InReading has exclusively learnt that plans are at an advanced stage to merge the boroughs of Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest into an 'A329 corridor' super council.

 

The government has made clear that it wants to see local authorities covering around 500,000 people, and merging the three towns into one in this way would achieve this outcome.

 

To the north and west, Vale of the White Horse, West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire have already gone public about their plans to merge these Chiltern based councils into a single unitary authority.

 

Now the boroughs in the centre and south of the county are set to follow suit, although we understand that there is some dispute over the name of the new authority with Bracknell and Wokingham representatives arguing against the 'Greater Reading' moniker, although Reading representatives are thought to favour this since it would be more likely in helping the area achieving city status.

 

Historical Governance

 

For older residents of the region, this is hardly new, of course. Berkshire has undergone significant transformations in its local government structure over the centuries. Berkshire as a county, was once a single local authority.

 

The origins of Berkshire's name trace back to a wood of box trees called "Bearroc," a Celtic term meaning "hilly," as noted in Asser's biography of King Alfred from 893 AD. The county shared a sheriff with Oxfordshire until the reign of Elizabeth I, with the shire court historically held at Grandpont. Over time, assizes were conducted in various towns, including Reading, Abingdon, and Newbury, until they were centralized in Reading by 1911.

 

The Local Government Act of 1988 established  Berkshire County Council. However, this administrative county excluded the county borough of Reading. Subsequent boundary adjustments were minimal but notable, such as the transfer of areas south of the Thames to Oxfordshire in 1889 and the incorporation of Caversham into Berkshire in 1911. In 1957 Berkshire was designated the "Royal County" due to the presence of Windsor Castle, a title reflecting its longstanding royal connections.

 

The Local Government Act of 1972 brought significant changes, and from April 1, 1974 Berkshire expanded to include Slough, Eton, and parts of the former Eton Rural District from Buckinghamshire. Conversely, areas like Faringdon, Wantage, and Abingdon were transferred to Oxfordshire.

 

Transition to Unitary Authorities

 

Further changes occurred on April 1, 1998 when Berkshire County Council was abolished following the recommendations of the Banham Commission, leading to the establishment of six unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham. 

 

Current Reorganization

 

As of February 2025 the government has put forward proposals to restructure local government in England again, with the aim of streamlining services and enhancing efficiency. 

 

These plans involve merging existing councils into larger unitary authorities, each serving populations of approximately 500,000 residents. The government is also keen to see a mayor elected to represent each area.

 

The current authorities have set a target date of 1st April 2027 to unify the existing councils and set up the new unitary authority representing us all with the further aim of achieving the status of the 'City Of Greater Reading' thereafter.

 

Other Proposals

 

We understand that amongst other plans being considered are a London type metro service but using monorails to facilitate faster travel between the towns with the hope of a direct link to the expanded Heathrow airport in due course.

 

It is also understood that if Reading FC fails to meet EFL deadlines and goes into administration that a community club would be formed by merging it with Bracknell Town FC and Wokingham Town FC with the aim of returning a national league club to the area in the near future. The SCL Stadium would then become the site of the new unitary government offices, since the old Berkshire Council civic centre in Shinfield is under redevelopment. Other local government sites would be turned into high density social housing.

 

Finally, there are proposals to add ten floors to Reading's iconic Blade building so that it is visible to all residents of the new borough.