View source for Northumberland County Council

{{short description|Local authority in North East England}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{about|the local authority in North East England|the former county council in Australia|Northumberland County Council (New South Wales)}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name               = Northumberland County Council
| coa_pic            = Arms of Northumberland County Council.svg
| coa_res            = 100px
| coa_alt            = Arms of Northumberland County Council
| logo_pic           = Northumberland County Council.svg
| logo_res           = 250px
| house_type         = [[Unitary authorities of England|Unitary authority]]
| foundation         = 1 April 1889{{efn|Became unitary authority 1 April 2009.}}
| leader1_type       = [[Chairperson|Chair]]
| leader1            = John Beynon
| party1             = <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| election1          = 1 May 2024<ref>{{cite web |title=Council meeting, 1 May 2024 |url=https://northumberland.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=346&MId=2512 |website=Northumberland County Council | date=May 2024 |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref>
| leader2_type       = [[Leader of the council|Leader]]
| leader2            = Glen Sanderson
| party2             = <br/>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
| election2          = 23 September 2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 23 September 2020 |url=https://northumberland.moderngov.co.uk/Data/County%20Council/202011041500/Agenda/47809_M10826.pdf |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref>
| leader3_type       = [[Chief Executive]]
| leader3            = Helen Paterson
| party3             = <!-- Non-political role -->
| election3          = February 2023<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=James |title=New boss in charge at Northumberland County Council |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-county-council-helen-paterson-26200404 |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Chronicle Live |date=10 February 2023}}</ref>
| seats              = 69 councillors
| structure1         = File:Northumberland CC 2nd may 2025.svg
| structure1_res     = 250px
| structure1_alt     = Northumberland County Council composition
| political_groups1  =
;Administration (26)
:{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (26)
;Opposition (23)
:{{Color box|{{party color|Reform UK}}|border=darkgray}} [[Reform UK |Reform]] (23)
;Other Parties (21)
:{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (8)
:{{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (7)
:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (3)}}
: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]] (2)
| joint_committees = [[North East Combined Authority]]
| voting_system1     = [[Plurality voting system|First past the post]]
| last_election1     = [[2025 Northumberland County Council election|1 May 2025]]
| next_election1     = [[2029 Northumberland County Council election|3 May 2029]]
| session_room       = County Hall Morpeth - geograph.org.uk - 305881.jpg
| session_res        = 250px
| meeting_place      = [[County Hall, Morpeth|County Hall]], [[Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth]], NE61{{nbsp}}2EF
| website            = {{URL|www.northumberland.gov.uk}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Northumberland County Council''' is the [[Local government in England|local authority]] for the [[non-metropolitan county]] of [[Northumberland]] in [[North East England]]. Since 2009 it has been a [[Unitary authorities of England|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 Party (UK)|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 [[magistrate]]s 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.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41|access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref> [[Tynemouth]] subsequently also became a county borough in 1904, removing it from the administrative county.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tynemouth Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10061982 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Moot Hall, Castle Garth, Newcastle - geograph.org.uk - 4591164.jpg|thumb|left|[[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.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Moot Hall, Castle Garth|num=1116297|grade=I|access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref> The first chairman of the council was [[Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley|Matthew White Ridley]], who was also the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] for [[Blackpool (UK Parliament constituency)|Blackpool]] (in [[Lancashire]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Meeting of Northumberland County Council |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Morpeth Herald |date=6 April 1889 |page=2}}</ref>

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 [[municipal borough|boroughs]], [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] and [[rural districts]]. In 1974 the lower tier was reorganised and Northumberland was left with six [[non-metropolitan district|districts]]: [[Alnwick District|Alnwick]], 
[[Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick-upon-Tweed]], [[Blyth Valley]], [[Castle Morpeth]], [[Tynedale]] and [[Wansbeck District|Wansbeck]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref>

Until 1981 the county council had its meeting place at the Moot Hall, which formed an [[exclave]] of the administrative county in central Newcastle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Administrative Area Series, 1947 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/196756955 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref> The main administrative offices were at the adjoining [[County Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne|County Hall]]. The exclave became part of the city in 1974 and therefore outside the county council's territory.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|schedule=1|access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref> The council moved to [[Morpeth, Northumberland|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.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008|year=2008|number=494|access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=4108|title=Northumberland County Council|access-date=3 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220233428/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=4108|archive-date=20 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> As part of the 2009 changes the council was given the option of changing its name to "Northumberland Council".<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendment and Other Provision) Order 2009|year=2009|number=837|article=4|access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref> After consultation with the public the council decided to keep the name "Northumberland County Council".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=4100|title=Northumberland County Council|access-date=3 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220233358/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=4100|archive-date=20 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Northumberland UK location map.svg|thumb|right|The area administered by the council: the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland]]

In 2024 a [[Combined authorities and combined county authorities|combined authority]] was established covering Northumberland, [[County Durham (district)|County Durham]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[North Tyneside]], [[South Tyneside]] and [[City of Sunderland|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.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The North East Mayoral Combined County Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024|year=2024|number=402|access-date=6 May 2024}}</ref>

==Governance==
Since 2009, Northumberland County Council has provided both [[non-metropolitan county|county-level]] and [[non-metropolitan district|district-level]] services. The whole county is also covered by [[civil parish]]es, which form an additional tier of local government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>

===Political control===
The council has been under [[no overall control]] since 2021, being led by a minority Conservative administration. Following the [[2021 United Kingdom local elections|2021 election]] the Conservatives won a majority of the seats, but lost their majority later that year following a [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] gain in a December 2021 by-election.<ref>{{cite web|date=7 May 2021|title=County Council election results|url=https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/elections.aspx|website=Northumberland County Council}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Northumberland County Council|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cdl8n2edx5xt/northumberland-county-council|access-date=2021-05-07|website=BBC News|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre | date=4 March 2016 |access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Local election results: Northumberland|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/locals/html/3872.stm|work=Election 2005|publisher=[[BBC News Online]]|access-date=30 January 2012|date=6 May 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Northumberland|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/35uf.stm|work=Elections 2008|publisher=[[BBC News Online]]|access-date=30 January 2012|date=6 May 2008}}</ref>

'''Two-tier non-metropolitan county'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1974–1981
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 1981–1985
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1985–1989
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || 1989–2008
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2008–2009
|}

'''Unitary authority'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2009–2021
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 2021–2021
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2021–present
|}

===Leadership===
The [[leader of the council|leaders of the council]] since 1998 have been:<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://northumberland.moderngov.co.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1 |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| Michael Davey<ref>{{cite web |title=Profile of Cllr. M. Davey |url=http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/CL_CllrDetailResp.asp?ID=425 |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310003133/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/CL_CllrDetailResp.asp?ID=425 |archive-date=10 March 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Councillors facing standards probe |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/councillors-facing-standards-probe-1594459 |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Chronicle Live |date=24 October 2005}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|1998 || align=right|May 2005
|-
| Bill Brooks<ref>{{cite news |title=Shamed councillor gets top position |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/shamed-councillor-gets-top-position-1575803 |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Chronicle Live |date=12 May 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Council leader to give up role |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/council-leader-give-up-role-1492936 |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Chronicle Live |date=26 April 2007}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|May 2005 || align=right|2007
|-
| Peter Hillman || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|2007 || align=right|2008
|-
| Jeff Reid<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 21 May 2008 |url=http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Councillor/Meeting.asp?MID=1&Ret=T0 |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228142548/http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Councillor/Meeting.asp?MID=1&Ret=T0#Minutes |archive-date=28 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=James |title=Former county council leader slams £4.8bn North East devolution deal |url=https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/former-county-council-leader-slams-ps48bn-north-east-devolution-deal-4069057 |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Northumberland Gazette |date=17 March 2023}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|21 May 2008 || align=right|22 May 2013
|-
| Grant Davey<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 22 May 2013 |url=http://committees.northumberland.gov.uk/aksnorthumberland/users/public/admin/kab12.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=51&cmte=COU&grpid=public&arc=1 |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401095105/http://committees.northumberland.gov.uk/aksnorthumberland/users/public/admin/kab12.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=51&cmte=COU&grpid=public&arc=1 |archive-date=1 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Connell |first1=Ben |title=Leader and deputy leader of Labour opposition on Northumberland County Council to stand down |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/grant-davey-dave-ledger-northumberland-15750206 |access-date=15 August 2022 |work=Chronicle Live |date=30 January 2019}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=right|22 May 2013 || align=right|24 May 2017
|-
| Peter Jackson || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|24 May 2017 || align=right|2 Sep 2020
|-
| Glen Sanderson || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|23 Sep 2020 || align=right|
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2025 Northumberland County Council election|2025 election]], the composition of the council is:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" |Party !! Councillors
|-
| {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|26
|-
| {{party name with colour|Reform UK}} || align=center|23
|-
| {{party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|8
|-
| {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=center|7
|-
| {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|3
|-
| {{party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} || align=center|2
|-
! colspan="2" |Total:
!69
|}
The next election is due in 2029.

==Elections==
{{also|Northumberland County Council elections}}
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2013 the council has comprised 67 [[councillor]]s representing 66 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral divisions]], each of which elects one councillor except [[Alnwick]] which elects two. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2011|year=2011|number=2|access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref> New division boundaries have been drawn up to come into effect for the 2025 elections, increasing the number of councillors to 69.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Northumberland (Electoral Changes) Order 2024|year=2024|number=124|access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>

==Premises==
[[File:Vermont Hotel, Castle Garth - geograph.org.uk - 1652889.jpg|thumb|[[County Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne]]: Council's main offices 1910–1981]]
The council is based at [[County Hall, Morpeth|County Hall]] on the southern outskirts of Morpeth, which was purpose-built for the council and opened in 1981.<ref>{{cite news |title=Northumberland County Council to spend £17m on HQ revamp |url=https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/16612455.northumberland-county-council-spend-17m-hq-revamp/ |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=Hexham Courant |date=25 January 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Multi-million pound plans to move Northumberland County Council headquarters quashed |url=https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2017-05-18/multi-million-pound-plans-to-move-northumberland-county-council-headquarters-quashed |access-date=26 March 2024 |work=ITV News |date=18 May 2017}}</ref>

Prior to 1981 the council was based in Newcastle. Meetings were held at the Moot Hall. A large office building called [[County Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne|County Hall]] was built opposite the Moot Hall in 1910 to serve as the council's main offices.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=County Hall, Castle Garth|num=1024938|grade=II|access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{clear right}}
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Home.aspx}}

{{Unitary authorities of England}}
{{Local government districts of England abolished in 2009}}
{{County councils of England}}
{{Coord|55|09|13|N|1|41|03|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}

<!-- County council -->

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Local government in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Unitary authority councils of England]]
[[Category:County councils of England]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in England]] <!-- County council -->
[[Category:2009 establishments in England]] <!-- Unitary authority -->
[[Category:Local education authorities in England]]
[[Category:Billing authorities in England]]
[[Category:Local authorities in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Leader and cabinet executives]]