The potential for Reading to expand into its suburbs to create a larger council has been debated.
Reading borough councillors have voted to push for a new “Greater Reading” council that would absorb parts of West Berkshire — a direct response to county-wide reorganisations forced by the Labour government.
The government review requires county councils to be abolished. Oxfordshire is already being split into Oxford and the Shires Council and Ridgeway Council (South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse). Last year West Berkshire Council unexpectedly said it wanted to join Ridgeway.
West Berkshire covers Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford, surrounding villages and the Reading suburbs of Tilehurst Parish, Calcot and Theale. Jeff Brooks (Liberal Democrats, Thatcham West) called Reading’s counter-proposal a ‘hostile attack’ and an ‘unsolicited attempt at a land grab’.
Reading’s Labour administration submitted the Greater Reading plan to the Ministry of Local Government. At an extraordinary council meeting, leader Liz Terry (Labour, Coley) rejected Cllr Brooks’ accusations, saying: “This was a feeble attempt to mislead people from the real reason for wanting to join Oxfordshire’s reorganisation.
“His council is struggling financially and cannot afford to provide services without the £16 million exceptional financial support it had to ask for from the government.
“It is clear to see the real reason for joining forces with South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, it is to spare his blushes as his council faces a weakening position.”
Reading’s original request asked for all of Tilehurst, Theale and Pangbourne to move into Greater Reading, but was revised to just Tilehurst Parish, Holybrook Parish and Purley Parish.
Money is the major worry. Tilehurst parishes contributed £29.8 million to West Berkshire resources in 2025/26 and cost West Berkshire £30.6 million — leaving a potential £800,000 net cost for a Greater Reading council.
Opposition figures warned of extra hidden costs and urged central funding for the transition. Rob White (Green, Park) said: “As this whole saga started from a top-down reorganisation from the Labour government, Greens think it is only fair that the Labour government funds some of these costs for Reading council, and we hope that the leader of the council will be lobbying hard and fighting Reading’s corner on this.”
The Liberal Democrats welcomed residents keeping existing parish councils but raised cost concerns. Cllr Anne Thompson (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) called current boundaries “outdated” and said Reading borough should sensibly end at Sulham Woods, a “natural boundary”. However, she said the Lib Dems would abstain because no local referendum has been offered in Tilehurst.
Conservative Cllr Raj Singh (Kentwood) warned Tilehurst parish residents could see sharp council tax rises.
In the vote, Labour and the Greens backed the Greater Reading proposal, Conservatives opposed it and the Lib Dems abstained. The decision gives Cllr Terry authority to write to the Ministry of Local Government asking for Greater Reading to be created if the Ridgeway Council proposal goes ahead.
The council debate took place on 25 November 2025.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
