Photo: Jack Bromby · Public domainNo party holds a majority on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Billingham is run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, with Billingham parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. Its MP is Chris McDonald (Labour), member for Stockton North.
£2,611
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Billingham’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
The Conservatives, the largest group, hold 26 of its 56 seats as elected, 3 short of the 29 needed. Labour holds 22, Thornaby Independent Association 4, Ingleby Barwick Independent Society 3 and independents 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Billingham is £2,611 for 2026–27; Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council keeps 82% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 54% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
No party has a majority
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 29 of Stockton-on-Tees’s 56 seats to run the council alone.
- Conservative26
- Labour22
- Thornaby Independent Association4
- Ingleby Barwick Independent Society3
- Independent1
Latest election: May 2023.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Billingham
One council runs every main service here.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
100% of Billingham’s residents · Band D precept £39
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas. It is led by an elected mayor.
Mayor: Ben Houchen (Conservative), elected May 2024
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Billingham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierBillingham parish council
- 2Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council5 wards · 10 councillorsLabour 8 · Conservative 2 · all 10
- 3Mayor of Tees Valley Combined AuthorityTees Valley Combined Authority · elected May 2024Ben Houchen
- 4Police and crime commissionerCleveland Police · elected May 2024Matt Storey
- 5House of CommonsStockton North
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
10 councillors for 5 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Paul WestonLabour · May 2023
- Katie WestonLabour · May 2023
- Michelle BendelowLabour · May 2023
- Mick StokerLabour · May 2023
- Ann McCoyLabour · May 2023
- Barry WoodhouseLabour · May 2023
- Clare GambleLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- Marc BesfordLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- David ReynardConservative · May 2023
- Marcus Lennon VickersConservative · May 2023
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billingham Southall in Billingham · 7,872 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Paul WestonKatie Weston | May 2023 |
| Billingham Eastall in Billingham · 7,370 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Michelle BendelowMick Stoker | May 2023 |
| Billingham Centralall in Billingham · 7,369 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Ann McCoyBarry Woodhouse | May 2023 |
| Billingham Northall in Billingham · 6,448 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Clare GambleMarc Besford | May 2023 |
| Billingham West & Wolvistonmostly in Billingham · 4,858 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | David ReynardMarcus Lennon Vickers | May 2023 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Stockton-on-Tees council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Billingham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
5 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Billingham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗2,966 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,346 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,527 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (2 more)
3,515 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,796 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Billingham is in Stockton North constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Billingham).
37,401 votes for candidates · majority 7,939
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 37,401 votes from 70,242 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 7,939 of 37,401 votes (21.2%): wider than in 69% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Billingham’s Band D council tax is £2,611 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council keeps £2,139.91 of a Band D bill (82%); the rest goes to the Billingham parish council, the Cleveland police and crime commissioner and the Cleveland Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
Stockton-on-Tees’s Band D bill has risen 54% in ten years, from £1,684.92 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £630.00 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Billingham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
County Durham’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with County Durham
| Stockton-on-Tees | Billingham’s councils | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £451 | £443 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £379 | £394 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £62 | £48 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £48 | £36 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £113 | £125 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £43 | £65 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £17 | £23 | £26 |
| Public health | £98 | £116 | £78 |
| Running the council | £38 | £57 | £59 |
| Other | £6 | £33 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,253 | £1,340 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. County Durham and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Billingham is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
stockton.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
stockton.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Billingham is run
Which council runs Billingham?
Billingham is run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
Does Billingham have a town council?
Yes: Billingham has its own parish-tier council (Billingham parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £39 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Billingham?
Chris McDonald (Labour) is the MP for Stockton North, which covers Billingham.
How many councillors does Billingham have?
10 ward councillors represent Billingham’s 5 wards.
When are the next elections in Billingham?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Billingham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Billingham?
Band D council tax in Billingham is £2,611 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Conservative 26 · Labour 22 · Thornaby Independent Association 4 · Ingleby Barwick Independent Society 3 · Independent 1 of 56 seats; a majority needs 29. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2023 council election in Billingham?
In Billingham’s wards on 4 May 2023, Labour 8 · Conservative 2 of the 10 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 54.4%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.