Abbey (Reading ward)
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name = Abbey Ward, Borough of Reading
|static_image = {{multiple image
| border = infobox| perrow = 2| total_width = 250 |align=center
| image1 = Reading Abbey (42440623474).jpg
| image2 = Reading Station drone view.jpg
| image3 = Broad Street, Reading.jpg
| image4 = Russell Street - geograph.org.uk - 1330882.jpg}}
|static_image_caption = Clockwise from top left: Reading Abbey, Railway Station, Broad Street and the Nag's Head in Russell Street
|unitary_england = Reading
|lieutenancy_england = Berkshire
|region = South East England
|constituency_westminster = Reading Central
|area_total_km2 = 1.02
|population = 13,503
|os_grid_reference = SU713738
|coordinates = {{coord|51.458264|-0.972501|display=inline,title}}
}}
Abbey is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The ruins of Reading Abbey lie within the boundaries of the ward, a fact from which it derives its name.
Location
The ward covers the centre of the town, south of the River Thames, and is bordered by Battle, Thames, Redlands, Katesgrove and Coley wards. The ward lies entirely within the Reading Central parliamentary constituency.{{cite map |title=Election Maps |publisher=Ordnance Survey |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/?x=471064&y=173453&z=9&bnd1=UTW&bnd2=WMC&labels=on |accessdate=15 January 2025}}
Profile
As of 2016, there were some 13,500 people living in Abbey ward, of whom 16.1% were aged under 16, 6% were aged 65 and over, and 44% were born outside the UK. The population lives in a total of just under 6,800 dwellings, of which 57% are in purpose-built blocks of flats, just over 20% each are terraced houses, and just over 10% are flat conversions or shared houses, with detached and semi-detached houses making up the rest. Of the population aged between 16 and 74, 72.4% are in employment and 5.1% are unemployed. Of those in employment, 60% are in managerial, professional or technical occupations, with 34% in professional occupations.{{cite web |url=http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/4905/Abbey/pdf/Reading_Ward_Profiles_Feb_2018_-_Abbey.pdf |title=Ward profile for Abbey Ward |publisher=Reading Borough Council |date=January 2018 |accessdate=30 May 2018 |archivedate=2018-05-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530142854/http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/4905/Abbey/pdf/Reading_Ward_Profiles_Feb_2018_-_Abbey.pdf }}
Representation
As with all Reading wards, the ward elects three councillors to Reading Borough Council. Elections since 2004 are generally held by thirds, with elections in three years out of four, although the 2022 elections were for all councillors due to the boundary changes. The ward councillors are currently Mohammed Ayub, Karen Rowland and David Stevens, all of whom are members of the Labour party.{{cite web |title=Your Councillors |url=https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |accessdate=15 January 2025 |publisher=Reading Borough Council |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115161531/https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |archivedate=15 January 2025 |url-status=live}}
Tony Page, one of Reading's most prominent local politicians, continuously represented Abbey Ward and its predecessors from 1973 until his retirement in 2024.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-67284726 |title=Reading mayor Tony Page to step down after 50 years |date=2 November 2023 |work=BBC News |first=James |last=Aldridge |access-date=25 January 2025 |archive-date=25 May 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525045326/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-67284726}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180530142854/http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/4905/Abbey/pdf/Reading_Ward_Profiles_Feb_2018_-_Abbey.pdf Abbey Ward profile in 2016] from Reading Borough Council via the Internet Archive
{{Reading, Berkshire}}