The Borough of Middlesbrough is a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, based around the town of Middlesbrough in the north of the county. Since 1996, its council, Middlesbrough Council, has been a unitary authority. The borough is part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, along with the boroughs of Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington. There are two parish councils in the area of the borough of Middlesbrough, Nunthorpe and Stainton and Thornton respectively.