# Wokingham Borough Council

Wokingham Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Wokingham in Berkshire, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.
The council has been under no overall control since 2022. Following the 2024 election a minority Liberal Democrat administration formed to run the council. It is based at the Civic Offices on Shute End in the town of Wokingham.

## History

The town of Wokingham was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1885. The municipal borough was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, merging with the surrounding Wokingham Rural District to become a new non-metropolitan district called Wokingham.
Until 1998 Wokingham was a lower-tier district council, with Berkshire County Council providing county-level services to the area. The county council was abolished in 1998 and Wokingham became a unitary authority, taking over the county council's functions in the area. The council was awarded borough status in 2007, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

## Political control

Since 2022 the council has been under no overall control. Following the 2022 election a Liberal Democrat-led coalition with Labour and the independent councillors formed to run the council. Following the 2024 election the Liberal Democrats had exactly half the council's seats and formed a minority administration.
The first elections to Wokingham District Council were held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows:
Lower-tier non-metropolitan district
| Party in control | Years |
| No overall control | 1974–1976 |
| Conservative | 1976–1995 |
| No overall control | 1995–1996 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1996–1997 |
| Conservative | 1997–1998 |
Unitary authority
| Party in control | Years |
| Conservative | 1998–2000 |
| No overall control | 2000–2002 |
| Conservative | 2002–2022 |
| No overall control | 2022–present |

### Leadership

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Wokingham, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1995 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Simon Etheridge | Conservative | 1995 | 1996 |
| Alan Spratling | Liberal Democrats | 1996 | 1997 |
| Simon Etheridge | Conservative | 1997 | Sep 1999 |
| Perry Lewis | Conservative | Sep 1999 | 2000 |
| Alan Spratling | Liberal Democrats | 2000 | 2002 |
| Frank Browne | Conservative | 2002 | 4 May 2008 |
| David Lee | Conservative | 22 May 2008 | 12 Jun 2014 |
| Keith Baker | Conservative | 12 Jun 2014 | 18 May 2017 |
| Charlotte Haitham-Taylor | Conservative | 18 May 2017 | 22 Nov 2018 |
| Julian McGhee-Sumner | Conservative | 14 Dec 2018 | 5 May 2019 |
| John Halsall | Conservative | 22 May 2019 | 19 May 2022 |
| Clive Jones | Liberal Democrats | 19 May 2022 | 18 May 2023 |
| Stephen Conway | Liberal Democrats | 18 May 2023 | Present |

### Composition

Following the 2024 election, the council composition was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Liberal Democrats | 27 |
| | Conservative | 19 |
| | Labour | 8 |
| Total | Total | 54 |
The next election is due in May 2026.
The latest political balance on the Council in Feb 2025 following by elections, deaths and resignations of whip are.
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Liberal Democrats | 26 |
| | Conservative | 20 |
| | Labour | 6 |
| Total | Total | 53 |

## Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2024 the council has comprised 54 councillors representing 18 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) elected each time for a four-year term of office.
Since May 2024 there have been two changes - In Shinfield a Labour Councillor elected in May resigned and the Conservative candidate Jackie Rance gained the seat in November. In January 2025 Labour Councillor Alex Freeney resigned the Labour whip and became independent.

## Premises

The council's main offices are the Civic Offices at Shute End in Wokingham. The building began as a house, built c. 1870 as the rectory for nearby St Paul's Church. It was purchased by Wokingham Rural District Council in 1939 and converted to become their offices. The building passed to the new Wokingham District Council when local government was reorganised in 1974. A large extension was added to the west of the original house in 1988.