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Northumberland County Council

Coordinates: 55°09′13″N 1°41′03″W / 55.15361°N 1.68417°W / 55.15361; -1.68417
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Northumberland County Council
Arms of Northumberland County Council
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2009[a]
Preceded by
District councils
  • Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council
  • Blyth Valley Borough Council
  • Castle Morpeth Borough Council
  • Alnwick District Council
  • Tynedale District Council
  • Wansbeck District Council
Leadership
Civic Head
Cllr Jeffrey George Watson, Conservative
since 24 May 2017
Chairman of the Council
Cllr Richard Robert Dodd, Conservative
since 24 May 2017
Leader of the Council
Cllr. Peter Alan Jackson, Conservative
since 24 May 2017
Structure
Seats67 councillors
Northumberland County Council composition
Political groups
Administration
  Conservative (33)
Other parties
  Labour (24)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
  Non Aligned (4)
  Bedlington Independents (3)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2017
Next election
6 May 2021
Meeting place
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
Website
northumberland.gov.uk
Northumberland proper, as administered by the Council

Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. The population of the non-metropolitan unitary authority at the 2011 census was 316,028.[1]

History

It was formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed, downsized in 1974 to cover the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland, which for the first time excluded the City of Newcastle upon Tyne conurbation. As part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England it became a unitary authority with the same boundaries, this disregarded the referendum held in 2005 in which the population voted against the forming of a unitary authority.[2]

Its elections have been in May 2008, 2013, and 2017 to be at four-yearly intervals, the expected length of office of each councillor. The next local election is expected in May 2021.

Naming of the new unitary authority

Throughout 2008, the people of Northumberland were consulted about the new name of the unitary authority. The choice was between having the name of the incumbent county council as the name for the new unitary authority – Northumberland County Council or whether a brand new name should be given – Northumberland Council. Online polls were held and the votes of staff within the former district councils were collated and overall, the name of the incumbent county council was preferred on a ratio of nearly 2:1.[3]

On 17 December 2008 it was decided that the new name would be Northumberland County Council. The chairman of the council stated that:

Having considered the findings of this consultation, it has been decided to call the new authority Northumberland County Council. It is important to reiterate that whilst the single unitary will adopt the name of an existing council, this is emphatically not a County Council takeover. As of 1 April 2009, all existing Northumberland councils will be abolished to make way for a brand new organisation, with new vision, values, and behaviours.

Legally, however, the council remains the same body as at present, simply assuming the functions of the districts.[4]

Council leadership

Civic leadership and offices of honour

Offices(s) Name
Civic Head of Northumberland County Council

First Citizen of Northumberland

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Jeffrey George Watson
Deputy Civic Head of Northumberland County Council

Second Citizen of Northumberland

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. James Ian Hutchinson
Father of the Council style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Ian Carr Fry Swithenbank CBE
Baby of the Council style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Gregah Alan Roughead FRSA

Presiding Officers

Offices(s) Name
Chairman of the Council style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun.Richard Robert Dodd
Deputy Chairman of the Council style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Barry Malcolm Flux

Leader of the council and cabinet

Following the election of May 2017, Northumberland County Council has no overall control, however the Conservative Party are the largest group on the Council being one seat short of an overall majority so form the council's current administration.

Offices(s) Name
Leader of the Council

Leader of the Conservative Group

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Peter Alan Jackson
Deputy Leader of the Council

Cabinet Member for Children's Services

Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Wayne Daley
Cabinet Secretary

Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Nicholas Oliver
Cabinet Member for Adult Well-being and Health

Secretary of the Conservative Group

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Veronica Jones
Cabinet Member for Economic Development

Chairman of Arch Group

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Richard Watson Wearmouth
Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Leisure

Non-Executive Board Member of Active Northumberland

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Catherine Homer
Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Resilience

Chairman of Northumberland Fire Authority

style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. John Robert Riddle
Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Hugh Glen Howard Sanderson JP

Leader of the official opposition and shadow cabinet

Offices(s) Name
Leader of the Official Opposition

Leader of the Labour Group

style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Susan Elizabeth Dungworth
Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition

Deputy Leader of the Labour Group

style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun. Scott James Dickinson
Chairman of Northumberland Labour Group style="background:Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | Coun.

Composition

Following the election of 2017, Northumberland County Council has no overall control, with the Conservative Party being the largest group on the Council.[5]

#0087DC #E4003B #DCDCDC #FAA61A
Affiliation Members
Conservative Group 33
Labour Group 24
Independent Group
7
Liberal Democrat Group 3
 Total
67

Other uses

Eurostat statistical area

For Eurostat purposes the area under the jurisdiction of Northumberland County Council is a NUTS 3 region (code UKC21) and is one of five (?) boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region.

Notes

  1. ^ Creation of unitary authority.

References

  1. ^ "Non-metropolitan unitary population 2011". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  3. ^ "Northumberland County Council". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  4. ^ "The Northumberland (Structural Change) Order 2008". www.opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Local Election Results 2017". Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 5 May 2017.

55°09′13″N 1°41′03″W / 55.15361°N 1.68417°W / 55.15361; -1.68417