Gateshead Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council has been a member of the North East Combined Authority since 2024.

Since 1986, Gateshead Council has been a unitary authority providing both district-level and county-level functions, with some services being provided through joint arrangements with the other Tyne and Wear councils. In 2024 a combined authority was established covering Gateshead, County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland, called the North East Mayoral Combined Authority. It is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.

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. Birtley was also a civil parish with a town council until it was abolished in 2006.

Governance

Political control

The council had been under Labour majority control since the modern borough's creation in 1974, until 2026.

Following the 2026 election, the council came under the control of Reform UK.

Leadership

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:

Composition

Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council was:

Elections

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.

The wards are:

• Birtley

• Blaydon

• Bridges (Gateshead town centre)

• Chopwell and Rowlands Gill

• Chowdene

• Crawcrook, Greenside and Clara Vale

• Deckham

• Dunston and Teams

• Dunston Hill and Whickham East

• Felling

• Heworth

• High Fell (includes Sheriff Hill)

• Lamesley

• Leam Lane Estate

• Lobley Hill and Bensham

• Low Fell

• Pelaw and Heworth

• Ryton, Crookhill and Stella

• Saltwell

• Wardley and Leam Lane

• Whickham North

• Whickham South and Sunniside

• Windy Nook and Whitehills

• Winlaton and High Spen

Premises

The council is based at the Civic Centre on Regent Street, which was purpose-built for the council and was completed in 1987.

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.

References