Reading Borough Council

Reading Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. Berkshire is purely a ceremonial county, with no administrative responsibilities.

Reading Borough Council
Third of council elected three years out of four
Arms of Reading Borough Council
Coat of arms
Reading Borough Council logo
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Rachel Eden,
Labour
since 17 November 2021[1]
Jason Brock[2],
Labour
since 22 May 2019
Chief Executive
Peter Sloman
since 28 March 2017
Structure
Seats48 councillors
Political groups
Administration (32)
  Labour Party (32)
Other parties (16)
  Green Party (7)
  Conservative Party (6)
  Liberal Democrats (3)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Plurality-at-large
Last election
2019 (one third of councillors)
2021 (one third of councillors)
2022 (whole council on new boundaries)
Next election
2023 (one third of councillors)
2024 (one third of councillors)
2026 (one third of councillors)
Motto
A Deo et Regina
Meeting place
Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU
Website
www.reading.gov.uk

Governance
For historical political control and leadership, see Reading Borough Council elections.

Reading Borough Council has adopted the committee system of governance, and the current leader of the council is Jason Brock of the Labour Party. The largely ceremonial post of mayor is held by Rachel Eden.[1]

Wards

Reading's councillors are elected by 16 wards:[3]

Each ward is represented by 3 councillors, following a boundary review completed in time for the 2022 local elections.[4] Prior to 2022, the previous boundaries were adopted in 2004, making the 2022 elections the first in eighteen years to elect the entire council.[5]

Premises

Since 2014 the council has been based at the Civic Offices on Bridge Street.

Civic Centre: Council's headquarters 1976–2014

Reading's historic Town Hall on Blagrave Street was built in phases between 1786 and 1897, and served as the headquarters of the borough council until 1976. The council then moved to a new Civic Centre off Castle Street, adjoining other facilities including a police station, magistrates' court, and The Hexagon theatre.

By 2013 the council's offices at the civic centre were deemed to be at the end of their design life. The council purchased an existing building called Plaza West on Bridge Street, which had been built in 1986 (originally being called Bridge Street Plaza).[6] The building was renamed Civic Offices and opened as the council's headquarters in 2014, with the old council offices at the civic centre being demolished shortly afterwards.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Our Mayor". Reading Borough Council. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  2. "Councillors Poster 2018-19" (PDF). Reading Borough Council. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. "Your councilors". Reading Borough Council. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  4. "Local Government Boundary Commission for England". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  5. "New political map for Reading Borough Council". Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. "£1.3m HQ on offer". Reading Evening Post. 8 October 1986. p. 26. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  7. Hyde, Nathan John (1 October 2016). "Demolition of Reading Civic Centre continues". Berkshire Live. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
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