Swindon Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Swindon in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1974 as Thamesdown Borough Council, and was a lower-tier district council until 1997. In 1997 it was renamed Swindon Borough Council and became a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is separate from Wiltshire Council, the unitary authority which administers the rest of the county.

The council has been under no overall control since 2026. The Conservatives are the largest party and run the council as a minority administration. It is based at the Civic Offices on Euclid Street.

History The town of Swindon was made a municipal borough in 1900 as a merger of the two urban districts of Old Swindon and New Swindon. Swindon was then governed by a body formally called the 'mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Swindon', generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council.

That first borough of Swindon, and its council, was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, when its area was merged with the neighbouring Highworth Rural District to become a new non-metropolitan district called Thamesdown. Thamesdown was given borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. Thamesdown Borough Council was a lower-tier district council, with Wiltshire County Council providing county-level services in the borough.

On 1 April 1997 Thamesdown was made a unitary authority, making it administratively independent from Wiltshire County Council. The way the change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county called Thamesdown covering the same area as the borough, but with no separate county council. Instead, the existing borough council took on county council functions, making it a unitary authority. In June 1996, during the transition period to becoming a unitary authority, the council passed an order that the borough and the new non-metropolitan county would both be renamed Swindon with effect from 1 April 1997 as well. (See downloadable boundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls spreadsheet.) Swindon remains part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire for the purposes of lieutenancy.

Powers, functions and operations The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Swindon Borough is a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Swindon Borough Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting council tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, and it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

Since 2010, many schools in the area have become academies and are no longer controlled by the council. It was also the owner of Swindon's main bus operator, Thamesdown Transport, until 2017 when it sold the business to the Go-Ahead Group due to issues with funding. Maintenance services are usually contracted to Swindon Commercial Services (SCS), who work in partnership with the council.

The council's principal decision-making body is its cabinet, which comprises the leader and () nine portfolio-holding members.

Political control The council has been under no overall control since the 2026 election, with the Conservatives being the largest party. They subsequently formed a minority administration to run the council.

The first election to Thamesdown Borough Council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Thamesdown was renamed Swindon and became a unitary authority on 1 April 1997. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: (Put "Swindon" in search box to see specific results.)

Thamesdown Borough Council (lower tier non-metropolitan district) Party in controlYears 1974–1976 1976–1978 1978–1997

Swindon Borough Council (unitary authority) Party in controlYears 1997–2000 2000–2004 2004–2023 2023–2026 2026–present

Leadership The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Swindon, with political leadership instead being provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1995 have been:

Councillor Party From To Sue Bates 1995 1998 Maurice Fanning 1998 1999 Sue Bates 1999 27 Sep 2001 Mike Bawden 11 Oct 2001May 2002 Sue Bates 17 May 2002 Aug 2002 Kevin Small 21 Aug 2002 May 2003 Mike Bawden 16 May 2003May 2006 Roderick Bluh 19 May 2006Apr 2013 David Renard 11 Apr 2013May 2023 Jim Robbins 19 May 2023May 2026Gary Sumner 22 May 2026

Composition Following the 2026 election, the composition of the council is:

Party Councillors 23 19 14 1Total 57 The next elections are due on or before 2 May 2030.

Premises The council is based at the Civic Offices on Euclid Street in Swindon. The building was built for the old municipal borough council, and had been formally opened by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on 5 July 1938.

Elections

Fifty-seven councillors are elected by the borough's 20 wards for four-year terms. The entire council stands for election every four years after a 2023 change in the election structure. The first election in which all seats were contested was the 2026 Swindon Borough Council election.

Wards and councillors Parliamentary constituencyWardCouncillorPartyTerm of officeSwindon NorthBlunsdon and HighworthSteve Weisinger 2022–26Nick Gardiner 2023–26Vijay Manro 2024–26Gorse Hill and PinehurstCarol Shelley 2022–26John Ballman 2023–26Princia Fernandes 2024–26Haydon WickMatt Lodge 2022–26Stanka Adamcova 2023–26Ray Ballman 2024–26Penhill and Upper StrattonClaire Crilly 2022–26Ravi Ventakesh 2023–26Thomas Smith 2024–26Priory ValeRob Heath* 2022–26Rajhia Ali 2023–26Ian Edwards* 2024–26Rodbourne CheneyWilliam Stone 2022–26Jim Grant 2023–26Ana Fernandes 2024–26St AndrewsJake Chandler 2022–26Jason Mills 2023–26Daniel Adams 2024–26St Margaret and South MarstonMatthew Vallender 2022–26Tom Butcher* 2023–26Simon Shelley 2024–26Swindon SouthCentralAnabelle Pegado 2022–26Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh 2023–26Domingos Dias 2024–26Covingham and DorcanKevin Parry 2022–26Dale Heenan 2023–26Barbara Parry 2024–26EastcottImtiyaz Shaikh 2022–26Paul Dixon 2023–26Marina Strinkovsky 2024–26Liden, Eldene and Park SouthJanine Howarth 2022–26Mike Davies 2023–26Marianne Le Coyte-Grinney 2024–26Lydiard and FreshbrookSean Wilson 2022–26Repi Begum* 2023–26Leon Grother 2024–26Mannington and WesternJim Robbins 2022–26Fay Howard 2023–26Kevin Small 2024–26Old TownNadine Watts 2022–26Chris Watts 2023–26Jane Milner-Barry 2024–26ShawSuresha Gattapur 2022–26Junab Ali 2023–26Rose Llewellyn 2024–26Walcot and Park NorthAbdul Amin 2022–26Emma Bushell 2023–26Mohammed Miah 2024–26Swindon South and East WiltshireChiseldon and LawnLawrence Elliott 2022–26Neil Hopkins 2023–26East WiltshireRidgewayGary Sumner 2024–26Wroughton and WichelstoweAdam Poole 2023–26Elaine Cook 2024–26Matty Courtliff 2024–26

*Elected as Labour candidates, defecting to Green in 2025.

Notes

References

External links

Your Councillors at Swindon Borough Council