| Description | Although Newcastle was governed by a Common Council from 1600, a record of proceedings only begins in 1636. There is no evidence of a formal Committee structure before the Municipal Corporations Act reformed the Borough in 1835, although proceedings or reports of some special committees survive and there does seem to have been a system of delegating specific tasks to groups of Burgesses who would then report their findings to the whole Council.
The system of standing and special committees with specific powers delegated to them which is the basis of all modern local government was established in Newcastle in 1835. The committee structure has evolved since then to reflect changes in the powers exercised by Newcastle and changes in public opinion as to how local services should be delivered and the relative importance of each service. |