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History. The town of Reading was an ancient borough, being described as a borough by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. The borough was initially controlled by Reading Abbey, but the town gradually gained a degree of independence from the abbey from the thirteenth century onwards.
The Summer Assizes were moved from Abingdon to Reading in 1867, effectively making Reading the sole county town of Berkshire, a decision that was officially approved by the privy council in 1869. [23] The town became a county borough under the Local Government Act 1888.
The Borough of Reading became a unitary authority area in 1998, when Berkshire County Council was abolished under the Banham Review, and is now responsible for all aspects of local government within the borough.
- Population and Households
- Household Composition
- Ethnicity
- Economy, Employment and Skills
- Housing
- Deprivation
- Health
- Crime
- Transport and Travel to Work
Currently 178,196 residents1 67,700 households2) are estimated tolive within the Reading borough boundary, while around 233,000 people live in Reading’s greater urban area3. The population increased by 11.9% between 2021 and 2011, while the number of households rose by 7.6%4. Reading has a generally younger population, however the proportion of old...
Sources: 2021/2011 Census. ONS 1ONS mid year estimates for 2023 2ONS Census 2021 3Local Transport Plan 2011-2026 4ONS Census 5ONS Census
Reading has a very diverse population, with 46.5% now belonging to a Black and Minority Ethnic community (including white and other communities), the joint second highest proportion in the South East after Slough and with Oxford (2021 Census, Office for National Statistics), and up from 35% in 2011. All ethnic groups have increased since 2011 apart...
Over the last 20 years, Reading has developed from an economy based on trading and manufacturing into a centre for leading edge information communication technology (ICT) companies and is now one of the largest insurance and business service centres in the country. Reading is now a major retail centre, with a significant evening economy. Pre-COVID,...
Reading’s continued success has further increased demand for housing, resulting in higher than national average prices, with the median house price now around 3 times higher in 2023 than 2000 (ONS house price statistics for small areas, 1995 – 2020). Because of this, the property market has become increasingly inaccessible to those on low incomes, ...
Although the pace of change in Reading has been rapid, there is a clear mismatch between outstanding economic success and the level of benefits to local people, leaving a significant gap between Reading’s most and least prosperous neighbourhoods. Reading has, within a small geographic area, some of the most affluent and the most deprived neighbourh...
In general terms, Reading tends to score better than the national average for most health measures, although this hides problems amongst particular communities. 1. Life expectancy is 6.8 years lower for men and 7.8 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Reading than in the least deprived areas (Public Health England 2018-20) 2. For fur...
Crime and the fear of crime have become more significant issues as Reading’s evening economy has grown over recent years. However, Reading has a fairly average crime rate, when compared our most similar group of Community Safety Partnerships. 1. 19,303 crimes were reported in 2023/24, or 102.3 crimes per 1000 population, a 9.7% decrease on the prev...
Reading is a major population and employment centre within the South East, benefiting from close proximity to London and Heathrow, and with excellent links to national road and rail networks as well as to Heathrow Airport. Such connectivity is represented by Reading’s status as a regional transport hub and international gateway. Reading is a major ...
May 17, 2018 · A small borough by 1086, it grew partly thanks to Henry I's foundation of a major Cluniac abbey (1121), where he was buried. The abbey dominated the town until the dissolution (1539), and not until 1542 did Reading become an autonomous borough.
Nov 28, 2022 · Between the 1700 and 1800s, Reading became an important centre for business and trade and grew into a thriving market town. Its three most important business became known as the three Bs – standing for beer, bulbs and biscuits.
Oct 21, 2024 · Reading was a Danish encampment as early as 871. Between the 12th and 16th centuries it was dominated by a struggle for privileges between the abbey and the emergent merchants’ guild . The town suffered severely in the English Civil Wars of the mid-17th century.
