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Cleveland County Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Disbanded | 31 March 1996 |
| Succeeded by | Hartlepool Stockton-on-Tees Middlesbrough Redcar and Cleveland |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1973–1977 | |
| Conservative | 1977–1981 | |
| Labour | 1981–1996 | |
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 | |
Sir Maurice Sutherland, leader of Cleveland County Council from 1973–77 and 1981–85, becomes a Master of Law.