Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council

Last updated

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Coa.svg
Coat of arms
Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council.png
Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Simon Bond,
Liberal Democrat
since 23 May 2024 [1]
Simon Werner,
Liberal Democrat
since 23 May 2023
Stephen Evans
since April 2023
Structure
Seats41 councillors
United Kingdom Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council 2024.svg
Political groups
Administration (29)
  Liberal Democrats (21)
  The Borough First (6)
  Old Windsor RA (2)
Other parties (12)
  Conservative (7)
  West Windsor RA (2)
  Flood Prevention (1)
  Labour Party (1)
  Independent (1)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Plurality-at-large
Last election
 4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Maidenhead Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 248292.jpg
Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF
Website
www.rbwm.gov.uk

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, a local government district in Berkshire, England. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

Contents

The council has had a Liberal Democrat majority since 2023. It is based at Maidenhead Town Hall.

History

The non-metropolitan district of Windsor and Maidenhead and its council were created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the whole area of five former districts and part of a sixth, which were all abolished at the same time: [2]

The two Eton districts had been in Buckinghamshire prior to the reforms. The new district was named 'Windsor and Maidenhead' after its two largest towns. [3]

The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. [4] The district was also given the additional honorific title of royal borough, which had previously been held by the municipal borough of New Windsor. [5] The council uses the term 'Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead' to refer to both the geographical district and the council as the administrative body. [6] [7]

The first elections to the council were held in 1973. It then acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until 1 April 1974 when it formally came into being and the old districts and their councils were abolished. From 1974 until 1998 the council was a lower-tier authority, with Berkshire County Council providing county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1998 and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead took on county-level services, making it a unitary authority. Berkshire continues to legally exist as a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county, albeit without a county council. [8]

Governance

As a unitary authority, the council provides both district-level and county-level functions. Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government for their areas, although the two largest towns of Maidenhead and Windsor are unparished. [9]

Political control

The council has had a Liberal Democrat majority since the 2023 election, although the Local Independents group also serves as part of the administration, having two cabinet members. [10] [11]

Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [12] [13]

Lower-tier non-metropolitan district council

Party in controlYears
Conservative 1974–1991
No overall control 1991–1995
Liberal Democrats 1995–1997
No overall control 1997–1998

Unitary authority

Party in controlYears
No overall control 1998–1999
Liberal Democrats 1999–2000
No overall control 2000–2003
Liberal Democrats 2003–2007
Conservative 2007–2023
Liberal Democrats 2023–present

Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Windsor and Maidenhead, with political leadership instead being provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2007 have been: [14]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Mary Rose Gliksten Liberal Democrats 6 May 2007
David Burbage [15] Conservative 22 May 200724 May 2016
Simon Dudley [16] Conservative 24 May 201612 Sep 2019
Andrew Johnson [17] Conservative 24 Sep 20197 May 2023
Simon Werner [18] Liberal Democrats 23 May 2023

Composition

Following the 2023 election and changes of allegiance up to August 2024, the composition of the council was: [19] [20]

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 21
Conservative 7
Borough First 6
OWRA 2
West Windsor Residents' Association2
Flood Prevention 1
Independent 1
Labour 1
Total41

The Borough First and the Old Windsor Residents' Association sit together as the 'Local Independents' group, which has two cabinet members and therefore forms part of the administration with the Liberal Democrats. [21] The next election is due in 2027. [10]

Elections

Elections are held every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019 there have been 41 councillors elected from 19 wards. [22]

Premises

The council is based at Maidenhead Town Hall, on St Ives Road in Maidenhead, which had been completed in 1962 for the former Maidenhead Borough Council. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead</span> Borough and unitary authority in Berkshire, England

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a local government district with royal borough status in Berkshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The borough is named after its two largest towns of Maidenhead and Windsor. The borough also includes the towns of Ascot and Eton, plus numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. It is home to Windsor Castle, Eton College, Legoland Windsor and Ascot Racecourse. It is one of only four boroughs in England entitled to be prefixed royal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counties of England</span> Geographic divisions of England

The counties of England are a type of subdivision of England. Counties have been used as administrative areas in England since Anglo-Saxon times. There are three definitions of county in England: the 48 ceremonial counties used for the purposes of lieutenancy; the 84 metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties for local government; and the 39 historic counties which were used for administration until 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eton, Berkshire</span> Town in Berkshire, England

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The civil parish, which also includes the village of Eton Wick two miles west of the town, had a population of 4,692 at the 2011 Census. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Buckinghamshire, in 1974 it came under the administration of Berkshire following the Local Government Act 1972; since 1998 it has been part of the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead. The town is best known as the location of Eton College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Spelthorne</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

Spelthorne is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Staines-upon-Thames; other settlements in the area include Ashford, Sunbury-on-Thames, Shepperton, Stanwell and Laleham. It is named after the medieval Spelthorne Hundred which had covered the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Borough Council</span>

Reading Borough Council is the local authority for Reading in the county of Berkshire, England. Reading has had a council since at least 1542, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Darlington</span> Unitary authority area in County Durham, England

The Borough of Darlington is a local government district with borough status in County Durham, England. Since 1997 Darlington Borough Council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Durham County Council. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Darlington, where the council is based. The borough also includes a rural area surrounding the town which contains several villages. The population of the borough at the 2021 census was 107,800, of which over 86% (93,015) lived in the built-up area of Darlington itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slough Borough Council</span> Local authority in England

Slough Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Slough in Berkshire, England. Slough has had an elected council since 1863, which has been reformed several times. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, which is a unitary authority in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. Elections are held every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2019 there have been 41 councillors elected from 19 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor and Maidenhead (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom 1974-1997

Windsor and Maidenhead was a county constituency in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luton Borough Council</span> Local council of Luton, England

Luton Borough Council, also known as Luton Council, is the local authority of Luton, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Luton has had an elected local authority since 1850, which has been reformed several times. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swindon Borough Council</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council</span>

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is the local authority of Blackburn with Darwen in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. Since 1998 it has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Lancashire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bracknell Forest Council</span>

Bracknell Forest Council, also known as Bracknell Forest Borough Council, is the local authority for Bracknell Forest, a local government district with borough status in Berkshire, England. Since 1998, the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023. It is based at Time Square in Bracknell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby City Council</span> Local government unitary authority for Derby, England

Derby City Council is the local authority for the city of Derby, in the ceremonial county of Derbyshire in the East Midlands region of England. Derby has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1997 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, which straddles the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire in England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It therefore provides services including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, town planning, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. Since 2016 the council has been a member of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, which has been led by the directly elected Tees Valley Mayor since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wokingham Borough Council</span> Local authority of the Borough of Wokingham

Wokingham Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Wokingham in Berkshire, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is the local authority for Redcar and Cleveland, a local government district with borough status in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 1996 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council was created in 1974 as Langbaurgh Borough Council and was a lower-tier authority until 1996 when it was renamed and became a unitary authority, taking over county-level functions from the abolished Cleveland County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Council</span>

Blackpool Council is the local authority of the Borough of Blackpool, in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. Since 1998 it has been unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Lancashire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckinghamshire Council</span> Local authority of Buckinghamshire, England

Buckinghamshire Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire in England. It is a unitary authority, performing both county and district-level functions. It was created on 1 April 2020, replacing the previous Buckinghamshire County Council and the councils of the four abolished districts of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks, and Wycombe. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Milton Keynes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Slough</span> Borough and unitary authority in England

The Borough of Slough is a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, Southern England. The borough is centred around the town of Slough and includes Langley. It forms an urban area with parts of Buckinghamshire and extends to the villages of Burnham, Farnham Royal, George Green, and Iver. Part of the district's area was in Buckinghamshire prior to the district's formation and in Middlesex until 1965.

References

  1. ↑ "Councillor Simon Bond is elected the New Mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead". 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 26 July 2024
  3. ↑ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 26 July 2024
  4. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. ↑ "The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2002/2372, retrieved 26 July 2024
  6. ↑ "The Council's Constitution". Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Surrey County Council v Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead [2016] EWHC 2901 (Admin) (16 November 2016)". England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions. British and Irish Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "The Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1996/1879, retrieved 9 May 2024
  9. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Windsor and Maidenhead". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  11. ↑ Moules, James (31 October 2023). "Lib Dem candidate discusses campaign to be Windsor's next MP". Slough and South Bucks Observer. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Windsor & Maidenhead Royal". BBC News Online . Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  14. ↑ "Council minutes". Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  15. ↑ Batt, Francis (2 May 2016). "Council leader David Burbage says goodbye". The Royal Borough Observer. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Preston, James; Taylor, Will (12 September 2019). "Council leader Simon Dudley resigns". Maidenhead Advetiser. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  17. ↑ Almroth-Wright, Indy; O'Hagan, Patrick (5 May 2023). "Local elections 2023: Leader ousted by 22-year-old as Tories lose control". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  18. ↑ Waites, Daisy (24 May 2023). "Windsor and Maidenhead council appoint new appoint new leader and cabinet". The Royal Borough Observer. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  20. ↑ "Political Composition of the Council | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead". www.rbwm.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  21. ↑ "Your Councillors". The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "The Windsor and Maidenhead (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2018/1272, retrieved 5 May 2023
  23. ↑ "Contact us". Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  24. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus (2010). Berkshire. Yale University Press. p. 174. ISBN   978-0300126624.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.