Coley (Reading ward)

File:Holy Brook 2020-03-29 18.01.43.jpg on the water meadows to the south of the ward]]

The ward lies south-west of the town centre, comprising all of the suburbs of Coley and Coley Park, and parts of West Reading, together with a large tract of undeveloped River Kennet flood-plain to the south of Coley Park.

From the south in clockwise order the ward is bounded by the River Kennet, the Reading to Basingstoke railway line, Reading West railway station, the Oxford Road, Prospect Street, Tilehust Road, Castle Hill, and the A33 back to the River Kennet. The ward is bordered, in the same order, by Whitley, Southcote, Battle, Abbey and Katesgrove wards. It lies entirely within the Reading Central parliamentary constituency.{{cite web|title=Wards |url=http://www.reading.gov.uk/meetings/wards/ |publisher=Reading Borough Council |accessdate=5 May 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509152107/http://www.reading.gov.uk/meetings/wards/ |archivedate= 9 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}{{cite map |title=Election Maps |publisher=Ordnance Survey|url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/?x=470137&y=172370&z=8&bnd1=UTW&bnd2=WMC&labels=on|accessdate=15 January 2025}}

The principal changes to the ward boundary in 2022 were the loss of the section of the old Minster ward to the west of the railway line, bounded by Bath Road, Parkside Road and Tilehurst Road, to Southcote ward, and the loss of the strip of Minster ward to the east of the A33, as far as the River Kennet, to Katesgrove ward. Coley ward also gained the area bounded by Tilehurst Road, Reading West station, Oxford Road and Prospect Street from Battle ward.{{cite web |url=https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/18202 |title=Draft recommendations consultation for Reading Borough Council has now closed |publisher=Local Government Boundary Commission for England |access-date=14 June 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921090013/https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/18202}}

In the UK Census of 2021, Coley ward had an area of {{convert|3.047|km2}} and there were 11,029 people living there. Of these, 17.9% were under 15 and 10.9% were 65 and over; 60.5% classified themselves as White, 21.8% as Asian, and 9.6% as Black, Caribbean or African; 40.3% were born outside the UK. The population lived in approximately 4,600 households, of which 50.2% were in a flat, maisonette or apartment, and 49.7% were in a house or bungalow. Of the population aged over 16, 66.6% were in employment, 4.4% were unemployed, and 29.1% were economically inactive. Of those in employment, 51.4% were in managerial, professional or technical occupations.{{cite web |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/southeastengland/wards/reading/E05013869__coley/ |title=Coley (Ward, United Kingdom) |work=City Population |access-date=23 January 2025 |archive-date=23 January 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123140003/https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/southeastengland/wards/reading/E05013869__coley/}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/customprofiles/embed/#/?name=Q29sZXk=&comp=RW5nbGFuZA==&tabs=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&poly=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 |title=Area profile for Coley Ward |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=23 January 2025 |archive-date=23 January 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123131626/https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/customprofiles/embed/#/?name=Q29sZXk=&comp=RW5nbGFuZA==&tabs=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&poly=eyJ0eXBlIjoiUG9seWdvbiIsImNvb3JkaW5hdGVzIjpbW1stMC45NzYzNCw1MS40NTA4Nl0sWy0wLjk3NzYsNTEuNDUyMzFdLFstMC45Nzg3LDUxLjQ1MTgyXSxbLTAuOTgyNCw1MS40NTEwOV0sWy0wLjk4NDIyLDUxLjQ1MTk2XSxbLTAuOTg2NzksNTEuNDUyNThdLFstMC45ODU5Myw1MS40NTU0M10sWy0wLjk4OTkxLDUxLjQ1NTc2XSxbLTAuOTkyMTksNTEuNDUyMDhdLFstMC45OTQ5Myw1MS40NDUwNF0sWy0wLjk5NjIzLDUxLjQ0Mjc5XSxbLTAuOTk4NzQsNTEuNDM5ODJdLFstMC45OTk1LDUxLjQzNjY3XSxbLTAuOTk2MjQsNTEuNDM1NjldLFstMC45OTYzNyw1MS40MzUyMV0sWy0wLjk5NTM1LDUxLjQzNDc1XSxbLTAuOTg3NDgsNTEuNDMzODddLFstMC45ODUxNiw1MS40MzQzNV0sWy0wLjk4MzUyLDUxLjQzMzU3XSxbLTAuOTgxMDksNTEuNDMzOTVdLFstMC45ODAyLDUxLjQzNDU0XSxbLTAuOTc3OTEsNTEuNDM1MTFdLFstMC45NzY2Miw1MS40NDM3XSxbLTAuOTc1MDUsNTEuNDQ0OTFdLFstMC45NzQ0NCw1MS40NDYyNF0sWy0wLjk3NDY3LDUxLjQ0NzY1XSxbLTAuOTc2MzQsNTEuNDUwODZdXV19}}

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 Ellie Emberson, Paul Gittings and Liz Terry, 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}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://explore-local-statistics.beta.ons.gov.uk/areas/E05013869-coley Coley Ward in the 2021 census] from the Office for National Statistics
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180529160108/http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/4912/Minster/pdf/Reading_Ward_Profiles_Feb_2018_-_Minster.pdf Minster Ward profile in 2016] from Reading Borough Council via the Internet Archive

{{Reading, Berkshire}}

Category:Wards of Reading