Northumberland_County_Council

Northumberland County Council

Northumberland County Council

Local authority in North East England


Northumberland County Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, having also taken over district-level functions when the county's districts were abolished.

Quick Facts Type, History ...

The council has been under no overall control since 2021, being led by a Conservative minority administration. It is based at County Hall, Morpeth. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority.

History

Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously carried out by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions. The city of Newcastle upon Tyne had been a county corporate since 1400 with its own quarter sessions, and Newcastle's independence from the county was maintained by making it a county borough. The county council was elected by and provided services to the remainder of the county, which area was termed the administrative county. Berwick-upon-Tweed was also a county corporate, but was not considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. It was therefore included in the administrative county of Northumberland.[5] Tynemouth subsequently also became a county borough in 1904, removing it from the administrative county.[6]

Moot Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne: Council's meeting place 1889–1981

The first elections were held in January 1889. The council formally came into being on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first official meeting at the Moot Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, the courthouse (built 1811) which had served as the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council.[7] The first chairman of the council was Matthew White Ridley, who was also the Conservative MP for Blackpool (in Lancashire).[8]

The county was reformed in 1974, becoming a non-metropolitan county and ceding further territory around the Newcastle conurbation to the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. Until 1974 the lower tier of local government comprised numerous boroughs, urban districts and rural districts. In 1974 the lower tier was reorganised and Northumberland was left with six districts: Alnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth Valley, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale and Wansbeck.[9]

Until 1981 the county council met at the Moot Hall in central Newcastle, and had its main administrative offices at the adjoining County Hall. The Moot Hall area formed an exclave of the administrative county.[10] The exclave became part of the city in 1974 and therefore outside the county council's territory.[11] The council moved to Morpeth in 1981.

As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, Northumberland's six districts were abolished and their functions were taken over by the county council.[12][13] As part of the 2009 changes the council was given the option of changing its name to "Northumberland Council".[14] After consultation with the public the council decided to keep the name "Northumberland County Council".[15]

The area administered by the council: the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland

In 2024 a combined authority was established covering Northumberland, County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland, called the North East Mayoral Combined Authority. The combined authority is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.[16]

Governance

Since 2009, Northumberland County Council has provided both county-level and district-level services. The whole county is also covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government.[17]

Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2021, being led by a minority Conservative administration. At the 2021 election the Conservatives won a majority of the seats, but they lost their majority later that year following a Liberal Democrat gain in a December 2021 by-election.[18][19] A Conservative minority administration continues to run the council following the 2025 election.[20]

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[21][22][23]

Two-tier non-metropolitan county

More information Party in control, Years ...

Unitary authority

More information Party in control, Years ...

Leadership

Until 1979, the chairman of the council was also its political leader. In 1979 the separate position of leader of the council was created, and the chair became a more ceremonial position.[24] The leaders since 1979 have been:

More information Councillor, Party ...

Leaders of the other Political Groups, which failed to form a government. Starting from those with the most seats to the least.

Cllr Mark Peart, Reform UK, May 2025- (Leader of the Opposition)
Cllr Scott Dickinson, Labour, May 2021- (Former Leader of the Opposition 2021-2025)
Cllr Derek Kennedy, Independent Group, 2021-
Cllr Isabel Hunter, Liberal Democrats, May 2025-
Cllr Martin Swinbank, Green Party, May 2025-

Composition

Following the 2025 election, the composition of the council is:

More information Party, Councillors ...

Six of the seven independent councillors form the "Independent Group" and the other is not aligned to any group. The next election is due in 2029.[49]

Elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2013 the council has comprised 67 councillors representing 66 electoral divisions, each of which elects one councillor except Alnwick which elects two. Elections are held every four years.[50] New division boundaries have been drawn up to come into effect for the 2025 elections, increasing the number of councillors to 69.[51]

Premises

County Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne: Council's main offices 1910–1981

The council is based at County Hall on the southern outskirts of Morpeth, which was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981.[52] Proposals to move the council's headquarters to Ashington were considered between 2014 and 2017, with building work starting on the new site in Ashington. In 2017 work on the new site was aborted after the proposed sale of the Morpeth site fell through. The council subsequently decided to stay in Morpeth and renovate County Hall instead.[53]

Prior to 1981 the council was based in Newcastle. Meetings were held at the Moot Hall. A large office building called County Hall was built opposite the Moot Hall in 1910 to serve as the council's main offices.[54]


References

  1. Became unitary authority 1 April 2009.
  1. "Council meeting, 1 May 2024". Northumberland County Council. May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  2. "Council minutes, 21 May 2025" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  3. "Council minutes, 23 September 2020" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  4. Robinson, James (10 February 2023). "New boss in charge at Northumberland County Council". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. "Tynemouth Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  6. "Meeting of Northumberland County Council". Morpeth Herald. 6 April 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. "Administrative Area Series, 1947". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  8. "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  9. "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  10. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. "County Council election results". Northumberland County Council. 7 May 2021.
  12. "Northumberland County Council". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  13. Robinson, James (21 May 2025). "New-look council but Conservatives remain in key positions at County Hall in Northumberland". Northumberland Gazette. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  14. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Northumberland" in search box to see specific results.)
  15. "Local election results: Northumberland". Election 2005. BBC News Online. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  16. "Northumberland". Elections 2008. BBC News Online. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  17. "Lord Ridley to stand down as chairman". Blyth News. 23 November 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  18. Young, Peter (15 November 1979). "Tories win fight to back cuts". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. p. 7. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  19. "By the left... and Labour march into County Hall". Berwick Advertiser. 14 May 1981. p. 7. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  20. Young, Peter (11 May 1981). "County to form new jobs group". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  21. "U-turn by County over leadership". Morpeth Herald. 19 May 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  22. "Northumberland County leader resigns". Berwick Advertiser. 18 October 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  23. "Leader is confirmed". Berwick Advertiser. 22 November 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  24. "Rescue bid as Labour bows out". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 18 May 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  25. Black, Dave (19 May 1988). "Spending targets cut by £1m". Newcastle Journal. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  26. "New leader's warning to opposition". News Post Leader. Blyth. 25 May 1989. p. 12. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  27. Maxwell, Liz (21 May 1998). "County Council Leader steps down to concentrate on national interests". Berwick Advertiser. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  28. "Profile of Cllr. M. Davey". Northumberland County Council. Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  29. "Councillors facing standards probe". Chronicle Live. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  30. "Shamed councillor gets top position". Chronicle Live. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  31. "Council leader to give up role". Chronicle Live. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  32. "District councils to be abolished". BBC News. 25 July 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  33. "Northumberland chief quits". Local Government Chronicle. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  34. "Council minutes, 21 May 2008". Northumberland County Council. Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  35. Robinson, James (17 March 2023). "Former county council leader slams £4.8bn North East devolution deal". Northumberland Gazette. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  36. "Council minutes, 22 May 2013". Northumberland County Council. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  37. O'Connell, Ben (30 January 2019). "Leader and deputy leader of Labour opposition on Northumberland County Council to stand down". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  38. "Council minutes, 24 May 2017" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  39. "Council minutes, 2 September 2020" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  40. "Northumberland council leader ousted in no confidence vote". BBC News. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  41. "Council minutes, 23 September 2020" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  42. "Northumberland". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  43. "Northumberland County Council to spend £17m on HQ revamp". Hexham Courant. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

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