Gateshead Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is a metropolitan borough council and provides the majority of local government services in the borough. The council is a member of the North East Combined Authority.
The council has been under Reform UK majority control since May 2026. it is based at Gateshead Civic Centre.
History The modern council was created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It was initially a lower tier district authority, with Tyne and Wear County Council providing county-level services. Since the abolition of the county council in 1986, Gateshead Council has provided 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 has been under Reform majority control since the May 2026 election. Prior to that, it had been under Labour majority control since the modern borough's creation in 1974. (Put "Gateshead" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in control Years 1974–2026 2026–present
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:
Councillor Party From To Mick Henry 2002 20 May 2016 Martin Gannon 20 May 2016 May 2026 Nick Allan 29 May 2026
Composition Following the 2026 election, and a subsequent change of allegiance in October 2026, the composition of the council was:
The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
Since the last boundary changes took effect in 2026, 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.
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.
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