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]
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.[17] Birtley was also a civil parish with a town council until it was abolished in 2006.[18]
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since the modern borough's creation in 1974.[19]
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:[20]
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]
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]
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 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]
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.
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]
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.[45]
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
↑ 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.
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