View source for Central Region, Scotland

{{About|a 20th century local government region of Scotland||Central Scotland (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{coord|56.063|-3.796|display=title|region:GB_scale:200000}}
{{Infobox historic subdivision
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| Name                  =Central Region<br/>''Roinn Meadhanach''
| subdivision_type      =Former [[Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996#Regions and islands areas|Region]]
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| Image                 =Central Regional Council Logo.png
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| Map                   = [[File:Central Regional Council.svg|250px|Central within Scotland]]
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| AreaFirst             = {{convert|263,455|ha}}
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| Origin                = [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]]
| preceded_by           =
| Start                 = 16 May 1975
| End                   = 31 March 1996
| Replace               = [[Clackmannanshire]]<br/>[[Falkirk (council area)|Falkirk]]<br/>[[Stirling (council area)|Stirling]]
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| PopulationFirst       = {{circa}} 272,900
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| Status                = 
| Government            = Central Regional Council
| government_type       = [[Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996|Regional Council]]
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| HQ                    = [[Old Viewforth|Viewforth]], [[Stirling]]
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'''Central region''' was a [[Local government of Scotland|local government]] [[Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996|region]] from 1975 to 1996, being one of twelve such regions across Scotland. The Regional Council's headquarters were at [[Old Viewforth|Viewforth]] in [[Stirling]], which had been previously the headquarters of [[Stirlingshire]] County Council. Since 1996 the area has been divided into the [[council areas]] of [[Clackmannanshire]], [[Falkirk (council area)|Falkirk]] and [[Stirling (council area)|Stirling]], which had previously been districts within Central region.

==History==
Central region was created in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which established a two-tier structure of local government across mainland Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Central region covered the whole area of the [[shires of Scotland|county]] of [[Clackmannanshire]], most of [[Stirlingshire]] and parts of [[Perthshire]] and [[West Lothian]], which were all abolished for local government purposes at the same time. Central region was divided into three districts, called [[Clackmannanshire|Clackmannan]], [[Falkirk (council area)|Falkirk]], and [[Stirling (council area)|Stirling]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=3 January 2023}}</ref>

The [[Dunblane massacre]] occurred within the last month of Central Regional Council's existence at one of its primary schools, in [[Dunblane]]. Responsibility for Dunblane Primary School was transferred to the new Stirling Council on the first day of its operations on 1 April 1996 when the Scottish Regional Councils disbanded under the reorganisation act of 1994. 10 days later, on  11 April 1996, the school gym where the massacre took place was demolished by the new council. The school was entirely refurbished in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9efff0af34d61004ba6dd3d94a6a0e6a|title=Rrefurbished Dunblane Primary School Opens|date=6 November 1998|publisher=AP Archive| access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>

Central region was abolished in 1996 under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], which replaced regions and districts with [[Council areas of Scotland|unitary council areas]]. Each of Central's three districts became a separate council area, with Clackmannan district changing its name to Clackmannanshire with effect from 1 April 1996, being the day the new arrangements came in to effect.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=3 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

The [[Central Scotland Police]] force, created in 1975 using the same boundaries as the region, was merged into [[Police Scotland]] in 2013 with its territory forming one of the second-level [[Police division|divisions]] from that point. At the same time, the [[Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service]] became part of the new [[Scottish Fire and Rescue Service]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13131478.Praise_after_fire_service_merger/ |title=Praise after fire service merger |work=The Herald |date=13 November 2013 |access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref>

There continue to be electoral, valuation, and health boards for the area; the latter is called [[NHS Forth Valley]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=NHS Forth Valley|title=Hospitals|url=https://nhsforthvalley.com/hospitals/|access-date=2021-09-16|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Political control==
The first election to Central Regional Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. Political control of the council from 1975 was as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=5 January 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1975–1978
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Scottish Labour}} || 1978–1996
|}

==Premises==
[[File:Stirling District Council Offices - geograph.org.uk - 1013612.jpg|thumb|left|Regional Headquarters at [[Old Viewforth|Viewforth]]]]
At the time of the local government reorganization of 1975, there was discussion on where the new region should be based – the options being [[Falkirk]] or Stirling, the latter of which was chosen as the county council had just finished construction of a new office building at [[Old Viewforth|Viewforth]] in the town in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/258150/former-stirling-council-building-will-vanish-within-weeks/|title=Former Stirling Council building will vanish within weeks|date=11 January 2014|publisher=The Courier|accessdate=13 April 2020}}</ref>

{{clear}}
<gallery>
File:Stirling from Braehead - December 2004 - geograph.org.uk - 254316.jpg|View of Stirling
File:FalkirkHighStreet.jpg|[[Falkirk]] High Street
File:Main Street, Clackmannan.JPG|[[Clackmannan]] Main Street
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Central Region, Scotland}}

{{Former local government regions of Scotland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Regions of Scotland]]
[[Category:Clackmannanshire]]
[[Category:Falkirk (council area)]]
[[Category:Stirling (council area)]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:1996 disestablishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1975]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:Central Region (Scotland)| ]]


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