View source for Middlesbrough Council

{{short description|Local authority for the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Middlesbrough Council
| coa_pic = Coat of Arms of the District Council of Middlesbrough.svg
| coa_res =150
| coa_caption = Coat of arms<ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough's coat of arms |url=https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/mayor-council-and-councillors/civic-and-ceremonial/middlesbroughs-coat-arms |website=Middlesbrough.gov.uk |access-date=25 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101000123/https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/mayor-council-and-councillors/civic-and-ceremonial/middlesbroughs-coat-arms |archive-date=1 November 2020 |url-status=dead}}<br/>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Middlesbrough |website=Heraldry of the World |access-date=25 August 2022}}</ref>
| logo_pic = Middlesbrough Council - Logo.svg
| logo_res = 150
| logo_alt = 
| logo_caption = Logo
| leader1_type = [[Chairperson|Chair]]
| leader1 = Jack Banks
| party1 = <br/>[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| election1 = 21 May 2025<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hodgson |first1=Daniel |title=Jack Banks - who is Middlesbrough's new chair of the council? |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/jack-banks-who-middlesbroughs-new-31732849 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=Teesside Live |date=27 May 2025}}</ref>
| leader2_type = [[Mayor of Middlesbrough|Mayor]]
| leader2 = [[Chris Cooke (politician)|Chris Cooke]]
| party2 =  <br/>Labour
| election2 = 8 May 2023
| leader3_type = [[Chief Executive]]
| leader3 = Erik Scollay 
| party3 = <!-- Non-political role -->
| election3 = 27 November 2024<ref>{{cite news |last1=Georgia |first1=Banks |title=Middlesbrough Council set to appoint former Royal Navy Lieutenant as new permanent chief executive|url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/middlesbrough-council-set-appoint-former-30372421.amp |access-date=9 December 2024 |work=Teesside Gazette |date=14 November 2024}}</ref>
| structure1 = United Kingdom Middlesbroug Council 2025.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| seats = 47 (46 councillors plus elected mayor)
| political_groups1 =
; Administration (25)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (25)
; Other parties (22)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (4)}}
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (2)}}
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (16)}}
| joint_committees = [[Tees Valley Combined Authority]]
| voting_system1 = [[First past the post]]
| last_election1 = [[2023 Middlesbrough Council election|4 May 2023]]
| next_election1 = 6 May 2027
| session_room = Middlesbrough Town Hall Summer 2013.jpg
| session_res = 250
| session_alt = Middlesbrough Town Hall is the meeting place of Middlesbrough Council
| meeting_place = [[Middlesbrough Town Hall]]
| website = {{URL|www.middlesbrough.gov.uk}}
| footnotes =
}}
'''Middlesbrough Council''', also known as '''Middlesbrough Borough Council''', is the local authority for the [[Borough of Middlesbrough]] in [[North Yorkshire]], England. Since 1996 the council has been a [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]], being a [[non-metropolitan district|district council]] which also performs the functions of a [[non-metropolitan county|county council]]. Following the [[2023 United Kingdom local elections|2023 local elections]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] has held majority control of the council, which meets at the [[Middlesbrough Town Hall|Town Hall]]. It is led by the directly-elected [[Mayor of Middlesbrough]] ([[Chris Cooke (politician)|Chris Cooke]] since 2023). The council is a member of the [[Tees Valley Combined Authority]].

==History==
The town of [[Middlesbrough]] had been incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1853.<ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough Improvement Act 1856 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/19-20/77/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> When elected county councils were established in 1889, Middlesbrough was considered large enough for its existing council to provide county-level services, and so it was made a [[county borough]], independent from the new [[North Riding County Council]], whilst remaining part of the [[North Riding of Yorkshire]] for ceremonial purposes.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41|access-date=25 February 2024|mode=cs1}}</ref>

The original borough of Middlesbrough was abolished in 1968, merging with several neighbouring authorities to become the [[County Borough of Teesside]]. That proved to be a short-lived local authority, being abolished just six years later when a new borough of Middlesbrough was created on 1 April 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. The new borough covered the wards from Teesside which generally corresponded to both the pre-1968 borough and the former parishes of [[Hemlington]], [[Marton, Middlesbrough|Marton]] and [[Stainton, Middlesbrough|Stainton]] (which had all been abolished and absorbed into Teesside in 1968), plus the parish of [[Nunthorpe]] from the [[Stokesley Rural District]]. The re-created borough was a lower-tier district, being one of four districts within the new county of [[Cleveland, England|Cleveland]]. The county council provided county-level functions.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|accessdate=3 March 2023|mode=cs1}}</ref>

[[Cleveland County Council]] was abolished in 1996 following the [[Banham Review]] and the borough council took over county-level functions, in effect restoring Middlesbrough to the powers it had held prior to 1968 when it had been a county borough. The way the 1996 change was implemented was to create a new [[non-metropolitan county]] of Middlesbrough covering the same area as the existing borough, but with no separate county council; instead the existing borough council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cleveland (Structural Change) Order 1995|year=1995|number=187|access-date=25 February 2024|mode=cs1}}</ref> At the same time the borough was transferred for ceremonial purposes to [[North Yorkshire]], but as a unitary authority it has always been independent from [[North Yorkshire Council]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government Changes for England (Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 1995|year=1995|number=1748|access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Lieutenancies Act 1997|year=1997|chapter=23|access-date=25 February 2024|mode=cs1}}</ref>

==Governance==
The council calls itself Middlesbrough Council, although the longer name Middlesbrough Borough Council is also sometimes used.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find your local council |url=https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council/middlesbrough |website=gov.uk |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref> It provides both [[metropolitan county|county-level]] and [[metropolitan district|district-level]] services. There are two [[civil parish]]es in the borough at [[Nunthorpe]] and [[Stainton and Thornton]] which form a second tier of local government for their areas; while the rest of the borough is [[unparished area|unparished]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref>

Since 2016, the council has been a member of the [[Tees Valley Combined Authority]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Tees Valley Combined Authority Order 2016|year=2016|number=449|access-date=25 February 2024|mode=cs1}}</ref>

===Political control===
The council has been under [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] majority control since the [[2023 Middlesbrough Council election|2023 election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lightfoot |first1=Gareth |last2=Arnold |first2=Stuart |last3=Craigie |first3=Emily |date=2023-05-06 |title=RECAP: Labour gain control of Middlesbrough Council |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/live-teesside-elections-middlesbrough-mayor-26834784 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=TeessideLive |language=en}}</ref>

Political control of the council since it was re-established in 1974 has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Middlesbrough" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

'''Non-metropolitan district'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 1974–1996
|}

'''Unitary authority'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 1996–2019
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2019–2023
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 2023–present 
|}

===Leadership===
Since 2002, political leadership on the council has been provided by the directly elected [[Mayor of Middlesbrough]]. Prior to 2002 the council was led by a [[leader of the council]], and the mayor had a more ceremonial role. The leaders from 1981 to 2002 were:
{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| Walter Ferrier<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robson |first1=Dave |title=Councillor Walter Ferrier who spent 57 years serving the people of Middlesbrough has died |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/councillor-walter-ferrier-who-spent-8805893 |access-date=22 February 2024 |work=Teesside Live |date=9 March 2015}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|1981 || align=right|1983
|-
| Michael Carr<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Sarah |title=Middlesbrough councillor receives OBE at Buckingham Palace |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/middlesbrough-councillor-receives-obe-buckingham-7917660 |access-date=22 February 2014 |work=Teesside Live |date=10 October 2014}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|1983 || align=right|1995
|-
| Ken Walker<ref>{{cite news |last1=McKenzie |first1=Sandy |title=Ex Middlesbrough Council leader tells of his regrets |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/ex-middlesbrough-council-leader-tells-3719880 |access-date=22 February 2024 |work=Teesside Live |date=6 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Leader's mission to modify is over at last |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7075699.leaders-mission-modify-last/ |access-date=22 February 2024 |work=Northern Echo |date=1 May 2002}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|1995 || align=right|5 May 2002
|}

The directly elected mayors since 2002 have been:{{efn|Mayoral terms of office run from the fourth day after polling day.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Authorities (Elected Mayors) (Elections, Terms of Office and Casual Vacancies) (England) Regulations 2001|year=2001|number=2544|regulation=6}}</ref>}}
{| class=wikitable
! Mayor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| [[Ray Mallon]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Simon |title=It's a fair cop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/may/03/1 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=3 May 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Glover |first1=Andrew |title='We're about to find out if town was voting FOR Ray Mallon, or simply to stop Labour' |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/andrew-glover-were-find-out-9208348 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=Teesside Live |date=8 May 2015}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|6 May 2002 || align=right|10 May 2015
|-
| [[Dave Budd (politician)|Dave Budd]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Sarah |title=Dave Budd wins tight Middlesbrough mayoral election by just 256 votes |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/dave-budd-wins-tight-middlesbrough-9219855 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=Teesside Live |date=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=BBC3May2019>{{cite news |title=Local elections 2019: Independent mayor elected in Middlesbrough |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48030751 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=BBC News |date=3 May 2019}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|11 May 2015 || align=right|5 May 2019
|-
| [[Andy Preston (politician)|Andy Preston]]<ref name=BBC3May2019/><ref name=BBC5May2023>{{cite news |title=Local elections 2023: Labour's Chris Cooke ousts Andy Preston as Middlesbrough mayor |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-65491414 |access-date=29 June 2025 |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2023}}</ref> || {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|6 May 2019 || align=right|7 May 2023
|-
| [[Chris Cooke (politician)|Chris Cooke]]<ref name=BBC5May2023/> || {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|8 May 2023 || 
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2023 Middlesbrough Council election|2023 election]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian|date=9 May 2023 |last1=Voce |first1=Antonio |last2=Leach |first2=Anna |last3=Hoog |first3=Niels de |last4=Torpey |first4=Paul |last5=Clarke |first5=Seán }}</ref> and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council (excluding the elected mayor's seat) was:<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lightfoot |first1=Gareth |title=Independent councillor elected to Middlesbrough Council in by-election |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/independent-councillor-elected-middlesbrough-council-27544693 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Teesside Live |date=18 August 2023}}</ref><ref name=Thorncliffe>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=middlesbrough |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|24
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|4
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=center|16
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! align=center|46
|}
Of the sixteen independent councillors, ten sit together as the "Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association" and two form the "Marton East Independent Group"; the other four do not belong to a group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your councillors by party |url=https://moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Middlesbrough Council |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> The next election is due in 2027.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>

==Elections==
{{also|Middlesbrough Council elections}}
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 the council has comprised 43 [[councillor]]s representing 20 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|wards]], with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Middlesbrough (Electoral Changes) Order 2014|year=2014|number=1188|access-date=25 February 2024|mode=cs1}}</ref>

== The Executive ==
Middlesbrough Council's senior decision making body is a committee known as the Executive. Similar to a [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], the Executive consists of the Mayor and up to nine councillors appointed by the Mayor, as of November 2024 they are as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL COMMITTEES, MEMBERSHIPS AND TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE EXECUTIVE (EXCLUDING PORTFOLIOS) AND COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL 2021/2022 |url=https://moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk/documents/s4885/COMMITTEES%202021%20APPENDIX%20A.pdf |archive-url= |access-date=29 July 2023 |website=Middlesbrough Council}}</ref>
* [[Chris Cooke (politician)|Chris Cooke]], Mayor
* Philippa Storey, Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Education and Culture
* Jan Ryles, Executive Member for Public Health
* Peter Gavigan, Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability 
* Theo Furness, Executive Member for Development
* Ian Blades, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods
* Nicky Walker, Executive Member for Finance
* Julia Rostron, Executive Member for Adult Social Care
* Luke Henman, Executive Member for Children's Services<ref>{{cite web |date=29 July 2023 |title=Committee details – Executive |url=https://moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=1146 |access-date=29 July 2023 |website=moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk }}</ref>

==Premises==
The council is based at [[Middlesbrough Town Hall]] on Albert Road in the centre of Middlesbrough. The building is in two parts, being the main hall on the corner of Corporation Road (primarily an entertainment venue) and the Municipal Buildings to the south of the hall, facing Centre Square, which were built together between 1883 and 1889.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1136659|desc=Town Hall and Municipal Buildings|grade=II*|access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> The council has additional offices in modern buildings near the Town Hall, notably at Middlesbrough House at 50 Corporation Road, which includes the customer centre,<ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough House Customer Centre |url=https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/about-the-council/middlesbrough-house-customer-centre/ |website=Middlesbrough Council |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> and at Fountain Court at 119 Grange Road.<ref>{{cite web |title=Services provided by the council |url=https://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/open-data-and-foi/publication-scheme/services-provided-by-the-council/ |website=Middlesbrough Council |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Municipal office, Middlesbrough - geograph.org.uk - 5469154.jpg|thumb|The Civic Centre served as the council's main offices between 1973 and 2022]]
The council's main offices were previously at the Civic Centre on Centre Square, immediately east of the Municipal Buildings and linked to them by a first floor bridge. The Civic Centre was completed in 1973.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Phipps |first1=Simon |title=Brutal North: Post-war modernist architecture in the North of England |date=2020 |publisher=September Publishing |isbn=9781912836468 |page=91 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nfw2EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT92 |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> The council vacated the Civic Centre in 2022 after purchasing nearby Fountain Court and relocating staff there.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Metcalfe |first1=Alex |title=Former call centre emerges as frontrunner to become council's new home |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/former-call-centre-emerges-frontrunner-19999679 |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=Teesside Live |date=9 March 2021}}</ref>

==Coat of arms==
[[File:Flag flown above Middlesbrough town hall.svg|thumb|Middlesbrough’s flag consists of the coat of arms on a red background ]]
The motto {{lang|la|Erimus}} ("We shall be" in [[Latin]]) was adopted, it reflects {{lang|la|Fuimus}} ("We have been") of the [[Bruce clan]] which were [[Cleveland, Yorkshire|Cleveland]]'s mediaeval lords.

The original arms was granted to the [[Middlesbrough Rural District]] in 1911 by William Hylton Dyer Longstaffe. The town's [[coat of arms]] were three ships representing shipbuilding and maritime trade and an azure (blue) lion, the latter also from the Bruce clan. It was regranted in 1996 with slight modifications after the dissolution of Cleveland  county: a star replaced the middle ship, this is from [[Captain James Cook]]'s coat of arms.<ref>[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Middlesbrough/Middlesbrough90.html  GENUKI: Middlesbrough Parish information from Bulmers' 1890]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/ |title=Heraldry Society |access-date=13 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514183712/http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/ |archive-date=14 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/ |title=Robert Young's Civic Heraldry website}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesbrough Borough Council |url=http://civicheraldry.co.uk/tweed_tyne_tees.html#middlesbrough%20bc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418183737/http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/tweed_tyne_tees.html#middlesbrough%20bc |archive-date=18 April 2015 |access-date=28 May 2015 |publisher=Civic Heraldry of England and Wales}}</ref>{{clarify|date= July 2023|reason= Appear to have fragment of sentence & refs}}

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20191006165155/https://middlesbrough.gov.uk/ Middlesbrough Council Website]

{{Local authorities in North Yorkshire}}
{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{coord|54.5755|-1.234|display=title|region:GB_scale:100000}}

[[Category:Politics of Middlesbrough]]
[[Category:Unitary authority councils of England]]
[[Category:Local authorities in England with elected mayor]]
[[Category:Local education authorities in England]]
[[Category:Billing authorities in England]]
[[Category:Leader and cabinet executives]]
[[Category:Local authorities in North Yorkshire]]