Misplaced Pages

#889110

68-499: 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. 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

136-495: A Mayor of London and 25-member London Assembly . The first mayoral and assembly elections took place in 2000. The former Leader of the Greater London Council , Ken Livingstone , served as the inaugural Mayor, until he was defeated by future Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2008 . The incumbent, Sadiq Khan , was first elected in 2016 . The Mayor's functions include chairing Transport for London , holding

204-485: 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 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

272-400: 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 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

340-468: A non-metropolitan county council and two or more non-metropolitan district councils share responsibility for these services. In single-tier areas a unitary authority , London borough , or metropolitan borough provides all services. The City of London and Isles of Scilly have unique local authorities. The London boroughs, metropolitan boroughs, and some unitary authorities collaborate through regional authorities. The Greater London Authority (GLA)

408-509: A county borough in 1904, removing it from the administrative county. 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. The first chairman of

476-483: A county council and a district council, which would share local authority functions. In May 2022, 21 non-metropolitan county councils and 164 non-metropolitan district councils remain. These are better known as simply county councils and district councils. The Local Government Act 1985 also abolished metropolitan county councils, but there are still 36 metropolitan district councils as of May 2022. There are also (as of April 2023) 62 unitary authorities. These carry out

544-547: A devolution deal, which are usually reserved to combined authorities for additional functions and funding. And, like some combined authorities and parish councils, local authorities do have a general power of competence . Separate to combined authorities, two or more local authorities can also work together through joint boards (for legally-required services: fire, public transport and waste disposal), joint committees (voluntarily) or through contracting out and agency arrangements. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 established

612-510: A local authority. Ten currently exist, with more planned. Parish councils form the lowest tier of local government and govern civil parishes . They may also be called a 'community council', 'neighbourhood council', 'village council', 'town council' or (if the parish holds city status) 'city council', but these names are stylistic and do not change their responsibilities. As of December 2021 there are 10,475 parishes in England, but they do not cover

680-620: A parish council must meet certain conditions of quality. Civil parishes developed in the nineteenth century and were based on the Church of England's parishes , which until then had both ecclesiastical and local government functions; parish councils were created by the Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73). The ecclesiastical parishes continue to exist, but neither they nor their parochial church councils have any local government role. There are 317 local authorities covering

748-534: 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 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

SECTION 10

#1732855723890

816-549: A whole has limited revenue-raising powers compared to other G7 countries. In the 20th century, local authorities found that the costs of providing services exceeded the revenues raised from local taxes and so grants from the UK Government (specifically the Treasury ) gradually increased. However, UK Government grants were cut by 40% in real terms between the financial years 2009/10 and 2019/20, although grant income did grow due to

884-481: Is a public interest in disclosing information about local government investments which will generally outweigh any concerns about whether disclosure could affect an investment's performance or be protected by confidentiality requirements. Local authorities cannot borrow money to finance day-to-day spending and so must rely on yearly income or reserves for this type of expenditure, although they can borrow to fund capital expenditure. Local government in England as

952-466: 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 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

1020-517: Is clear both practically and democratically that the overly centralised arrangements of government in England are problematic" and that reform was also needed of funding structures. As of May 2024, the various combined authorities, county, district, and sui generis councils formed an administrative hierarchy as shown in the table below. Unitary authorities are legally either district councils which also perform county functions or county councils which also perform district functions; they therefore straddle

1088-449: Is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 2002 have been: Following 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

1156-625: Is managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on behalf of Gateshead Council. Gateshead is a library authority and within its Central Library 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

1224-419: Is one civil parish in the borough at Lamesley, which forms an additional tier of local government for its area; 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

1292-455: Is the regional authority for Greater London , with responsibility for transport, policing, fire and rescue, development and strategic planning. Combined authorities are statutory bodies which allow two or more local authorities to voluntarily pool responsibilities and negotiate a devolution deal with the UK Government for the area they cover, giving it powers beyond those typically held by

1360-549: The COVID-19 pandemic . Local government receives two types of grants: the Revenue Support Grant, which can be spent on any service according to the wishes of the local government body in question, and specific grants, which are usually 'ring fenced' to specifically defined service areas. Council tax was introduced in 1993 to replace the ' poll tax '. It is a domestic property tax, based on eight bands (A to H) depending on

1428-687: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Commissioner to account and keeping strategies up to date, including the London Plan . Meanwhile, it is the Assembly's role to regularly hold the Mayor and their key advisers to account and it can also amend the budget or a strategy by a two-thirds majority, though this has not ever happened as of March 2022. Combined authorities can be created at

SECTION 20

#1732855723890

1496-542: The Localism Act 2011 . In every area, one local authority acts as the billing authority (the district council in two-tier areas), which prepares and collects council tax bills. Other parts of local government (like county councils in two-tier areas, police and crime commissioners, fire authorities, parish councils and combined authorities) act as precepting authorities, which notify the relevant billing authority of their decision on council tax and later receive this money from

1564-544: 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 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

1632-464: 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 , a major rail freight yard serving the North East. Gateshead Quayside, once dominated by industry, has benefited from significant investment and gentrification in

1700-623: The sui generis City of London Corporation . The other sui generis local authorities are the Council of the Isles of Scilly , Middle Temple and Inner Temple . Outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly , the Local Government Act 1972 divided England into metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, which would have one county council and multiple district councils each. That meant that each area would be covered by two tiers of local authorities - both

1768-457: The 2025 elections, increasing the number of councillors to 69. The council is based at County Hall on the southern outskirts of Morpeth, which was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981. 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

1836-534: 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 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

1904-559: The Electoral Commission has recommended that all authorities use whole council elections every 4 years. Local authorities have a choice of executive arrangements under the Local Government Act 2000 : mayor and cabinet executive, leader and cabinet executive, a committee system or bespoke arrangements approved by the Secretary of State. As of April 2023, just 15 local authorities have directly-elected mayors . Some functions are just

1972-521: The Labour Party as of 2024 except for Tees Valley . Each combined authority's executive consists of a representative from each of its constituent local authorities, plus (if applicable) the mayor. Functions can be devolved directly to the mayor, to the combined authority as a whole, or have a different decision-making requirement. The budget and functions of each combined authority can be vastly different, but possible functions include responsibility for

2040-622: The Secretary of State the power to provide for a directly-elected combined authority mayor . And, as of May 2022, nine out of the 10 combined authorities have mayors, including Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Andy Street in the West Midlands . In the 2024 local elections , new Combined Authorities were elected; they were the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority , North East Mayoral Combined Authority , East Midlands Combined County Authority . They are all controlled by

2108-405: The agreement of the relevant local authorities, and under the Localism Act 2011 eligible parish councils can be granted a " general power of competence " (GPC) which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this

Northumberland County Council - Misplaced Pages Continue

2176-459: The area. 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. The council has been under no overall control since 2021, being led by a minority Conservative administration. Following the 2021 election the Conservatives won a majority of

2244-521: 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 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

2312-594: The billing authority. Between financial years 2009/10 and 2021/22, council tax rates increased by 30% in real terms, in light of reduced grants from the UK Government. Business rates is a tax on business premises. It is based on the rateable value of the premises (set by the Valuation Office Agency ) and a business rate multiplier. It is set and collected by billing authorities. Reforms in 2013 now mean that local authorities keep 50% of business rate revenues raised locally. The UK Government then distributes

2380-647: 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 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

2448-408: 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 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

2516-498: 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 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

2584-425: The city in 1974 and therefore outside the county council's territory. 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. As part of the 2009 changes the council was given the option of changing its name to "Northumberland Council". After consultation with

2652-480: The composition of the council was: Eight of the independent councillors sit together as a group. The other is not aligned to any group. The next election is due in 2025. 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. New division boundaries have been drawn up to come into effect for

2720-500: The council has been a member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority . 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

2788-533: The council was Matthew White Ridley , who was also the Conservative MP for Blackpool (in Lancashire ). 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

Northumberland County Council - Misplaced Pages Continue

2856-608: The county and district columns. Metropolitan districts and London boroughs are also shown straddling the county and district columns. In much of the country there is also a lower tier of civil parishes . This administrative hierarchy differs from the ceremonial hierarchy . Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead 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

2924-436: 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. Tynemouth subsequently also became

2992-576: The financial year 2019/20, local authorities received 22% of their funding from grants, 52% from council tax and 27% from retained business rates. In the financial year 2023/24, 51% of revenue expenditure is expected to come from UK Government grants, 31% from council tax and 15% from retained business rates. Local government can also receive some money from fees and charges for the use of services, returns and interest from investments , commercial income, fixed penalty notices and capital receipts. The Information Commissioner's Office has ruled that there

3060-689: The functions of both county and district councils and have replaced two-tier local government in some areas. The creation of these first became possible under the Local Government Act 1992 , but now takes place under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . In the 2023/24 financial year, 33% of budgeted service expenditure across local government as a whole is set to be on education , 19% on adult social care , 13% on police , 11% on children's social care and 24% on all other services. Notably, Cornwall Council has been subject to

3128-472: The lower tier was reorganised and Northumberland was left with six districts : Alnwick , Berwick-upon-Tweed , Blyth Valley , Castle Morpeth , Tynedale and Wansbeck . Until 1981 the county council had its meeting place at the Moot Hall, which formed an exclave of the administrative county in central Newcastle. The main administrative offices were at the adjoining County Hall . The exclave became part of

3196-413: The lowest tier of local government, and primarily exist in rural and smaller urban areas. The responsibilities of parish councils are limited and generally consist of providing and maintaining public spaces and facilities. Local authorities cover the entirety of England, and are responsible for services such as education, transport, planning applications, and waste collection and disposal. In two-tier areas

3264-475: The old county borough of Gateshead had done prior to 1974. Some functions are provided across Tyne and Wear by joint committees with 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

3332-410: The other Tyne and Wear councils. In 2024 a combined authority 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

3400-821: 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 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

3468-523: The people within government are unsure at times where powers and responsibility, and hence accountability, rest, this lack of clarity is magnified for individuals who have little knowledge or experience of the structures. This has the potential to leave individuals less likely to be able to access what they need from government, leaving them often unable to know who is responsible, and as a result are not properly able to hold their democratic representatives to account. The Committee also said that "[t]he evidence

SECTION 50

#1732855723890

3536-635: The proposed sale of the Morpeth site fell through. The council subsequently decided to stay in Morpeth and renovate County Hall instead. 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. 55°09′13″N 1°41′03″W  /  55.15361°N 1.68417°W  / 55.15361; -1.68417 Local government in England Civil parishes are

3604-440: The public the council decided to keep the name "Northumberland County Council". 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 . It is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across

3672-773: The relevant police force and/or fire brigade , bus franchising and spatial strategy. Lower-tier of a two-tier system. Upper-tier of a two-tier system. De facto unitary authorities since abolition of metropolitan county councils . Metropolitan county councils were abolished in 1986 and most of their functions were devolved to the metropolitan boroughs making them unitary authorities in all but name. Some combined and regional authorities may assume responsibility for policing, e.g. South Yorkshire . Some combined and regional authorities may assume responsibility for policing, e.g. Greater Manchester . In England, local authorities have three main sources of funding: UK Government grants, council tax and business rates . In

3740-469: The remaining 50% of business rate revenues according to its own judgement. It was initially planned to increase the proportion of business rates that local authorities retain to 100%, but this was indefinitely delayed in 2021. In 2022, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said that it had "significant concerns about the current governance arrangements for England": If

3808-520: The request of two or more local authorities. Combined authorities do not replace the local authorities in question, but can receive separate functions and funding. As of May 2022, there are 10 combined authorities covering some of England. The Secretary of State was first granted the power to create combined authorities by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 . The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 gave

3876-503: The responsibility of the executive of a local authority, but local authorities must also have at least one overview and scrutiny committee to hold the executive to account. The London Government Act 1963 established 32 London borough councils. It also established the Greater London Council , covering the whole of Greater London , but this was later abolished by the Local Government Act 1985 . Greater London also includes

3944-455: The same time: Aside from Gateshead, the other districts had all been lower-tier district authorities subordinate to Durham County Council prior to 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

4012-413: The seats, but lost their majority later that year following a Liberal Democrat gain in a December 2021 by-election. Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: Two-tier non-metropolitan county Unitary authority The leaders of the council since 1998 have been: Following the 2021 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2024,

4080-401: 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 is represented by Sharon Hodgson (Labour). Gateshead has hosted two major political conferences. The first of these

4148-411: The value of the property on 1 April 1991. Various discounts are set out in law and exist at the discretion of billing authorities. On a yearly basis, local government bodies review and consider whether to increase or decrease the level of council tax to fund their spending plans. The level at which a local authority can increase council tax each year without holding a local referendum is regulated by

SECTION 60

#1732855723890

4216-560: The whole of England. There are five main types of local authorities: London borough councils , two-tier county and district councils , metropolitan district councils and unitary authorities . Some local authorities have borough , city or royal borough status, but this is purely stylistic. All local authorities are made up of councillors , who represent geographical wards . There are 7,026 wards as of December 2021. Local authorities run on four year cycles and councillors may be elected all at once, by halves or by thirds; although

4284-430: The whole of the country as many urban parishes were abolished in 1974. The only specific statutory function of parish councils, which they must do, is establishing allotments . However, there are a number of other functions given by powers in the relevant legislation, which they can do, such as providing litter bins and building bus shelters . Their statutory functions are few, but they may provide other services with

4352-447: 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 was seen as an attempt to connect to voters in the area. Gateshead has a number of schools across

4420-577: 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 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

4488-432: 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 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

4556-401: 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 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

4624-638: 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 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,

#889110