History of Local Government in Swindon - Local Government

Local Government

From the 16th to 17th century Swindon was governed by a vestry, men who were elected from qualifying residents of means. They were mostly responsible for the work of the parish officers, financial matters affecting the church and the poor relief.

In 1849, Old Swindon petitioned unsuccessfully to be given a Local Board under the Public Health Act 1848, but the town remained a civil parish for a further fifteen years.

In 1864, following the possibility of Swindon and Highworth being merged, the Local Government Act 1858 was applied to both New and Old Swindon, with each area setting up its own local administration. The New Swindon Local Board held its first meeting on 27 April 1864 at the Mechanics' Institute, with the GWR's William Frederick Gooch as chairman. The Old Swindon Local Board met for the first time on August 10, 1865 at the Town Hall, Old Swindon. With a grocer, Phillip Hawe Mason as the chairman.

In 1889, Wiltshire County Council had been formed to take responsibility for several strategic local government services in the whole of Wiltshire. Swindon came under its authority at this level for more than a hundred years, until the creation of its own unitary authority in 1997. Until then, it was represented in the county council by several county councillors. One of these, John Lindow Calderwood was chairman of the county council from 1949 to 1960.

The local boards remained in existence until 1894, when they were both converted into Urban District Councils. In 1900 the Swindon New Town and Old Swindon urban districts were merged, to form a single municipal borough of Swindon. On 1 April 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 created a non-metropolitan district of Thamesdown, consisting of Swindon along with the former Highworth Rural District. The name alludes to the two natural boundaries of the region, the River Thames to the North and the Wiltshire and Marlborough Downs to the South. The name itself was described as "absurd and universally unpopular".

On 1 April 1997, Thamesdown became a unitary authority independent of Wiltshire County Council, following a review by Local Government Commission for England. The resulting new authority was renamed the Borough of Swindon soon afterwards, but the name 'Thamesdown' is still used for some purposes. The local bus company is still called Thamesdown Transport.