History of local government districts in Durham

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They had been successive district administration in the County of Durham. The ancient county was formerly structured around the Bishop of Durham with ancient wards and boroughs.

Contents

1835–1974

The county palatine was restructured to a standard county system of the time through successive Durham County Palatine Acts 1836 to 1889. Municipal boroughs were established under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. The administrative county and county boroughs were introduced in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. Urban and rural districts were created under the Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73). The structure was replaced under the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974.

Boroughs

A borough could either have or not have a rural controlled from the same set of municipal buildings. A municipal borough’s area was part-governed by the administrative county; a municipal borough could become a county borough which was only ceremonially linked with the county.

Borough TypeFromUntilNotes
Darlington [1] Municipal18671915
County19151974Replaced by the Borough of Darlington
Durham [2] Municipal18351974Replaced by City of Durham, since 2009 the Unitary Authority of County Durham
Gateshead [3] Municipal18351888
County18881974Replaced by the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
West Hartlepool [4] Municipal18871902
County19021967Boroughs merged
Hartlepool [5] Municipal18501967
County19671974Replaced by the Borough of Hartlepool
Jarrow [6] Municipal18751974Replaced by the Borough of South Tyneside
South Shields [7] Municipal18501889
County18891974Replaced by the Borough of South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees [8] Municipal18351968Merged into the County Borough of Teesside
Sunderland [9] Municipal18351888
County18881974replaced by the Borough of Sunderland

Districts

A rural and or urban district could be controlled from a single set of municipal buildings: [10]

DistrictTypeFromUntil
Annfield Plain Urban18961937
Auckland Rural18941937
Barnard Castle Rural18941974
Barnard Castle Urban18941974
Benfieldside Urban18941937
Billingham Urban19231968
Bishop Auckland Urban18941974
Blaydon Urban18941974
Boldon Urban19361974
Brandon and Byshottles Urban18941974
Chester-le-Street Rural18941974
Chester-le-Street Urban19091974
Consett Urban18941974
Crook Urban18981937
Crook and Willington Urban19371974
Darlington Rural18941974
Durham Rural18941974
Easington Rural18941974
Felling Urban18941974
Hartlepool Rural18941937
Hebburn Urban18941974
Hetton Urban18951974
Houghton-le-Spring Rural18941937
Houghton-le-Spring Urban18941974
Lanchester Rural18941974
Leadgate Urban18941937
Ryton Urban18941974
Seaham Urban19371974
Seaham Harbour Urban18941937
Sedgefield Rural18941974
Shildon Urban18941974
South Shields Rural18941936
Southwick on Wear Urban18941928
Spennymoor Urban18941974
Stanhope Urban18941937
Stanley Urban18941974
Stockton Rural18941974
Sunderland Rural18941967
Tanfield Urban18951937
Tow Law Urban18941974
Washington Urban19221974
Weardale Rural18941974
Whickham Urban18941974
Willington Urban18941937

1974-2009

Local government districts in Durham ceremonial county
Durham UK district map 1974-2009 (blank).svg
Map of districts 1974-2009
Durham UK district map (blank).svg
Map of districts from 2009

Under the Local Government Act 1972, the county's ceremonial, district and borough boundaries were moved to align to the newly created non-metropolitan county of Durham. The ceremonial county had the boroughs Darlington (borough) of Sedgefield and the City of Durham as well as five districts:

unitary authority under the Local Government Act 1992. Darlington borough became a unitary authority in 1995. The county of Cleveland disbanded in 1996, Boroughs of Hartlepool and of Stockton-on-Tees became unitary authorities in the ceremonial county. The Borough of Stockton-on Tees is split between the ceremonial counties of Durham and North Yorkshire.

The non-metropolitan county was subject to 2009 reforms. The council county, districts and boroughs were merged into a unitary authority. The ceremonial county now covers four unitary authorities:

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References

  1. "Darlington CB/MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. "Durham MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. "Gateshead MB/CB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. "West Hartlepool MB/CB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  5. "Hartlepool CB/MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. "Jarrow MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. "South Shields CB/MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. "Stockton-on-Tees MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  9. "Sunderland CB/MB" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  10. "County Durham AdmC" . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  11. "Durham council leader explains the benefits of a becoming large unitary authority". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 18 August 2021.