37-573: Bensham is a suburban area in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead . The area consists mainly of residential properties, with a range of predominantly terraced housing, built between the late 1890s and the 1980s. Like nearby Saltwell , the area is home to a sizeable community of Orthodox Haredi Jews . The Gateshead Talmudical College , founded in 1929, is one of the largest yeshiva for Jewish education in Europe . The area has affectionately earned
74-672: A major rail freight yard serving the North East. Gateshead Quayside, once dominated by industry, has benefited from significant investment and gentrification in the past decade. It is now home to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Sage Gateshead . The area is also an important retail hub, with the largest shopping centre in the European Union , and second largest in Europe as
111-697: A whole, the MetroCentre , situated adjacent to the A1 trunk road. Further retail, and a significant number of engineering companies are located in the Team Valley Trading Estate, which at one time was the largest industrial estate in Europe. Gateshead is home to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Sage Gateshead . The Anthony Gormley structure, the Angel of the North (the largest free standing sculpture in
148-488: Is Bill Quay Community Farm, east of the borough. Offering a rural experience within an urban setting, it provides an important educational tool for local schools. The 2001 census stated that the borough's predominant religion was 80.25% Christian . Other statistics found 10.94% of no religion , 6.94 unstated, 0.82% Jewish and 0.60% Muslim . The 2011 census , stated that the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
185-491: Is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear , England. It includes Gateshead , Rowlands Gill , Whickham , Blaydon , Ryton , Felling , Birtley , Pelaw , Dunston and Low Fell . The borough forms part of the Tyneside conurbation , centred on Newcastle upon Tyne . At the 2021 census, the borough had a population of 196,154. It is bordered by the local authority areas of Newcastle upon Tyne to
222-726: Is a large venue facility called the Caedmon Hall. Gateshead has an association football team, Gateshead F.C. , who play in the English National League . They play at the Gateshead International Stadium , which also hosts athletics . The following people have received the Freedom of the Borough of Gateshead: In addition, freedom was granted to 72 Engineer Regiment on 9 July 2011. Whickham Whickham
259-648: Is a village in County Durham , North East England , within the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead . The village is on high ground overlooking the River Tyne and 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne . Whickham underwent some expansion in the 1950s when the Lakes Estate was built just off Whickham Highway. Then later in the decade the Oakfield Estate just off Whaggs Lane was built. Grange Estate began
296-687: Is a well-served bus corridor, providing a regular service to Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne. The nearest National Rail station is Newcastle , which is located on the East Coast Main Line . A former station on the East Coast Main Line served the area between 1868 and 1954. Bensham is located near to the A1 and A167 . By road, Gateshead can be reached in around 5 minutes, Newcastle upon Tyne in 10 minutes, and Newcastle International Airport in 20 minutes. Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
333-626: Is based at the Civic Centre on Regent Street, which was purpose-built for the council and was completed in 1987. Prior to 1987 the council had been based at the Town Hall on West Street, which had been completed in 1870 for the old Gateshead Borough Council. In national government the borough contains four parliamentary constituencies, Blaydon and Consett , Gateshead Central and Whickham , Jarrow and Gateshead East and Washington and Gateshead South . The Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency
370-422: Is located within the parliamentary constituency of Gateshead Central and Whickham , and is served by Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) , Mark Ferguson . The nearest airport is Newcastle International Airport , which is located around 9 miles (14 km) away. Teesside International Airport and Carlisle Lake District Airport are located around 37 and 55 miles (60 and 89 km) away. Bensham Road
407-526: Is one independent school in the borough, Chase school in Whickham . Further independent schools can be found in Newcastle, Sunderland, and Tynedale. Gateshead town itself has a further education college, Gateshead College , and a leading Jewish higher education institution, Beth Midrash Lemoroth — Jewish Teachers Training College. Gateshead has a variety of landscapes, urban and industrial areas include
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#1733085462238444-518: Is represented by Sharon Hodgson (Labour). Gateshead has hosted two major political conferences. The first of these was Labour's spring conference, ahead of the 2005 general election . The Conservatives also held a conference at the Sage Gateshead in March 2008. The Conservatives do not have any councillors in Gateshead and at the time only had one MP in the whole of the north east region. That conference
481-492: Is significantly lower than both the average in Gateshead (63.5%) , as well as the national average (74.2%) . Lobley Hill and Bensham is a local council ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead . This ward covers an area of around 1.5 square miles (3.9 km), and has a population of 10,638. As of September 2020, the ward is served by three councillors: Catherine Donovan, Eileen McMaster and Kevin Dodds. The village
518-463: Is the only one wholly in Gateshead. Its MP, first elected in 2024, is Mark Ferguson ( Labour ). The Blaydon and Consett constituency covers the west of the borough and Birtley to the south, and has been represented since 2017 by Liz Twist , also for Labour. The Jarrow and Gateshead East constituency takes in the very eastern tip of the borough, including Pelaw . It is represented by Kate Osborne (Labour). The Washington and Gateshead South constituency
555-486: The 2024 election the composition of the council was: The next election is due in May 2026. Since the last boundary changes in 2004 the council has comprised 66 councillors representing 22 wards , with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office. The wards are: The council
592-554: The Bowes-Lyon family . Whickham was anciently a township and parish within County Durham. Whickham Urban District , created in 1894, also covered the parishes of Dunston , Marley Hill and Byermoor , and Swalwell . Changes to local government in 1974 saw the parish and urban district abolished and replaced by an unparished area , at first within Tyne and Wear , then from 1986 within
629-576: The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead . Whickham spans three electoral wards: Whickham North, Dunston Hill and Whickham East, and Whickham South and Sunniside (which extends south-west to include Marley Hill and Byermoor). Each ward elects three members of Gateshead Council. For national government elections it has been part of Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency since 2024, formerly being part of Blaydon constituency . Whickham has six primary schools and one secondary school. The Gibside School for special educational needs and disabilities moved to
666-437: The 1974 reforms. From 1974 until 1986 the borough council was a lower-tier district authority, with Tyne and Wear County Council providing county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1986, since when the borough council has provided both district-level and county-level services, as the old county borough of Gateshead had done prior to 1974. Some functions are provided across Tyne and Wear by joint committees with
703-505: The Lobley Hill and Bensham electoral ward is 75.0 years for men, and 80.3 years for women. These statistics compare less than favourably for both men and women, when compared to the average life expectancy in the North East of England , of 77.4 and 81.4 years, for men and women respectively. A total of 55.9% of households in Lobley Hill and Bensham have access to at least one car. This figure
740-459: The United Kingdom) is in Gateshead. This puts Gateshead at the forefront of the arts both regionally and nationally. The Shipley Art Gallery , housing outstanding collections of contemporary craft, studio ceramics, paintings and decorative art, is managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on behalf of Gateshead Council. Gateshead is a library authority and within its Central Library
777-468: The average in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead , as well as the national average. A total of 6.1% of the population were from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) group in Lobley Hill and Bensham. This figure is higher than that of the average in Gateshead (3.7%) , but lower than the national average (14.6%) . Data from the Office for National Statistics found that the average life expectancy in
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#1733085462238814-429: The borough, from Crawcrook to Rowlands Gill itself. The borough also contains one National Trust site, the expansive Gibside estate near Rowlands Gill, containing a stately home and a chapel , parts of its grounds have also been given SSSI status. Even in the more urban areas of the borough, in Gateshead itself and to the east, efforts have been made to maintain green spaces and wildlife sites. One such project
851-482: The borough, from ancient meadows and woodland to local nature reserves. Notable features of Gateshead's countryside include Ryton Willows, found at Old Ryton Village on the banks of the Tyne at Ryton. Ryton Willows is 43 hectares of locally rare grassland and ponds located near to an affluent village with Georgian and Victorian houses. Because of this it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The Derwent Valley, in
888-406: The borough, particularly in the centre and east, a number of towns and villages in the borough are popular with commuters and professionals who are employed in the service industry and well paid areas of the secondary sector such as engineering (which remains a major source of employment). Such commuter areas include Ryton, Rowlands Gill, Whickham and Low Fell. The borough is host to Tyne Yard ,
925-463: The long-term development by JT Bell, (Bellway), the builder, who went on to build Clavering Park, Clavering Grange, the Cedars and then Fellside Park. In central Whickham, near Front Street, is Chase Park, the former residence of Whickham Chase. The property included a manor house , which was demolished in 1960. The park includes King George's Field, in which is a historic tower that is now closed off from
962-536: The nickname "Little Jerusalem" by locals. The most recent chief rabbi, Shraga Feivel Zimmerman , served between 2008 and 2020. The roof of a flat in Bensham was torn off by extreme winds during storm Malik as it battered the North East of England in January 2022. The data below shows that 51.0% of the population in the Lobley Hill and Bensham electoral ward are male, and 49.0% are female. This compares similarly with both
999-520: The north, Northumberland to the west, County Durham to the south, Sunderland to the south-east, and South Tyneside to the east. The council is a member of the North East Combined Authority . The town of Gateshead was an ancient borough , having been granted a charter in 1164 from Hugh Pudsey , the Bishop of Durham . The borough's functions were relatively limited until 1836, when it
1036-405: The other districts. The county of Tyne and Wear continues to exist as a ceremonial county for the purposes of lieutenancy, but has had no administrative functions since 1986. Since 1986, Gateshead Council has provided both district-level and county-level functions, with some services being provided through joint arrangements with the other Tyne and Wear councils. In 2024 a combined authority
1073-580: The public. The large play area was restored in 2017 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund , which included the removal of a large slide and the remodelling of the children's play area, as well as the replanting of Chase Park's many flower beds. South-west of Whickham, above the River Derwent, are the ruins of Old Hollinside, a fortified manor house once owned by
1110-403: The rest of the borough is unparished . Birtley was also a civil parish with a town council until it was abolished in 2006. The council has been under Labour majority control since the modern borough's creation in 1974. The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Gateshead. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 2002 have been: Following
1147-524: The south/south west of the borough, offers panoramic views and pleasant walks. It was in the Derwent Valley, near Rowlands Gill, that the Northern Kites Project re-introduced red kites . This was part of a national project to introduce the birds, that were once so commonplace across the country, back into the wild. This scheme has proven to be a success, with birds being spotted across the west of
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1184-451: The town itself, Whickham and Blaydon in the west, with more semi-rural and rural locations in the west including Ryton and Rowlands Gill. Overall though, it is a fairly green area with over half of the borough being green belt or countryside . Most of this is located away from built up Tyneside to the south of the borough into Derwentside/Chester-le-Street and to the west into Tynedale. In total, there are over twenty countryside sites in
1221-476: Was 67.0% Christian, 0.9% Muslim, 1.5% Jewish, 23.9% were not religious and 5.7% of the population refused to state their religion. The area was once dependent on heavy industry such as steel making in the Derwent Valley and coal mining (across the borough). Shipbuilding on the Tyne was also a major source of employment. However, with the decline of these industries, Gateshead has attempted to re-invent itself. Although there are significant areas of deprivation in
1258-468: Was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , as one of five metropolitan boroughs within the new county of Tyne and Wear. The borough covered the whole area of five former districts and part of a sixth, which were all abolished at the same time: Aside from Gateshead, the other districts had all been lower-tier district authorities subordinate to Durham County Council prior to
1295-539: Was established covering Gateshead, County Durham , Newcastle upon Tyne , North Tyneside , Northumberland , South Tyneside and Sunderland , called the North East Mayoral Combined Authority . It is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area. There is one civil parish in the borough at Lamesley, which forms an additional tier of local government for its area;
1332-530: Was made a municipal borough under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. When elected county councils were created in 1889, Gateshead was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it was made a county borough , independent from the new Durham County Council , whilst remaining part of the geographical county of Durham . The modern borough of Gateshead
1369-464: Was seen as an attempt to connect to voters in the area. Gateshead has a number of schools across the borough at both primary and secondary level. Results are well above average, with a number of outstanding schools. Gateshead has amongst the best primary and secondary schools in the country overall. A range of schools are present in Gateshead, including Jewish , Roman Catholic , Church of England , Methodist , and non-religious state schools . There
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