Derwentside
Derwentside is a
local government district in
County Durham,
England, named after the
River Derwent. It sits to the west of
Chester-le-Street and to the north and east of the
Wear Valley district.
Its main towns are
Consett and
Stanley, with the district council offices on Consett's Medomsley Road. The rest of the district is semi-rural, with numerous former pit villages running into one another.
In the past, Derwentside was famous both for its steel industry and coal mining. Since their closure, the district has struggled with unemployment, although recent
European Union funding has provided a boost to local businesses and visitor attractions.
European money assisted in the creation of, for its time, a highly innovative community internet project. The Derwentside Infonet provided free dialup internet access to community groups, in the mid to late 1990s.
The district was formed on
April 1,
1974 by the merger of
Consett and
Stanley urban districts with
Lanchester Rural District.
The council is controlled by the
Labour Party, with
Derwentside Independents being the largest opposition group. [
1]
Annfield Plain Annfield Plain ward; Catchgate ward
Benfieldside Burnopfield and Dipton Burnopfield ward; Dipton ward
Consett North Craghead and South Moor Delves Lane and Consett South Consett East ward; Consett South ward; Delves Lane ward
Esh Cornsay ward; Esh ward
Lanchester Burnhope ward; Castleside ward; Lanchester ward
Leadgate and Medomsley Ebchester and Medomsley ward; Leadgate ward
Stanley Tanfield*
Derwentside District Council*
Derwentside News, Information and Forums
