Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead

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Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
Metropolitan borough
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Angel of the North
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Coat of arms
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In Unity, Progress
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Gateshead shown within Tyne and Wear
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Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionNorth East
Ceremonial countyTyne and Wear
City regionNorth East
Incorporated1 April 1974
Named afterGateshead
Administrative HQCivic Centre, Gateshead
Government
[1]
 • TypeMetropolitan borough
 • BodyGateshead Council
 • ExecutiveLeader and cabinet
 • ControlTemplate:English district control
 • MPs
4 MPs
Area
[2]
 • Total
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 • Rank168th
Population
 (2024)[3]
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Population
 (2024)[3]
 • Total
Template:Fix comma category
 • Rank[[List of English districts by population|Template:English district rank]]
 • DensityScript error: No such module "ConvertIB".
Template:Pluralize from textTemplate:Pluralize from text
Ethnicity (2021)
[4]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[4]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode areas
NE
Dialling codes0191
ISO 3166 codeGB-GAT
GSS codeE08000037
Websitegateshead.gov.uk

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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 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.

History

The town of Gateshead was an ancient borough, having been granted a charter in 1164 from Hugh Pudsey, the Bishop of Durham.[5] 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.[6][7] 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.[8]

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 the same time:[9][10]

Aside from Gateshead, the other districts had all been lower-tier district authorities subordinate to Durham County Council prior to the 1974 reforms.[11]

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 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.[12]

Governance

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Gateshead Council
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Type
Type
Leadership
Vacant
since 8 May 2026
Nick Allan,
Reform UK
since 31 May 2026
Dale Owens
since 1 June 2024[13]
Structure
Seats66 councillors
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Political groups
Administration (38)
Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content.  Reform UK (38)
Other parties (28)
Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content.  Liberal Democrats (13)
Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content.  Labour (12)
Page Template:Legend/styles.css has no content.  Green (3)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
7 May 2026
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
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Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, NE8 1HH
Website
www.gateshead.gov.uk

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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 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.[14] [15]

There 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.[16] Birtley was also a civil parish with a town council until it was abolished in 2006.[17]

Political control

The council had been under Labour majority control since the modern borough's creation in 1974, until 2026.[18]

Following the 2026 election, the council came under the control of Reform UK. [19]

Party in control Years
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Script error: No such module "Party name with color". 2026–Present

Leadership

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:

Councillor Party From To
Mick Henry[20] Script error: No such module "Party name with color". 2002 20 May 2016
Martin Gannon[21] Script error: No such module "Party name with color". 20 May 2016 8 May 2026
Nick Allan Script error: No such module "Party name with color". 31 May 2026 Present

Composition

Following the 2026 election, [22] the composition of the council was:

Party Councillors
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Total 66

Elections

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.[23]

The wards are:

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Premises

The council is based at the Civic Centre on Regent Street, which was purpose-built for the council and was completed in 1987.[24]

File:Ancien Hôtel Ville Gateshead 5.jpg
Old Town Hall: Council's headquarters 1870–1987

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.[25]

Parliamentary constituencies

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 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 is represented by Sharon Hodgson (Labour).

Political conferences

Gateshead has hosted two major political conferences. The first of these was Labour's spring conference, ahead of the 2005 general election.[26] 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.[27]

Education

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.[28] Gateshead has amongst the best primary and secondary schools in the country overall.[29] 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.[30] Further independent schools can be found in Newcastle, Sunderland, and Tynedale.

Gateshead town itself has a further education college, Gateshead College, and a Jewish higher education institution, Beth Midrash Lemoroth — Jewish Teachers Training College.[31][32]

Environment

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 is a fairly green area with over half of the borough being green belt or countryside.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35][36]

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 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.[37][38]

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.[39]

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.[40]

Religion

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.[41]

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.[42]

Economy

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 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, 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.[when?][43] 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 was the largest industrial estate in Europe.[citation needed]

Gateshead Council is one of several UK local authorities which jointly own the SCAPE Group, a central purchasing body which operates framework agreements in the construction and civil engineering fields, whose purpose is to help public authorities procure works and services efficiently and cost effectively.[44]

Arts and culture

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.[45]

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 is a large venue facility called the Caedmon Hall.[46]

Sports

Gateshead has an association football team, Gateshead F.C., who play in the English Template:English football updater. They play at the Gateshead International Stadium, which also hosts athletics.

Freedom of the Borough

The following people have received the Freedom of the Borough of Gateshead:[47]

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In addition, freedom was granted to 72 Engineer Regiment on 9 July 2011.[49][47]

Arms

Coat of arms of Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
Notes
Granted 16 August 1976.[50]
Crest
Issuant from the mural crown Azure the circular blade of a plough Proper dimidiating a annulet embattled on the outer edge Or containing two fusils conjoined palewise Sable.
Escutcheon
Or a chief Azure overall five pallets counterchanged.
Supporters
On the dexter side a horse Sable unguled and maned Or supporting a length of tail Argent and on the sinister side a male griffin Sable armed and membered Or holding in the sinister forepaw a thunderbolt Or.
Motto
In Unity Progress
Badge
A roundel quarterly Or and Azure in chief issuing from the fess a man's head and neck all Proper in base issuing from the fess a portcullis with chains counterchanged.

Notes

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  1. ^ The parish of Birtley was also reduced in area as part of the 1974 reforms to exclude the part within the designated area for the new town of Washington, which went to the borough of Sunderland.

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Your council and elections". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  2. ^ Template:United Kingdom district population citation
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  4. ^ a b Template:NOMIS2021
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Historical Account of Newcastle-upon-Tyne including the borough of Gateshead. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent. 1827. pp. 745–760. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 3. 1835. p. 1525. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Municipal Corporations Act. 1835. p. 456. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1888 c. 41
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Local Government Act 1972: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70 (sch. 1), retrieved 4 April 2024
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/137
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Durham: Diagram showing administrative boundaries, 1972". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 29 March 2024
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."A new chief executive for Gateshead has been appointed". Gateshead Council. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The North East Mayoral Combined County Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2024/402, retrieved 6 May 2024
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."North East devolution deal". GOV.UK. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Birtley Town Council – Arrangements for Transfer of Services and Employees to Gateshead Council". Gateshead Council. 20 September 2005. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Gateshead" in search box to see specific results.)
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  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tallentire, Mark (26 April 2016). "Gateshead Council leader quits after 14 years". Northern Echo. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
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  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Gateshead". Historic England. pp. 13–18. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
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  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."North East and Cumbria - Labour Sages?". BBC News. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
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  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Outstanding Schools Praised'". BBC News. 7 February 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Top Marks in New Tables'". 9 January 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Chase School's ISD Profile". Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Morton, David (30 November 2015). "Gateshead College was opened by Prince Philip this week in 1955". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Soden, Herbert (4 August 2021). "Gateshead teacher training college reveals plan for brand new auditorium". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Countryside in Gateshead". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Countryside sites in Gateshead". Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cycle gateshead - Keelman's Way - Landmarks". Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008. Cycle-routes
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  46. ^ Caedmon Hall
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  48. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dawson, Kristy (4 December 2023). "Historian David Olusoga and ex-council leader Mick Henry given the Honorary Freedom of Gateshead". The Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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