| Cleveland County Council | |
| Coa Pic: | Arms of Cleveland County Council.svg |
| Coa Caption: | Coat of arms |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan county |
| Foundation: | 1 April 1974 |
| Disbanded: | 31 March 1996 |
| Succeeded By: | Hartlepool Stockton-on-Tees Middlesbrough Redcar and Cleveland |
| Session Room: | Boro Town Hall CNE 2011.jpg |
| Meeting Place: | Municipal Buildings, Middlesbrough |
Cleveland County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland in north east England. It came into its powers on 1 April 1974 and was abolished on 31 March 1996.
The county council came into its powers on 1 April 1974 and established its base at Municipal Buildings in Middlesbrough.[1] It adopted the motto "Endeavour" to commemorate the name of Captain James Cook's ship, HMS Endeavour, which, in February 1768, was dispatched on a mission to find the postulated continent Terra Australis Incognita (or "unknown southern land") in the south Pacific.[2]
Following the recommendations of the Banham Commission, which had recommended the transfer of power in the county to unitary authorities,[3] the county council was abolished on 31 March 1996.[4] It was replaced with four unitary authorities: Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.[5] The four districts were re-allocated to the ceremonial counties of County Durham (Hartlepool and north Stockton) and North Yorkshire (south Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland) so facilitating the abolition of the ceremonial county of Cleveland as well as the abolition of the administrative county of Cleveland.[6]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1973 until its abolition in 1996 was held by the following parties:[7]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1973–1977 | ||
| 1977–1981 | ||
| 1981–1996 | ||
The leaders of the council included:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice Sutherland[8] [9] | 1973 | 1977 | ||
| Arthur Pearson[10] [11] | pre-1978 | post-1979 | ||
| Maurice Sutherland | 1981 | 1985 | ||
| Bryan Hanson[12] [13] | 1985 | 1989 | ||
| Paul Harford[14] [15] | 1989 | post-1995 | ||