North Tyneside Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Chief Executive (interim) | Jacqueline Laughton since 6 January 2025[3] |
| Structure | |
| Seats | Elected mayor plus 60 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Joint committees | North East Combined Authority |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 2 May 2024 |
Next election | 7 May 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Quadrant East, 16 The Silverlink North,Newcastle upon Tyne, NE27 0BY | |
| Website | |
| my | |
North Tyneside Council, orNorth Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, is thelocal authority for themetropolitan borough ofNorth Tyneside inTyne and Wear, England. It is ametropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of theNorth East Combined Authority since 2024.
The council has been underLabour majority control since 2011. It is based at Quadrant East inCobalt Park, a large business park in the centre of the borough.
North Tyneside and its council were created in 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972 as one of five districts within the newmetropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. The district covered the whole area of three former districts and parts of another two, which were all abolished at the same time:
The whole area had been inNorthumberland prior to the reforms; as a county borough, Tynemouth had been independent fromNorthumberland County Council but had been part of Northumberland for ceremonial purposes.[4] The new district was grantedborough status from its creation, allowing it to appoint a mayor.[5]
North Tyneside Council initially provideddistrict-level functions, withcounty-level functions being provided byTyne and Wear County Council. The county council was abolished in 1986, after only twelve years in existence, and its functions passed to the area's five district councils.[6]
In 2002 the council changed to having adirectly elected mayor; prior to that the mayor had been a more ceremonial position.
Since 1986 the 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 acombined authority was established covering North Tyneside,County Durham,Gateshead,Newcastle upon Tyne,Northumberland,South Tyneside andSunderland, called theNorth East Mayoral Combined Authority. It is chaired by the directly electedMayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.[7][8]
The council has been under Labour majority control since 2011.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9][10]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1986 | |
| No overall control | 1986–1987 | |
| Labour | 1987–2004 | |
| No overall control | 2004–2008 | |
| Conservative | 2008–2010 | |
| No overall control | 2010–2011 | |
| Labour | 2011–present | |
Prior to 2002, political leadership was provided by theleader of the council. In 2002 the council changed to having adirectly elected mayor.[11] There have been periods where the mayor is of one party but the majority of the councillors are of another party.
The leaders from 1974 to 2002 were:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Bamborough[12][13] | Labour | 1974 | 18 May 1984 | |
| Brian Flood[13][14] | Labour | 18 May 1984 | May 1996 | |
| Rita Stringfellow[15][16] | Labour | May 1996 | 5 May 2002 | |
The mayors since 2002 have been:[17][a]
| Mayor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Morgan[19][20] | Conservative | 6 May 2002 | 18 Apr 2003 | |
| Linda Arkley[21][22] | Conservative | 12 Jun 2003 | 8 May 2005 | |
| John Harrison[22] | Labour | 9 May 2005 | 7 Jun 2009 | |
| Linda Arkley[23] | Conservative | 8 Jun 2009 | 5 May 2013 | |
| Norma Redfearn[23][24] | Labour | 6 May 2013 | 4 May 2025 | |
| Karen Clark[25] | Labour | 5 May 2025 | ||
Following the2024 election, the composition of the council (excluding the elected mayor's seat) was:[26][27]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 51 | |
| Conservative | 8 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 60 | |
The next election is due in May 2026.[28]
Since the last boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 60councillors representing 20wards, 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.[29]
Since 2008 the council has been based at Quadrant East, a modern office building atCobalt Park, a large business park in the centre of the borough.[30] With anNE27 postcode, the building comes under the Newcastle upon Tynepost town, although the council itself quotes the address as "North Tyneside" (administratively accurate but not postally).[31][32] The building is in the part of the borough which was the County Borough of Tynemouth prior to 1974.[33]
Prior to 2008 the council's offices were in several locations across the borough. Meetings were held atWallsend Town Hall.[34]
