Tyne and Wear

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Region: North East
Country: England

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan ceremonial county formed in 1974, encompassing the urban heart of the North East around the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It includes five metropolitan boroughs: Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, and South Tyneside, each with its own council. Once a hub of coal mining, shipbuilding, and heavy industry, the area has undergone significant regeneration, now boasting strong cultural, academic, and digital sectors. Newcastle and Sunderland are the principal cities, with iconic landmarks like the Tyne Bridge, Angel of the North, and the Quayside redevelopments reflecting the county’s industrial heritage and modern transformation. Despite its urban character, Tyne and Wear also includes beaches, parks, and access to scenic areas beyond its boundaries.

This county page, Tyne and Wear, is a sub-page this region page: North East. It zooms in to local authorities and parliamentary constituencies in this county.

Local Authorities in Tyne and Wear

  • Gateshead Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • North Tyneside Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council (Metropolitan District)
  • South Tyneside Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Sunderland City Council (Metropolitan District)

Tyne and Wear, in England’s North East region, is a metropolitan county made up of five metropolitan boroughs, each governed by its own council operating as a unitary authority responsible for all local services. These are Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council, Sunderland City Council, North Tyneside Council, and South Tyneside Council. Created in 1974, the county has no county council, with each borough handling functions such as education, housing, planning, transport, and social care independently. Together, these councils oversee a diverse area that includes the historic and cultural hub of Newcastle upon Tyne, the industrial heritage of Gateshead and Sunderland, and the coastal towns and communities along the Tyne and Wear rivers, blending urban centres with maritime landscapes.

Districts in Tyne and Wear

In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Tyne and Wear is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear, that contains the following 4 ITLs Level 3 areas:

(ITL 1) North East
(ITL 2) ⇒ Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Durham ⁞ Northumberland ⁞ Tyneside ⁞ Sunderland

Constituencies in Tyne and Wear

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 13 of them are in Tyne and Wear.

Counties in North East