Cleveland County Council

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.

Cleveland County Council
Coat of arms
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan county
History
Founded	1 April 1974
Disbanded	31 March 1996
Succeeded by	Hartlepool Stockton-on-Tees Middlesbrough Redcar and Cleveland
Meeting place
Municipal Buildings, Middlesbrough

History

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]

Political control

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
	Labour	1973–1977
	Conservative	1977–1981
	Labour	1981–1996

Leadership

The leaders of the council included:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Maurice Sutherland[8][9]		Labour	1973	1977
Arthur Pearson[10][11]		Conservative	pre-1978	post-1979
Maurice Sutherland		Labour	1981	1985
Bryan Hanson[12][13]		Labour	1985	1989
Paul Harford[14][15]		Labour	1989	post-1995

Council elections

• 1973 Cleveland County Council election
• 1977 Cleveland County Council election
• 1981 Cleveland County Council election
• 1985 Cleveland County Council election
• 1989 Cleveland County Council election
• 1993 Cleveland County Council election

References

1. Whitaker's Almanack 1979, p. 630
2. "Secret Instructions to Lieutenant Cook 30 July 1768 (UK)". National Library of Australia. 2005. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
3. "Remember When: How the death knell sounded for Cleveland County Council". Teesside Live. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
4. "The Cleveland (Structural Change) Order 1995". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
5. "Registration Districts in Cleveland". UK Births, Marriages and Deaths. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
6. "The Cleveland (Further Provision) Order 1995". Legislation.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
7. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
8. "Wendy's degree of success". Newcastle Journal. 25 November 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 13 August 2022. Sir Maurice Sutherland, leader of Cleveland County Council from 1973–77 and 1981–85, becomes a Master of Law.
9. Rodgers, William (15 March 2001). "Sir Maurice Sutherland". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
10. "A new voice of the North". Newcastle Journal. 5 July 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
11. "Councils want talks on region plugging". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 24 December 1979. p. 35. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
12. "Anger over £80m cut". Newcastle Journal. 5 July 1985. p. 2. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
13. "Ministry of Defence move will bring jobs boost". Billingham and Norton Advertiser. 15 March 1989. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
14. Searby, Martin (15 December 1989). "Council puts ban on spikes". The Times. London. p. 40.
15. "Civic leaders fight for cash". Newcastle Journal. 15 November 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 13 August 2022.