| voting_system2 =

| last_election1 = 5 May 2022

| next_election1 = 6 May 2027

| session_room = The Old Burgh Hall (geograph 5785538).jpg

| session_res =

| meeting_place = Burgh Hall, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, G82{{nbsp}}1QL

| website = {{URL|www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk}}

| footnotes =

}}

The council comprises 22 councillors elected from 6 wards.{{cite web|title=West Dunbartonshire Council May 2007 to present|url=http://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/CommitteeDetails.aspx?committeeID=98|publisher=Enline pic|access-date=31 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070731073231/http://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/CommitteeDetails.aspx?committeeID=98|archive-date=31 July 2007}}

The first election was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of West Dunbartonshire Council since 1996 has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=21 February 2023}}

The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/cmis5/Home.aspx |website=West Dunbartonshire Council |access-date=21 February 2023}}

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to August 2024, the composition of the council was:{{cite web |title=West Dunbartonshire |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=west_dunbartonshire |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=31 July 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Grant |first1=Tom |title=Craig Edward: Court accused councillor sits as Independent |url=https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/23150455.craig-edward-former-labour-councillor-now-sitting-independent/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Clydebank Post |date=25 November 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=David |title=SNP councillor and sister of MP resigns from party over gender reform stance |url=https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-councillor-sister-mp-resigns-28988899 |access-date=21 February 2023 |work=Scottish Daily Express |date=18 January 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Clarke |first=Fraser |date=28 August 2024 |title=Two West Dunbartonshire councillors quit Labour group ahead of Provost decision |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/two-west-dunbartonshire-councillors-quit-33554071 |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=Daily Record (Scotland)}}

The next election is due in 2027.

The council is based at the former Burgh Hall at 16 Church Street in Dumbarton. It also has an area office in the main shopping centre in Clydebank.{{cite web |title=Council Offices |url=https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/contact-us/council-offices/ |website=West Dunbartonshire Council |access-date=21 February 2023}}

When the council was created in 1996, it inherited several buildings from its predecessors, including Municipal Buildings and Crosslet House from Dumbarton District Council, Clydebank Town Hall and the nearby Council Offices on Rosebery Place from Clydebank District Council, and the County Buildings, Dumbarton from Strathclyde Regional Council.

The council gradually consolidated its offices, with Crosslet House being demolished in 2015,{{cite news|url= https://www.dumbartonreporter.co.uk/news/13963110.historic-crosslet-house-knocked-down-for-pound10million-super-care-home/ |title= Historic Crosslet House knocked down for £10million 'super' care home|date=16 September 2015|newspaper=Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter| access-date=1 August 2022}} the Rosebery Place offices being demolished in 2017,{{cite web |title=Former West Dunbartonshire Council offices |url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-former-west-dunbartonshire-council-offices-and-one-stop-shop-clydebank-161868622.html |website=Alamy |access-date=19 February 2023}} and the County Buildings being demolished in 2019.{{cite news|url= https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/demolition-former-dumbarton-council-offices-16500952 |title= Demolition of former Dumbarton council offices blamed for rat infestation|date=11 June 2019| newspaper=Daily Record| access-date=17 December 2022}}

In 2018 the council consolidated most of its offices to Burgh Hall, which had been vacant for some years. The front part of the 1866 building was retained and a modern office complex built to the rear.{{cite news|url=https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/7580/West_Dunbartonshire_Council_settles_into_flagship_HQ.html |title= West Dunbartonshire Council settles into flagship HQ|date=31 July 2018|newspaper=Urban Realm| access-date=3 June 2021}} The Municipal Buildings in Dumbarton are still used by the council as a register office, whilst Clydebank Town Hall is now primarily an events venue.

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:

{{notelist}}

File:West Dunbartonshire UK ward map 2017 (blank).svg

Six multi-member wards were created for the 2007 election, replacing 22 single-member wards which had been in place since the creation of the council in 1995:{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/scotland/wards/|title=United Kingdom: Scotland {{!}} Council Areas and Electoral Wards|website=City Population|date=30 June 2019|access-date=28 March 2021}}

On 18 September 2014, West Dunbartonshire was one of the four council areas which had a majority "Yes" vote in the Scottish Independence Referendum at 54% with an 87.9% turnout rate.{{cite web|title=Indyref|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/scotland-decides/live|website=BBC|access-date=19 September 2014}}

{{Location map+|Scotland West Dunbartonshire

|caption={{left|The largest settlements in West Dunbartonshire.}}

|float=right

|width=500

|places =

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.8997|-4.4006}}|position=left|label=Clydebank|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.95|-4.566667}}|position=right|label=Dumbarton|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.983|-4.567}}|position=top|label=Bonhill|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.98|-04.58}}|position=left|label=Alexandria|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.924|-4.417}}|position=bottom|label=Duntocher|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|56.002|-4.580}}|position=top|label=Balloch|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.929719|-4.392313}}|position=left|label=Faifley|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.9250|-4.4593}}|position=bottom|label=Old Kilpatrick|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.971|-04.584}}|position=right|label=Renton|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.932|-4.494}}|position=top|label=Bowling|label_size=}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|56.012|-4.43|}}|position=left|label=Stirling|marksize=0|label_size=120}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.95|-4.386|}}|position=right|label=East
Dunb.|marksize=0|label_size=120}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.911|-4.3883|}}|position=right|label=Glasg.|marksize=0|label_size=120}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|55.90|-4.51|}}|position=left|label=Renfrewshire|marksize=0|label_size=120}}

{{Location map~|Scotland West Dunbartonshire|coordinates = {{coord|56.018|-4.624|}}|position=left|label=Argyll and Bute|marksize=0|label_size=120}}

}}

Largest settlements by population:

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

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{{West Dunbartonshire Settlements}}

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Category:Council areas of Scotland

Category:States and territories established in 1996

Category:1996 establishments in Scotland