Prior to the creation of Durham County Council in 1888 the Nineteenth Century had experienced a rapid growth both in population and industrial development, consequently new ad-hoc bodies were created in order to cope with this new phenomena and the associated social and environmental problems which this had created, such as the need for sanitation, medical services, fresh water, social welfare, registration of births and deaths to name but a few.

These new bodies were limited in both geographical area and in their powers, with no direct responsibilities to the County as a whole, but there was one notable exception however, which was the Court of Quarter Sessions. This body, whose members were more commonly known as Justices of the Peace, were nominated by the Crown and generally selected from the upper-class. This body met four times a year to deal with relatively minor crime, with referral of more serious offences to the Court of Assizes and to oversee activities of smaller administrative units within the County, such as ecclesiastical parishes, poor law unions and rural and urban sanitation.

The Quarter Sessions also had responsibilities for certain countywide services such as roads, bridges, the maintenance of asylums, weights and measures and the responsibility to provide a police force. These responsibilities were those which the County Council was to inherit from the Quarter Sessions on its creation.

The essential differences between the Quarter Sessions and the County Council however were that only the former had the power to try criminals, whereas the members of the Council were elected and not nominated.

It is appropriate to explain at this stage the "Aldermanic System" which was first introduced by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 which superseded the medieval practice of senior members of Boroughs being elected by fellow members to the position of Aldermen. Such practices and appointments were to be continued by virtue of the provision of the Social Government Act 1888 which also established County Councils throughout England and Wales with the first Durham County Council being elected on 24th January 1889.

The Durham County Advertiser in its report of the elections said that "The polls in every division were large and that the results are awaited with the keenest of interest"

Twenty eight Conservatives, twenty six Liberals, eight Unionists, four working men and six others were elected.

The first Chairman, JR Wharton (Conservative) said "Politics had no part in the conducting of affairs of the Quarter Sessions and he hoped the same gentlemanly conduct and the same courtesy would be shown by everyone independent of politics".

This sentiment turned out to be a mere pious hope, because the dream was destroyed at the inaugural meeting of the Council. Firstly, in the selection of the Chairman and secondly over the appointment of Aldermen which both became political issues.

The nostalgic hope that the Council would be only the Quarter Sessions with the added frill of elected representatives also rapidly disappeared because events were soon to prove that the new structure was to be a completely different body with greatly enhanced powers being given to the elected Council.

The following is a brief catalogue of some of the principle powers and events which were to take place in the administration and progress of the County Council over the next one hundred years or so:-

1. In 1889 the county Council took over the administrative function of the Court of quarter Sessions:

(a) maintenance of County roads and bridges

(b) prevention of the adulteration of food and drink and the guarantee of the accuracy of weights and measures

(c) running of the County lunatic asylum at Winterton

(d) running of the County police force.

2. 1892 - The first county medical Officer of Health, Dr T Eustace Hill, was appointed and a Health and Allotments Act Committee created.

3. 1904 - Education Act, 1902, came into force in 1904 whereby School Boards were abolished and elementary education became the responsibility of the Council.

4. 1919 - Peter Lee became the first Labour Chairman of Durham County Council who was also a prominent National Mineworker’s Leader, after whom the town of Peterlee was to be named.

5. 1923 - The County Council decided to adopt the Public Libraries Act 1919 and for the first time a library service for the areas outside the big towns was provided.

6. 1930 - Durham County Council, under the terms of the Local Government Act 1929, became responsible for poor relief in the county and a Public Assistance Committee was formed. This included care of children whose parents were unable to take care of them.

7. 1947 - The County Council assumed responsibility for fire services. The first meeting of the Fire Brigade Committee took place on 7th August 1947.

8. 1948 - Public Assistant Committee disbanded and establishment of the Children’s Department, the Welfare Department and the Mental Health Department. Care of the poor became a responsibility of the central government.

9. 1st July 1948 - The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 came into force whereby the County Council was given the power to grant planning permission for all developments and was responsible for the county Development Plan, the first one of which was produced in 1951. This was revised in the 1960s and a further one produced in 1981. Since the Second World War, Durham County Council has been responsible for much reclamation of derelict land.

10. As a result of the Seebohm Report, the Social Services Department was set up in 1970.

11. In 1974 the Durham County Council was abolished, Darlington (previously a county borough) was incorporated into the County and a new County Council came into existence on 1st April 1974. The new County Council was no longer responsible for the highly populated areas along the rivers Tyne and Wear and along the mouth of the Tees. In exchange it was responsible for the area of North Yorkshire along the south bank of the Tees, the former Startforth RDC.

12. On 1st April 1997, Darlington Borough Council became a unitary authority and no longer formed part of County Durham.

Members who have represented Dipton and Burnopfield Ward since the Council's formation:

County Councillor Joe Walker JP, became the first representative of the Dipton and Burnopfield Division to be elected Chairman of Durham County Council ( 1995 - 97).

Members of Parliament who have represented the Burnopfield & Dipton Division throughout the 20th Century