Middlesbrough compared with councils in North East
Compared with the 12 councils in North East.
- Residents
- 152,795 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,549 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Middlesbrough sits
4
measures in the bottom quarter
0
measures below the middle
8
measures in the top half
Middlesbrough compares worst with councils in North East on:
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (12th of 12; 1st is highest)
- complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents (10th of 12; 1st is lowest)
- council tax collected in the year it was due (10th of 12; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (1st of 12; 1st is highest)
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (1st of 9; 1st is lowest)
- website accessibility score (2nd of 12; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 93.3% | 68.5% | Top half 1st of 12 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 2.6 | 3 | Top half 5th of 12 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 38.6 | 34 | Bottom quarter 10th of 12 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | No figure | 27.3% | No figure | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | No figure | 77.8% | No figure |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 66.7% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 66.2% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 72.5% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 54.2% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 90.8% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 2.2% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 74.5% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 92.9% | 94.5% | Bottom quarter 10th of 12 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 18 | 24.3 | Top half 4th of 12 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 102.9 | 31.8 | Top half 3rd of 12 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 23.8% | 31.1% | Bottom quarter 12th of 12 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 1.5 | 0.7 | Bottom quarter 9th of 11 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 0.0% | 3.8% | Top half 1st of 9 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 67.1% | 50.5% | Top half 4th of 12 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 61.7% | 42.6% | Top half 3rd of 12 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Middlesbrough | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 95.3% | 85.9% | Top half 2nd of 12 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Middlesbrough | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £573 | £370 | 2nd of 12 | |
| Adult social care | £485 | £490 | 8th of 12 | |
| Public health | £148 | £110 | 1st of 12 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £50 | £28 | 2nd of 12 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £118 | £115 | 4th of 12 | |
| Highways and transport | £34 | £50 | 9th of 12 | |
| Culture and leisure | £46 | £67 | 9th of 12 | |
| Planning and development | £31 | £20 | 4th of 12 | |
| Central services | £70 | £64 | 4th of 12 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,568 | £1,322 | 1st of 12 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Middlesbrough’s children's services requires improvement at its last full inspection, in March 2023.
- Outstanding
- 6 of the 12 councils in North East
- Good
- 3 of the 12 councils in North East
- Requires improvement
- 2 of the 12 councils in North East, including Middlesbrough
- Inadequate
- 1 of the 12 councils in North East
Over time
Middlesbrough against the median of councils in North East.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Middlesbrough: 93.3%
- Median (councils in North East): 68.5%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Middlesbrough: 2.6
- Median (councils in North East): 3
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Middlesbrough: 23.8%
- Median (councils in North East): 31.1%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Middlesbrough: 18
- Median (councils in North East): 24.3
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Middlesbrough. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.