Borough of Swindon | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 51°33′47″N1°45′47″W / 51.563°N 1.763°W | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | South West England |
Ceremonial county | Wiltshire |
Status | Unitary authority |
Admin HQ | Swindon |
Government | |
• Type | Unitary authority |
• Body | Swindon Borough Council |
• Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Labour) |
• MPs | Heidi Alexander (L) Will Stone (L) |
Area | |
• Total | 88.84 sq mi (230.10 km2) |
• Rank | 137th (of 296) |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 235,657 |
• Rank | 79th (of 296) |
• Density | 2,700/sq mi (1,000/km2) |
Ethnicity (2021) | |
• Ethnic groups | |
Religion (2021) | |
• Religion | List
|
Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
ONS code | 00HX (ONS) E06000030 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | SU164849 |
Website | Official website |
The Borough of Swindon is a unitary authority area with borough status in Wiltshire, England. Centred on Swindon, it is the most north-easterly district of South West England.
The first borough of Swindon was a municipal borough, created in 1900 as a merger of the two urban districts of Old Swindon and New Swindon. [2]
In 1974 the borough of Thamesdown was created under the Local Government Act 1972. Thamesdown covered the areas of the municipal borough of Swindon and the neighbouring Highworth Rural District (which had been created in 1894), which were both abolished at the same time. [3] [4] Thamesdown was a lower-tier non-metropolitan district, with Wiltshire County Council being the higher-tier authority for the area. Thamesdown was given borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [5]
On 1 April 1997 Thamesdown was made a unitary authority, making it administratively independent from Wiltshire County Council. [6] In June 1996, during the transition period to becoming a unitary authority, the council passed an order that the area would be renamed Swindon with effect from 1 April 1997 as well. [7] The former Thamesdown name and logo continued to be used by the municipal bus operator, Thamesdown Transport, until 2017 when it was sold and renamed to "Swindon's Bus Company". [8] Swindon remains part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire for the purposes of lieutenancy. [9]
The borough of Swindon occupies an area forming the north east corner of Wiltshire and is bordered by two other counties, Gloucestershire (to the north) and Oxfordshire (to the east). West Berkshire is also only a short distance from the borough's south eastern tip. The generally hilly landscape is sculpted by the upper Thames guiding the northern border, small tributaries draining into the Thames, and the Marlborough Downs rising toward the south.
The borough encompasses the Swindon urban area and surrounding countryside to the north, east and south, including the town of Highworth. It comprises the former Swindon Municipal Borough and a further 18 civil parishes: [10] [11]
Since 1 April 2017 the entire Borough has been parished, following the establishment of West Swindon parish and the creation of Central Swindon North and Central Swindon South [11] (styled by its parish council as South Swindon). [12] [13] The two Central parishes fall within the boundaries of the town and former municipal borough, divided along the Great Western Main Line railway.
At the same time:
The council follows a leader and cabinet model [14] and has 57 members elected by 20 wards. [15] Elections are held in three out of every four years, with one-third of the seats being elected at each election. [15] From the first election in 1996 to the 2000 election, Labour had a majority on the council. Following a period where no party had a majority, the Conservatives gained a majority at the 2003 election and had control until the 2023 election, when Labour took control.
The borough is divided into two Parliamentary constituencies: North Swindon and South Swindon. [16] Both are seen as key marginal seats at general elections, having been bellwether seats since 1997 when they were created. Currently both seats are held by the Labour Party.
The borough was one of the first areas to declare in the 2016 European Union membership referendum. 61,745 (54.3%) voters supported leaving the European Union, whilst 51,220 (45.7%) wished to remain.[ citation needed ]
Swindon is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located in South West England, Swindon lies on the M4 corridor, 71 miles (114km) to the west of London and 36 miles to the east of Bristol. The Cotswolds lie just to the town's north and the North Wessex Downs to its south.
Blunsdon is a civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, in Wiltshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) north of the centre of Swindon, with the A419 forming its southern boundary. Its main settlement is the village of Broad Blunsdon, with Lower Blunsdon nearby; the hamlet of Broadbush is now contiguous with Broad Blunsdon.
Chiseldon is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The village lies on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, a mile south of junction 15 of the M4 motorway, on the A346 between Swindon and Marlborough. The large village of Wroughton is 2.5 miles (4 km) to the west. The parish includes the hamlets of Badbury, Badbury Wick, Draycot Foliat, Hodson, and Ridgeway View; the ancient manor of Burderop is also within the parish.
Devizes was a constituency in Wiltshire, England, which included four towns and many villages in the middle and east of the county. The seat was held by members of the Conservative Party continuously for a century from 1924.
Swindon North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Will Stone, a Labour politician.
Swindon South is a constituency in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Heidi Alexander of the Labour Party.
Stratton St Margaret is a civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The parish covers north-eastern suburbs of Swindon including Stratton St Margaret itself, along with Upper Stratton, Lower Stratton and Kingsdown.
Highworth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, England, about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Swindon town centre. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 8,258. The town is notable for its Queen Anne and Georgian buildings, dating from its pre-eminence in the 18th century. It also has a 13th-century church, St. Michael and All Angels. The parish includes Sevenhampton village and the hamlets of Hampton and Redlands.
The history of local government in Swindon has its origins in the Middle Ages. After a long period of very little change, there followed a new era, beginning in the 19th century, of constant redevelopment and re-adjustment.
Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was renamed Swindon Borough Council and became a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Wiltshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.
Wiltshire Council, known between 1889 and 2009 as Wiltshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Wiltshire in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, the latter additionally including Swindon. Wiltshire Council has been controlled by the Conservative Party since 2000, and has its headquarters at County Hall in Trowbridge.
Swindon Borough Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Swindon in Wiltshire, England. Until 1 April 1997 its area was a non-metropolitan district called Thamesdown Borough Council, with Wiltshire County Council providing the county-level services.
Hannington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Highworth, within the Borough of Swindon. The parish includes the hamlets of Hannington Wick and Swanborough. The River Thames forms both the northern boundary of the parish and the county boundary with Gloucestershire.
Nythe, Eldene and Liden is a civil parish in the eastern suburbs of the town of Swindon, England. In addition to the residential areas of Nythe, Eldene and Liden, the parish has the Dorcan industrial area.
The 2018 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2018, to elect members of Swindon Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
South Swindon, formerly Central Swindon South, is a civil parish in the town of Swindon, in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. The parish covers the southern part of the central area of the town, including the Old Town area, and extends south to take in Wichelstowe and Coate Water. In 2021 it had a population of 62,871.
Highworth Rural District was a rural district in the county of Wiltshire, England. It lay to the north and east of the town and municipal borough of Swindon.