Editing Hereford and Worcester (section)

==Creation==

{{See also|Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries}}

[[File:Hereford and Worcester.jpg|thumb|Hereford and Worcester road sign]]
The [[Local Government Boundary Commission (1945–1949)|Local Government Boundary Commission]] in 1948 proposed a merger of the two counties,<ref>E. W. Gilbert, The Boundaries of Local Government Areas, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 111, No. 4/6. (April – June, 1948), pp. 172–198</ref> but the proposals of this Commission were not implemented. A merger of Herefordshire with South Worcestershire was again proposed by the [[Redcliffe-Maud Report]] in 1969, and was retained in the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]'s February 1971 White Paper (gaining more of Worcestershire), although no name was given.<ref>Local Government in England: Government Proposals for Reorganisation (Cmnd 4584)</ref> In the Local Government Bill introduced into Parliament in November 1971, it was named "Malvernshire",<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/index.html Hansard 1803 – 2005] [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1972/jan/17/local-government-reform-county-statistics#S5CV0829P0_19720117_CWA_313 Local Government Reform (County Statistics) 16 November 1971 vol 826 cc227-348] – Retrieved 27 August 2014</ref><ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/index.html Hansard 1803 – 2005] [https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1971/nov/16/local-government-bill#S5CV0826P0_19711116_HOC_274 Local Government Bill (Order for Second Reading) 16 November 1971 vol 826 cc227-348] – Retrieved 27 August 2014</ref> after the [[Malvern Hills]], which were roughly in the geographical centre of the new county and formed the former border. This name was ridiculed and was altered during the Bill's passage through Parliament. The name Wyvern was also suggested, combining the names of the rivers that run through the two cities and counties: the [[River Wye]] through Hereford, and the [[River Severn]] through Worcester; a [[wyvern]] is a dragon emblem often found in heraldry.<ref>''Unpopular Name'', The Times. 5 January 1972</ref> A commercial radio station for the area, [[Wyvern FM]] was set up in 1982 using this allusion. It was also used much later by the [[FirstGroup]] who renamed their bus operations in the area [[First Midland Red|First Wyvern]] as opposed to the more historical [[First Midland Red]] used previously.

Herefordshire had about 140,000 people,<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10168636&c_id=10001043&add=N VoB Herefordshire population]</ref> far fewer than Worcestershire, with about 420,000<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10089839&c_id=10001043&add=N VoB Worcestershire population]</ref> and the change was thus perceived in Herefordshire as a takeover rather than a merger, especially after it emerged that the administrative centre was to be located to the east of Worcester city. It never attracted the loyalties of residents. A "Hands off Herefordshire" campaign was set up, and the proposal was opposed by Herefordshire County Council.<ref>Herefordshire County Council. Advert: ''Herefordshire is in mortal danger''. The Times, 25 March 1972.</ref>

A [[Hereford (cattle)|Hereford bull]] was led down [[Whitehall]] on 6 April 1972, as part of a protest, which also involved a petition handed in at 10 Downing Street calling for the preservation of Herefordshire.<ref>''Fair hearing for tale of two cities and one island.'' The Times. 7 April 1972.</ref>

Despite the opposition of many of the population of Herefordshire, neither of the county's two Conservative MPs opposed the merger. Parliamentary opposition had to be led from outside the county by [[Terry Davis (politician)|Terry Davis]], MP for Bromsgrove, who noted that the petition had been signed by 60,000 people. [[Clive Bossom]], the MP for Leominster in Herefordshire, supported the merger, noting that "much of South Worcestershire is very like Herefordshire".<ref>{{cite hansard|house=House of Commons|date=6 July 1972|column=1091}}</ref>

It was originally proposed to have a single large Herefordshire district within Hereford and Worcester. But this was divided, with separate [[Hereford]], [[South Herefordshire]] and [[Leominster (district)|Leominster]] districts, and part of Herefordshire in the [[Malvern Hills (district)|Malvern Hills]] district.

Meanwhile, large sections of Worcestershire in the [[Black Country]] and Birmingham suburbs were moved to the West Midlands.<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk H.M. Government] [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70 Local Government Act 1972] – Retrieved 23 February 2016</ref> This was intended to create a more unified [[metropolitan county]], since prior to this the conurbation had been split between Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. As a result, Hereford & Worcester was quite rural in character. These transfers continued a slow process of simplifying Worcestershire's boundaries, which once had included a [[Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries since 1844|complex set of exclaves]] within other counties.<ref>HM Government Legislation – Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844</ref>