Sedgefield was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district

Non-metropolitan district

Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...

 and borough

Borough

A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....

 in County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

, in North East England

North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...

. It had a population of about 87,000 (2001 UK census

United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

). It was named after Sedgefield

Sedgefield

Sedgefield is a small town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It has a population of 4,534.Sedgefield has attracted particular attention as the Member of Parliament for the wider Sedgefield constituency was the former Prime Minister Tony Blair; he was the area's MP from 1983 to 2008,...

; but its largest town was Newton Aycliffe

Newton Aycliffe

Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...

. Other places included Shildon

Shildon

Shildon is a town in County Durham, in England. It is situated 2 miles to the south east of Bishop Auckland and 11 miles north of Darlington. It is 13 miles away from Durham, 23 miles from Sunderland and 23 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne...

, Ferryhill

Ferryhill

Ferryhill is a town in south-central County Durham, England with a population of around 11,651 people, making it the 8th biggest town in the County. It is in the Durham County Unitary area...

 and Spennymoor

Spennymoor

Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...

.

The borough was formed in 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972

Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

, by the merger of Sedgefield Rural District, Spennymoor

Spennymoor

Spennymoor is a town in County Durham, England. It stands above the Wear Valley approximately seven miles south of Durham. The town was founded over 160 years ago...

 and Shildon

Shildon

Shildon is a town in County Durham, in England. It is situated 2 miles to the south east of Bishop Auckland and 11 miles north of Darlington. It is 13 miles away from Durham, 23 miles from Sunderland and 23 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne...

 urban district

Urban district

In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....

s and part of Darlington Rural District.

The district was abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England

2009 structural changes to local government in England

Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a 'two-tier' system of counties and districts...

.

Electoral divisions

• Aycliffe East Aycliffe Village, Neville and Shafto St Mary's parish wards of Great Aycliffe parish
• Aycliffe North Woodham ward; Woodham South parish ward of Great Aycliffe parish
• Aycliffe West West ward; Simpasture parish ward of Great Aycliffe parish
• Chilton Chilton ward; Cornforth parish; Merrington parish ward of Spennymoor parish
• Ferryhill Broom ward; Ferryhill ward
• Sedgefield Sedgefield ward; Bishop Middleham parish
• Shildon East Greenfield Middridge ward; Thickley ward
• Shildon West Byerley ward; Sunnydale ward
• Spennymoor and Middlestone Spennymoor ward; Byers Green and Middlestone parish wards of Spennymoor parish
• Trimdon Fishburn and Old Trimdon ward; New Trimdon and Trimdon Grange ward
• Tudhoe Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange ward; Tudhoe ward