Slough Borough Council

{{further|Municipal Borough of Slough}}

Slough's first local authority was a local board, established in 1863.{{London Gazette|issue=22753|page=3517|date=14 July 1863}} Such boards were reconstituted as urban district councils in 1894. The urban district boundaries were enlarged several times, notably in 1930 when it absorbed areas including Langley and Cippenham.{{cite web |title=Slough Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10066372#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=18 July 2024}}

File:Old Town Hall, 19 Bath Road, Slough.jpg, Bath Road: Council's headquarters 1937–2011]]

In 1938 the urban district was incorporated to become a municipal borough. It was then governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Slough', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.{{cite web |title=Slough Urban District / Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10002126 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=18 July 2024}}

The municipal borough was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It was replaced by a slightly larger non-metropolitan district of Slough, which covered the old borough plus the Britwell and Wexham Court areas, and was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-Metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=18 July 2024}} Slough's borough status was transferred to the new district, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor, continuing Slough's series of mayors dating back to 1938.{{cite web |title=District Councils and Boroughs |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145 |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=4 December 2021 |date=28 March 1974}}

From 1974 until 1998, Slough Borough Council was a lower-tier authority, with Berkshire County Council providing county-level services in the borough. The borough was enlarged in 1995 to take in Colnbrook with Poyle.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey (County Boundaries) Order 1994|year=1994|number=330}}

Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998. Slough Borough Council then became a unitary authority, taking over the former county council's functions in the borough.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Berkshire (Structural Change) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1879|access-date=31 May 2023}}

As a unitary authority, Slough Borough Council provides both district-level and county-level functions. There are three civil parishes in the borough at Britwell, Colnbrook with Poyle, and Wexham Court, which form an additional tier of local government for their area. The rest of the borough is unparished.{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=18 July 2024}}

Since the 2023 election the council has been under no overall control, being led by the Conservatives with support from the Liberal Democrats.{{cite news |last1=Waites |first1=Daisy |title=Slough: Labour slam 'chaotic' coalition after all male leaders elected |url=https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/23545365.slough-labour-slam-chaotic-coalition-male-leaders-elected/ |access-date=25 May 2023 |work=Slough Observer |date=25 May 2023}}

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Slough" in search box to see specific results.)

Lower-tier non-metropolitan district

Unitary authority

The role of Mayor of Slough is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2001 have been:

Following the 2023 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2024, the composition of the council was:{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian}}{{cite web |title=Slough |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=slough |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=18 July 2024}}

Of the eight independent councillors, seven sit together as the 'Slough Independent Group'. The next election is due in May 2027.

On 2 July 2021, Slough Borough Council issued a notice under Section 114 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, having the effect of preventing any new expenditure on non-statutory services, after serious financial problems had been identified.{{cite news |last1=Bottomley |first1=Shay |title=Slough Borough Council bans new spending after Section 114 notice |url=https://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/news/slough/169377/slough-borough-council-bans-new-spending-after-section-114-notice.html |access-date=7 June 2022 |work=Slough Express |date=2 July 2021}} In October 2021, the government announced plans to appoint external commissioners to help run the council after a series of reports highlighted major problems at the local authority.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-59049010|title = 'Dysfunctional' Slough council placed under government supervision|work = BBC News|date = 26 October 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/10/26/labour-controlled-council-taken-property-bets-leave-100m-black/|title=Labour-controlled council taken over after property bets leave £100m black hole|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=26 October 2021|last1=Rees|first1=Tom}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.localgov.co.uk/Commissioners-to-monitor-Slough-improvement-plan/53158|title=LocalGov.co.uk - Your authority on UK local government - Commissioners to monitor Slough improvement plan|date=26 October 2021}}

{{also|Slough Borough Council elections}}

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 21 wards, with each ward electing two councillors. Elections are held every four years.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Slough (Electoral Changes) Order 2023|year=2023|number=203|access-date=18 July 2024}}

The council is based at Observatory House at 25 Windsor Road in the town centre. It was built in the 1990s as commercial offices. The council bought the building in July 2018 for a reported £41.3 million and converted it to become their offices and meeting place, with the first council meetings in the building being held in September 2019.{{cite news |last1=Hockaday |first1=James |title=More than £41m spent on new Slough Borough Council headquarters |url=https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/gallery/slough/137845/more-than-41m-spent-on-new-slough-borough-council-headquarters.html |access-date=28 March 2022 |work=Maidenhead Advetiser |date=2 November 2018}}{{cite web |title=Health Scrutiny Panel, 10 September 2019 |url=https://democracy.slough.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=6354 |website=Slough Borough Council |date = 10 September 2019|access-date=28 March 2022}}

The council was previously based at Slough Town Hall at 19 Bath Road, which was built in 1937 and served as the council's headquarters until 2011. The council was then temporarily based at St Martin's Place at 51 Bath Road from 2011 to 2019, holding meetings at various venues in the town whilst looking for a new home closer to the town centre.{{cite news |title=Slough Town Hall: Official opening ceremony by Mrs A. G. Trevener |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=5 June 2022 |work=Middlesex Advertiser and County Gazette |date=2 April 1937 |location=Uxbridge |page=4}}{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-12772055 |title= School chosen for Slough Town Hall site|date=17 March 2011|publisher=BBC| access-date=30 March 2021}} In February 2025, the Council announced it was putting the St Martin's Place office complex up for sale.{{cite web |title=Council’s former HQ up for sale |url=https://www.slough.gov.uk/news/article/480/council-s-former-hq-up-for-sale |website=Slough Borough Council |access-date=14 February 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Unitary authorities of England}}

{{Local authorities in Berkshire}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Government and politics of Slough

Category:Unitary authority councils of England

Category:Leader and cabinet executives

Category:Local education authorities in England

Category:Local authorities in Berkshire

Category:Billing authorities in England