, ▁Bed ling ton ▁and ▁New big gin - by - the - Se a . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁which ▁was ▁bounded ▁by ▁the ▁district ▁is ▁mostly ▁urban , ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁Sea ▁coast ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁T yn es ide ▁con urb ation . ▁It ▁border ed ▁B ly th ▁Valley ▁district ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁the ▁border ▁being ▁the ▁River ▁B ly th . ▁It ▁was ▁formed ▁on ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁under ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁Act ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁by ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁districts ▁of ▁Ash ington , ▁Bed ling tons hire ▁and ▁New big gin - by - the - Se a . ▁It ▁is ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁River ▁W ans beck . ▁ ▁The ▁district ▁council ▁was ▁abol ished ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁struct ural ▁changes ▁to ▁local ▁government ▁in ▁England ▁effective ▁from ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁with ▁respons ib ilities ▁being ▁transferred ▁to ▁North umber land ▁County ▁Council , ▁a ▁unit ary ▁authority . ▁ ▁Notable ▁people ▁Se an ▁Taylor , ▁professional ▁footballer ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Statistics ▁about ▁the ▁W ans beck ▁district ▁from ▁the ▁Office ▁for ▁National ▁Statistics ▁Census ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁ ▁Category : English ▁districts ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Category : Form er ▁non - met ropol itan ▁districts ▁of ▁North umber land <0x0A> </s> ▁Dioc les ▁of ▁C n id us ▁() ▁was ▁a ▁Plat onic ▁phil