Local Government Reorganisation
Government announced on 16th July that West Berkshire Council will be split off from Berkshire and, along with South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, will become the Ridgeway unitary authority.
So, what happens to the remaining Berkshire councils, namely, Windsor & Maidenhead, Bracknell Forest, Slough, Wokingham and Reading?
The announcement was for the formation of 34 new unitary authorities. In the southeast, this will include Hertfordshire, Sussex, Kent and Oxfordshire, and this will result in the average size of these unitary councils being around 400,000. Essex and Hampshire were the subject of an earlier statement made in March.
The Government is aiming to hold elections to all these authorities next year as shadow authorities, with the new councils formally delivering services from 2028.
Surrey is ahead of the pack and will be up and running in 2027, having had its elections this May.
As for the remaining five councils in Berkshire, namely, Windsor & Maidenhead, Bracknell Forest, Slough, Wokingham and Reading, they have a population of under 800,000 and so could end up as one or two authorities.
What is clear is that the remaining Berkshire councils are going to be at the back of the queue meaning that any restructuring will not take place until 2028.
This evolving Local Government Reorganisation is intended to establish more efficient councils that lay the foundations for devolution and the formation of mayoral strategic authorities across England.
Kind regards
Patrick Griffin
SPAE Committee
Three new unitary authorities for Oxfordshire and Berkshire – BBC News
LGR decisions in 14 areas | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)