Northumberland is to remain a 2 tier local government structure comprising the County Council and the 6 District Councils until April 2009. Northumberland County Council’s responsibilities will be, amongst other things, education, libraries, social services, protective services and strategic planning for the County. The District Councils will be responsible for, amongst other things, Council housing, leisure services, local planning matters and other local issues such as markets and refuse collection. Both the County and the Districts are responsible for economic development within the County.

The seven Councils currently in Northumberland are:
Alnwick District Council
Berwick-upon-Tweed Council
Blyth Valley Borough Council
Castle Morpeth Borough Council
Northumberland County Council
Tynedale Council
Wansbeck District Council

Information regarding the performance of the 6 District Councils and the County Council can be found at the Audit Commission website.