Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council explained

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Coa Pic:Coat of Arms of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees.svg
Coa Res:170
Coa Alt:Arms of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Logo Pic:Stockton-on-Tees_Borough_Council_-_Logo.svg
House Type:Unitary authority
Leader1 Type:Mayor
Leader1:John Gardner
Party1:
Conservative
Election1:3 April 2024[1]
Leader2 Type:Leader
Leader2:Bob Cook
Party2:
Labour
Election2:25 May 2011[2]
Leader3 Type:Managing Director
Leader3:Mike Greene
Election3:2022[3] [4]
Seats:56 councillors[5]
Structure1:File:United Kingdom Stockton on Tees Borough Council 2023.svg
Structure1 Res:260
Structure1 Alt:Stockton-on-Tees Council composition
Political Groups1:
Administration (22)[6]
  • Labour (22)
    Other parties (34)
  • Conservative (26)
  • Independent (1)
  • Session Room:File:Stockton Council Offices on Church Road - geograph.org.uk - 487339.jpg
    Session Res:250
    Session Alt:Municipal Buildings at Stockton
    Meeting Place:Municipal Buildings, Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS181LD
    Last Election1:4 May 2023
    Next Election1:6 May 2027

    Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, which straddles the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire in England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It therefore provides services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. Since 2016 the council has been a member of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Tees Valley Mayor since 2017.

    History

    The town of Stockton-on-Tees was an ancient borough. The borough's date of creation is unknown, but Stockton was being described as a borough by 1283.[7] The original borough had a very tightly drawn boundary; by 1835 it was said that the borough only covered a quarter of the urban area.[8] The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how many boroughs operated across the country. The borough was then administered by a body formally called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Stockton", generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. The boundaries were extended on several occasions, notably in 1852, 1889 and 1913 (in which year it gained Norton and Hartburn).[7] [9]

    That council was abolished in 1968 and replaced by the short-lived County Borough of Teesside from 1968 to 1974. Under the Local Government Act 1972 a new non-metropolitan district called Stockton-on-Tees was established, with a larger territory than the pre-1968 borough.[10] [11] [12] County-level services were provided by Cleveland County Council until its abolition in 1996, when Stockton-on-Tees became a unitary authority.The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Stockton-on-Tees covering the same area as the existing borough, but with no separate county council; instead the existing borough council took on county functions, making it a unitary authority.[13] At the same time, the borough was declared to straddle County Durham (north of the River Tees) and North Yorkshire (south of the river) for ceremonial purposes.[14]

    Governance

    The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Stockton-on-Tees is within a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.[15]

    Since 2016 the council has been a member of the Tees Valley Combined Authority.[16]

    Political control

    The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Following the 2023 election the Conservatives were the largest party, but a minority Labour administration was able to retain control with the informal support of the two smaller parties, the Thornaby Independent Association and the Ingleby Barwick Independent Society.[17]

    Political control of the council since its re-establishment in 1974 has been as follows:[18] [19] [20]

    Non-metropolitan district

    Party in controlYears
    1974–1976
    1976–1979
    1979–1991
    1991–1996

    Unitary authority

    Party in controlYears
    1996–2005
    2005–2015
    2015–2019
    2019–present

    Leadership

    The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Stockton-on-Tees, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1990 have been:[21]

    Councillor Party From To
    Bob Gibson[22] 1990 23 May 2007
    Ken Lupton[23] 23 May 2007 25 May 2011
    Bob Cook 25 May 2011

    Composition

    Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:[24]

    PartyCouncillors
    26
    22
    4
    3
    1
    Total56
    The next election is due in 2027.

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 56 councillors representing 27 wards, with each ward election one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[25]

    Premises

    The council has its main offices at the Municipal Buildings on Church Road in Stockton, which was purpose-built for the old borough council and opened in 1961.[26] Until 2020 full council meetings were generally held at Stockton Town Hall in the High Street, which was built in 1735. Following the resumption of in-person meetings in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings have been held instead in the Baptist Church or the conference suite at the town's library, both of which adjoin the Municipal Buildings.[27]

    In 2021 the council purchased an office building called Dunedin House on Columbia Drive on the south bank of the River Tees in Thornaby, which had been completed in 1992.[28] [29] Conversion works to turn it into a new headquarters for the council are underway with a view to it opening during 2024.[30]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Meet the new Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 7 April 2024.
    2. Web site: Council minutes, 25 May 2011 . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 13 August 2022.
    3. Web site: Council minutes, 20 July 2022 . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 20 February 2024.
    4. News: Metcalfe . Alex . From Scarborough to Stockton: Yorkshire council chief to lead Teesside's biggest borough . 20 February 2024 . Teesside Live . 13 July 2022.
    5. Web site: Councillors and Council meetings (egenda) - Stockton Council. www.stockton.gov.uk.
    6. Web site: Clean sweep for Conservatives in last local election making them largest party in Labour-led council. Gareth. Lightfoot. 23 June 2023. TeessideLive.
    7. Book: Page . William . A History of the County of Durham, Volume 3 . 1928 . Victoria County History . London . 348–365 . 21 February 2024.
    8. Book: Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 3 . 1835 . 1729 . 21 February 2024.
    9. Web site: Stockton-on-Tees Municipal Borough . A Vision of Britain through Time . GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth . 13 August 2022.
    10. act. 1972. 70. Local Government Act 1972. 31 July 2022.
    11. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 13 August 2022.
    12. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 13 August 2022.
    13. si. The Cleveland (Structural Change) Order 1995. 1995. 187. 11 June 2024.
    14. si. The Local Government Changes for England (Miscellaneous Provision) Regulations 1995. 1995. 1748. 6 March 2024.
    15. Web site: Local Government in England outside London. Clean Highways. 27 November 2020.
    16. si. The Tees Valley Combined Authority Order 2016. 2016. 449. 25 February 2024.
    17. News: Lightfoot . Gareth . Conservative bid to take over council is defeated in night of drama for Stockton Council . 20 February 2024 . Teesside Live . 21 September 2023.
    18. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 10 August 2022.
    19. News: Local election results: Stockton-on-Tees . 4 September 2009 . BBC News Online.
    20. News: Stockton-On-Tees . 26 March 2010 . BBC News Online.
    21. Web site: Council minutes . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 13 August 2022.
    22. News: Larman . Connor . Tributes to Bob Gibson, former Stockton council leader . 13 August 2022 . Northern Echo . 29 January 2020.
    23. News: Webber . Chris . All change for Stockton's Tories as Cllr Ken Lupton stands down as leader . 13 August 2022 . Northern Echo . 11 November 2014.
    24. Web site: Local elections 2023: live council results for England. The Guardian.
    25. si. The Stockton-on-Tees (Electoral Changes) Order 2023. 2023. 1342. 21 February 2024.
    26. Web site: Municipal Buildings, Stockton c. 1960s . Picture Stockton Archive . 21 February 2024.
    27. Web site: Calendar . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 21 February 2024.
    28. Web site: Planning Application 23/0447/FUL, Application Form . Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council . 21 February 2024. "The building is currently used as offices, and had been since its completion in January 1992."
    29. News: Metcalfe . Alex . New council headquarters for hundreds of workers to begin hosting staff in early 2023 . 21 February 2024 . Teesside Live . 27 July 2022.
    30. News: Lightfoot . Gareth . Stockton to transform its landscape through 2024 . 21 February 2024 . Darlington and Stockton Times . 29 December 2023.