West Yorkshire
Main towns: West Yorkshire includes the five metropolitan council areas of Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.
Demographics: The total area includes about 2,000 square kilometres and is the most built-up and biggest urban region within the county boundary of Yorkshire, which includes the southern and northern parts.
Between 1.6 per cent (Wakefield) and 22 per cent (Bradford) of the population
are from ethnic minority communities.
The area contains a mix of affluent and deprived areas. Out of the 127 wards in West Yorkshire, 21 are in the 10 per cent most deprived in the country, with the situation being more marked in Bradford, where almost a third of the wards are in the 10 per cent most deprived.
Unemployment ranges from 3 per cent in Leeds to 4.9 per cent in Bradford, compared to the national average of 3.1 per cent.
The county is vulnerable to extreme weather events including flooding. Snow clearance is a problem in the rural areas. This places demands on the authorities in terms of emergency planning, highways engineering and winter maintenance of roads.
Crime levels are comparatively low, with the majority of serious crime occurring in the more urban areas. Fear of crime is proportionately high, especially among rural communities and older people.
Population: West Yorkshire has an estimated population of 2.2 million. About a third live within the Leeds area.
Places of Interest: Some of the most scenic countryside in Britain lies outside West Yorkshire’s urban areas. Just ten miles from Leeds City Centre is Otley, a placerenowned for its country charm. The area is frequently used as a backdrop to rural scenes TV programmes such as Emmerdale and Heartbeat
Parts of the All Saint's parish church, which sits in the heart of the village, date back a thousand years. It houses some of the best examples of Anglo-Danish crosses in the country.
The world-famous cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale was born in Otley in 1718 as the son of a carpenter.
House/Flat Prices: The average property price in West Yorkshire, including houses and flats, is £142, 500. Five years ago, in March 2004, the figure stood at £118,700.
Planning issues: AN £11m development of fire stations in Castleford and Pontefract is expected to be completed by 2011.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's plans will merge Knottingley and Pontefract fire stations into one centre off Bondgate, in Pontefract, as part of changes to the region’s fire cover.
A second plan to move Castleford's station to former quarry land on Redhill Drive is expected to go ahead. The new stations could be finished by late 2010 or early 2011.
Supermarket chain Tesco has plans for a bigger store in Ilkley as it prepares to launch its second planning bid. The plan, for the former Spooner Industries site, will be considered by Bradford Council during 2009.
Some locals are unhappy (Ilkley Residents Against Tesco Encroachment) and claim the plan will increased traffic and delivery trucks on roads around the new site, and the impact on smaller local businesses in the area.