The Creation of Peterlee

Peterlee is a new town created under the New Towns Act 1946 and it received it’s first designation order on the 10th March 1948. Amending orders increasing the size of the designated area were approved on 20th July 1965, 16th December 1969 and 27th June 1978.

Whilst these amending orders increased the size of the designated area, they did not increase the size of the administration by the Town Council. Peterlee Town Council did apply to have its boundary co-terminus with the designated area when Easington District Council (in whose area the new town lies) revised their Parish boundaries in 1979. However, in view of the objections from the adjoining parishes, which receive the rateable value for hereditaments in these parts of the designated area, the application was unsuccessful.

A book has recently been published by Durham County Council ‘Memories of Peterlee’ £2.95 available from: Peterlee Library, Burnhope Way, Peterlee, Co. Durham.