Tyne and Wear - wikipedia Tyne and Wear `` T&W '' redirects here. For the unitary authority, see Telford & Wrekin. Tyne and Wear County Tyne and Wear in England Sovereign state United Kingdom Country England Region North East England Established ( Local Government Act 1972 ) Created from the five County Boroughs bordering Northumberland ( North of Tyne ) and County Durham ( South of Tyne ) Ceremonial county Area 538 km ( 208 sq mi ) Ranked 44th of 48 Population ( mid-2016 est. ) 1,128,800 Ranked 16th of 48 Density 2,090 / km ( 5,400 / sq mi ) Ethnicity 2011 estimate : 90.48 % White British 1.09 % Mixed 3.53 % Asian 0.92 % Black 0.51 % Chinese Metropolitan county Area 538 km ( 208 sq mi ) ONS code 2D NUTS UKC22 / 23 Districts of Tyne and Wear Districts Gateshead Newcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside South Tyneside Sunderland Members of Parliament David Anderson Lab Nick Brown Lab Mary Glindon Lab Alan Campbell Lab Ian Mearns Lab Chi Onwurah Lab Julie Elliott Lab Catherine McKinnell Lab Stephen Hepburn Lab Sharon Hodgson Lab Bridget Phillipson Lab Emma Lewell - Buck Lab Time zone Greenwich Mean Time ( UTC ) Summer ( DST ) British Summer Time ( UTC + 1 ) Tyne and Wear ( / ˌtaɪn ən ˈwɪər / ) is a metropolitan county in the North East region of England around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. It consists of the five metropolitan boroughs of South Tyneside, North Tyneside, City of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and City of Sunderland. It is bounded on the east by the North Sea, and has borders with Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south. Prior to the 1974 reforms, the territory now covered by the county of Tyne and Wear straddled the border between the counties of Northumberland and Durham, the border being marked by the river Tyne ; that territory also included five county boroughs. Tyne and Wear County Council was abolished in 1986, and so its districts ( the metropolitan boroughs ) are now unitary authorities. However, the metropolitan county continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference, and as a ceremonial county. Contents 1 History 2 Local government 3 Climate 4 Politics 5 Settlements 6 Places of interest 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History The Local Government Act 1888 constituted Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland as county boroughs ( Newcastle had `` county corporate '' status as the `` County and Town of Newcastle upon Tyne '' since 1400 ). Tynemouth joined them in 1904. Between the county boroughs, various other settlements also formed part of the administrative counties of Durham and of Northumberland. The need to reform local government on Tyneside was recognised by the government as early as 1935, when a Royal Commission to Investigate the Conditions of Local Government on Tyneside was appointed. The three commissioners were to examine the system of local government in the areas of local government north and south of the river Tyne from the sea to the boundary of the Rural District of Castle Ward and Hexham in the County of Northumberland and to the Western boundary of the County of Durham, to consider what changes, if any, should be made in the existing arrangements with a view to securing greater economy and efficiency, and to make recommendations. The report of the Royal Commission, published in 1937, recommended the establishment of a Regional Council for Northumberland and Tyneside ( to be called the `` Northumberland Regional Council '' ) to administer services that needed to be exercised over a wide area, with a second tier of smaller units for other local - government purposes. The second - tier units would form by amalgamating the various existing boroughs and districts. The county boroughs in the area would lose their status. Within this area, a single municipality would be formed covering the four county boroughs of Newcastle, Gateshead, Tynemouth, South Shields and other urban districts and boroughs. A minority report proposed amalgamation of Newcastle, Gateshead, Wallsend, Jarrow, Felling, Gosforth, Hebburn and Newburn into a single `` county borough of Newcastle - on - Tyneside ''. The 1937 proposals never came into operation : local authorities could not agree on a scheme and the legislation of the time did not allow central government to compel one. Tyneside ( excluding Sunderland ) was a Special Review Area under the Local Government Act 1958. The Local Government Commission for England came back with a recommendation to create a new county of Tyneside based on the review area, divided into four separate boroughs. This was not implemented. The Redcliffe - Maud Report proposed a Tyneside unitary authority, again excluding Sunderland, which would have set up a separate East Durham unitary authority. The White Paper that led to the Local Government Act 1972 proposed as `` area 2 '' a metropolitan county including Newcastle and Sunderland, extending as far south down the coast as Seaham and Easington, and bordering `` area 4 '' ( which would become Cleveland ). The Bill as presented in November 1971 pruned back the southern edge of the area, and gave it the name `` Tyneside ''. The name `` Tyneside '' proved controversial on Wearside, and a government amendment changed the name to `` Tyne and Wear '' at the request of Sunderland County Borough Council. post-1974 pre-1974 Metropolitan county Metropolitan borough County boroughs Non-county boroughs Urban districts Rural districts Tyne and Wear amalgamates 24 former local government districts, including five county boroughs. Gateshead Gateshead - Blaydon Felling Ryton Whickham Chester - le - Street Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne - Gosforth Newburn Castle Ward North Tyneside Tynemouth Wallsend Whitley Bay Longbenton Seaton Valley - South Tyneside South Shields Jarrow Boldon Hebburn - Sunderland Sunderland - Washington Houghton - le - Spring Hetton - le - Hole Easington Local Government Although the metropolitan county council was abolished in 1986, several joint bodies exist to run certain services on a county - wide basis. Most notable is the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority, which co-ordinates transport policy. Through its passenger transport executive, known as Nexus, it owns and operates the Tyne and Wear Metro light rail system, and the Shields ferry service and the Tyne Tunnel, linking communities on either side of the River Tyne. Also through Nexus, the authority subsidises socially necessary transport services ( including taxis ) and operates a concessionary fares scheme for the elderly and disabled. The Passenger Transport Authority is a `` precepting authority '', raising funds by imposing a levy on the Council Tax of the five constituent authorities of Tyne and Wear. In April 2014 Nexus became an executive body of the new North East Combined Authority. Other joint bodies include the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, which was created from the merger of the Tyne and Wear Archives Service and Tyne and Wear Museums. These joint bodies are administered by representatives of all five of the constituent councils. In addition the Northumbria Police force, which covers the whole of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, is one of several joint forces in England spanning two or more counties. The force was created in 1974, and so is not a by - product of the abolition of the county council. Climate Tyne and Wear either has or closely borders two official Met Office stations, neither located in one of the major urban centres. The locations for those are in marine Tynemouth where Tyne meets the North Sea east of Newcastle and inland Durham in County Durham around 20 kilometres ( 12 mi ) south - west of Sunderland. There are some clear differences between the stations temperature and precipitation patterns even though both have a cool - summer and mild - winter oceanic climate. Climate data for Tynemouth 33m asl, 1981 -- 2010 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high ° C ( ° F ) 7.2 ( 45 ) 7.3 ( 45.1 ) 9.0 ( 48.2 ) 10.3 ( 50.5 ) 12.7 ( 54.9 ) 15.6 ( 60.1 ) 18.1 ( 64.6 ) 18.1 ( 64.6 ) 16.1 ( 61 ) 13.2 ( 55.8 ) 9.7 ( 49.5 ) 6.4 ( 43.5 ) 12.1 ( 53.8 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) 2.2 ( 36 ) 2.2 ( 36 ) 3.3 ( 37.9 ) 4.8 ( 40.6 ) 7.2 ( 45 ) 10.0 ( 50 ) 12.3 ( 54.1 ) 12.3 ( 54.1 ) 10.4 ( 50.7 ) 7.7 ( 45.9 ) 4.9 ( 40.8 ) 2.5 ( 36.5 ) 6.7 ( 44.1 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 45.5 ( 1.791 ) 37.8 ( 1.488 ) 43.9 ( 1.728 ) 45.4 ( 1.787 ) 43.2 ( 1.701 ) 51.9 ( 2.043 ) 47.6 ( 1.874 ) 59.6 ( 2.346 ) 53.0 ( 2.087 ) 53.6 ( 2.11 ) 62.8 ( 2.472 ) 53.9 ( 2.122 ) 597.2 ( 23.512 ) Mean monthly sunshine hours 61.1 81.6 117.7 149.9 191.7 183.0 185.7 174.9 174.1 106.2 70.4 51.9 1,515 Source : Met Office Climate data for Durham 102m asl, 1981 -- 2010, extremes 1850 -- Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 16.7 ( 62.1 ) 17.4 ( 63.3 ) 21.7 ( 71.1 ) 24.1 ( 75.4 ) 27.8 ( 82 ) 30.6 ( 87.1 ) 31.0 ( 87.8 ) 32.5 ( 90.5 ) 30.0 ( 86 ) 25.0 ( 77 ) 19.4 ( 66.9 ) 15.9 ( 60.6 ) 32.5 ( 90.5 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 6.6 ( 43.9 ) 7.2 ( 45 ) 9.5 ( 49.1 ) 11.9 ( 53.4 ) 15.0 ( 59 ) 17.6 ( 63.7 ) 20.1 ( 68.2 ) 19.8 ( 67.6 ) 17.2 ( 63 ) 13.3 ( 55.9 ) 9.4 ( 48.9 ) 6.7 ( 44.1 ) 12.9 ( 55.2 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) 0.9 ( 33.6 ) 0.9 ( 33.6 ) 2.3 ( 36.1 ) 3.7 ( 38.7 ) 6.1 ( 43 ) 9.0 ( 48.2 ) 11.1 ( 52 ) 11.0 ( 51.8 ) 9.0 ( 48.2 ) 6.3 ( 43.3 ) 3.4 ( 38.1 ) 1.1 ( 34 ) 5.4 ( 41.7 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 17.2 ( 1 ) − 18.3 ( − 0.9 ) − 15 ( 5 ) − 11.1 ( 12 ) − 4.4 ( 24.1 ) − 1.1 ( 30 ) 1.1 ( 34 ) 0.6 ( 33.1 ) − 1.1 ( 30 ) − 5.5 ( 22.1 ) − 8.8 ( 16.2 ) − 16.6 ( 2.1 ) − 18.3 ( − 0.9 ) Average rainfall mm ( inches ) 52.3 ( 2.059 ) 41.8 ( 1.646 ) 44.6 ( 1.756 ) 52.7 ( 2.075 ) 44.2 ( 1.74 ) 55.4 ( 2.181 ) 54.0 ( 2.126 ) 60.8 ( 2.394 ) 55.4 ( 2.181 ) 60.9 ( 2.398 ) 72.0 ( 2.835 ) 57.0 ( 2.244 ) 651.1 ( 25.634 ) Mean monthly sunshine hours 58.6 80.3 115.5 150.3 181.7 164.8 172.3 167.3 134.5 102.8 66.4 51.2 1,445.4 Source # 1 : Met Office Source # 2 : NEForum Politics See also : List of Parliamentary constituencies in Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear is divided into 13 Parliamentary constituencies. Historically, the area has been a Labour stronghold, South Shields is the only Parliamentary constituency that has never returned a Conservative Member of Parliament ( MP ) to the House of Commons since the Reform Act of 1832. General Election 2010 : Tyne and Wear Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative BNP UKIP Others Green National Front Trade Union & Socialist Christian Party Turnout 239,211 + 7,338 106,380 + 9,129 105,117 + 30,595 23,740 + 20,071 8,731 + 4,876 3,766 + 59 3,186 + 1,932 599 -- 398 266 N / A 131 N / A 491,304 + 73,971 Overall Number of seats as of 2010 Labour Liberal Democrats Conservative BNP UKIP Others Green National Front Trade Union & Socialist Christian Party 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 At the level of local government, three of the region 's five unitary authorities were controlled by Labour in 2005, the exceptions being Newcastle City Council and North Tyneside Council. Since an upset result in the local elections of 2004, the former has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats. No one party has overall control of North Tyneside Council : while the Conservatives hold the greatest number of seats, 28, they lack an overall majority, there are 32 other councillors. North Tyneside is the only authority in the area with a directly elected Mayor. Currently a Labour member. Settlements See also : List of Tyne and Wear settlements by population For a complete list of all villages, towns and cities see the list of places in Tyne and Wear. Borough / City Locality Authority Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead Low Fell Blaydon Sheriff Hill Gateshead Rowlands Gill Ryton Whickham Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council City of Newcastle upon Tyne Byker Gosforth North Kenton Blakelaw Fenham Elswick Newburn Walbottle Westerhope Jesmond West Moor Heaton Newcastle upon Tyne Throckley Walker Newcastle upon Tyne City Council Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside Backworth Benton Cullercoats Earsdon Forest Hall Killingworth Longbenton Monkseaton North Shields Preston Tynemouth Wallsend Whitley Bay Wideopen North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside Boldon Cleadon Hebburn Jarrow South Shields Whitburn South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council City of Sunderland Castletown Fulwell Hendon Herrington Hetton - le - Hole Houghton - le - Spring Hylton Red House Newbottle Penshaw Rainton Ryhope Seaburn Silksworth Shiney Row South Hylton Southwick Springwell Village Sunderland Washington Warden Law Sunderland City Council Places of interest Gateshead Angel of the North Beamish Museum, which crosses the Gateshead / Chester - le - Street boundary BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art Gateshead International Stadium Gateshead Millennium Bridge Gibside MetroCentre Saltwell Park Tanfield Railway, Sunniside ( crosses boundary into Derwentside ) The Sage Gateshead Newcastle upon Tyne Discovery Museum ( previously Museum of Science & Engineering ) Hadrian 's Wall Hancock Museum Jesmond Dene public park Newcastle Castle Keep St James ' Park Leazes Park Centre for Life Town Moor Tyneside cinema Chinatown, Newcastle Quayside Metro Radio Arena Laing Art Gallery Theatre Royal Northumberland Street Grey Street Grey 's Monument The Biscuit Factory Tyne Bridge North Tyneside Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum, Wallsend St Mary 's Island bird reserve Tynemouth Castle South Tyneside Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum, South Shields Marsden Rock bird reserve Souter Point Lighthouse Bede 's World, Jarrow Sunderland The Museum and Winter Gardens Mowbray Park Seaburn Beach and Roker Beach Barnes Park The National Glass Hylton Castle Penshaw Monument St. Peter 's Church Stadium of Light The Empire Theatre Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art See also North East England portal List of Lord Lieutenants of Tyne and Wear List of High Sheriffs of Tyne and Wear Tyne -- Wear derby References Jump up ^ Rogers, Simon ( 18 May 2011 ). `` The ethnic population of England and Wales broken down by local authority ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2017. Jump up ^ Office for National Statistics - Gazetteer of the old and new geographies of the United Kingdom, p48. URL accessed 12 March 2007. Jump up ^ Metropolitan Counties and Districts Archived 6 June 2002 at the UK Government Web Archive, Beginners ' Guide to UK Geography, Office for National Statistics, 17 September 2004. URL accessed 12 March 2007. Jump up ^ North East England Counties, The Boundary Commission for England. URL accessed 12 March 2007. Jump up ^ London Gazette, 10 May 1935 Jump up ^ Local Government in the Tyneside Area ( Cmd. 5402 ) Jump up ^ Government of Tyneside : a Regional Council. The Times. 19 March 1937. Jump up ^ Local Government on Tyneside. Sir K. Wood and Report of Commission. The Times. 22 September 1937. Jump up ^ Hansard, 6 July 1972, column 909 Jump up ^ `` Tynemouth climate information ''. Met Office. Retrieved 13 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Durham climate information ''. Met Office. 1981 -- 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2015. Jump up ^ NEForum Jump up ^ `` Exceptional warmth, December 2015 ''. Met Office. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 19. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tyne and Wear. Images of Tyne and Wear at the English Heritage Archive Tyne and Wear at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) Ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear North East England Portal Metropolitan districts City of Newcastle upon Tyne City of Sunderland Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside Major settlements Birtley Blaydon - on - Tyne Gateshead Hebburn Hetton - le - Hole Houghton - le - Spring Jarrow Killingworth Newcastle upon Tyne North Shields Ryton South Shields Sunderland Tynemouth Wallsend Washington Whickham Whitley Bay See also : List of civil parishes in Tyne and Wear Topics Museums Parliamentary constituencies People Places Population of major settlements SSSIs Places in Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead Gateshead Bensham Birtley Blaydon Carr Hill Chopwell Deckham Dunston Felling Kibblesworth Lamesley Low Fell Pelaw Rowlands Gill Ryton Sheriff Hill Team Valley Whickham Windy Nook City of Newcastle upon Tyne Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne Arthurs Hill Battlefield Benwell Black Callerton Blakelaw Blucher Brunswick Byker Chapel House City Centre Cochrane Park Cowgate Coxlodge Dene Denton Denton Burn Dinnington East Denton Elswick Fairways Fawdon Fenham Great Park Haymarket Hazlerigg Heaton High Heaton Jesmond Kenton Kingston Park Lemington Manors Newburn North Kenton Ouseburn Parklands Sandyford Scotswood Shieldfield Slatyford South Gosforth Spital Tongues Throckley Walbottle Walker Walkergate Walkerville West Denton West Jesmond Westerhope Westgate Wingrove Woolsington Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside North Shields Wallsend Whitley Bay Backworth Beaumont Park Benton Burradon Cullercoats Earsdon Forest Hall Howdon Killingworth Longbenton Monkseaton Murton New York Preston Seaton Burn Shiremoor St Mary 's Island Tynemouth Wellfield Whitley Lodge Wideopen Willington Quay Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside Hebburn Jarrow South Shields The Boldons Cleadon Harton Marsden Monkton Whitburn City of Sunderland Hetton - le - Hole Houghton - le - Spring Sunderland Washington Ashbrooke Barnes Bishopwearmouth Burdon Carley Hill Castletown Claxheugh Cox Green Downhill Doxford Park Easington Lane East Rainton Elstob Farm Farringdon Fatfield Fence Houses Ford Estate Fulwell Gilley Law Grangetown Grindon Harraton Hastings Hill Hendon Herrington High Moorsley Hill View Hollycarrside Humbledon Hylton Castle Leechmere Marley Pots Millfield Monkwearmouth Newbottle North Haven North Hylton Pallion Pennywell Penshaw Plains Farm Rickleton Redhouse Roker Ryhope Seaburn Seaburn Dene Shiney Row Silksworth South Bents South Hylton Southwick Springwell Springwell Village Sunniside Town End Farm Thorney Close Tunstall Warden Law Witherwack Districts of North East England County Durham County Durham Northumberland Northumberland Tyne and Wear Gateshead Newcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside South Tyneside Sunderland Tees Valley Middlesbrough Redcar and Cleveland Darlington Hartlepool Stockton - on - Tees 1974 -- 1996 ← Ceremonial counties of England → current Bedfordshire Berkshire City of Bristol Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham East Riding of Yorkshire East Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Greater London Greater Manchester Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire City of London Merseyside Norfolk Northamptonshire Northumberland North Yorkshire Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Rutland Shropshire Somerset South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Tyne and Wear Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Metropolitan counties Greater Manchester Merseyside South Yorkshire Tyne and Wear West Midlands West Yorkshire Coordinates : 54 ° 58 ′ 26 '' N 1 ° 36 ′ 48 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 54.974 ° N 1.6132 ° W ﻿ / 54.974 ; - 1.6132 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tyne_and_Wear&oldid=812508712 '' Categories : Tyne and Wear Metropolitan counties NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom Hidden categories : Webarchive template other archives All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from October 2014 Articles with dead external links from October 2017 Use dmy dates from July 2014 Use British English from July 2014 Articles with DMOZ links Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Afrikaans Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Gaelg Galego 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Kernowek Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar मराठी Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk پنجابی Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Volapük ייִדיש 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 November 2017, at 06 : 15. 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Question: when did tyne and wear became a county
Answer: 1974