West Berkshire
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| West Berkshire District | |
|---|---|
| Missing image EnglandWestBerkshire.png West Berkshire | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Unitary, District |
| Region: | South East England |
| Ceremonial County: | Berkshire |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 55th 704.17 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Newbury |
| ONS code: | 00MB |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2003 est.) - Density | Ranked 113th 144,156 205 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 97.4% White |
| Politics | |
| Missing image West_Berkshire_coat_of_arms.jpg Arms of West Berkshire | |
| West Berkshire Council http://www.westberks.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative |
| MPs: | Richard Benyon, John Redwood, Martin Salter |
West Berkshire is an local government district in Berkshire, South East England, governed by a unitary authority (West Bershire Council). Its administrative capital is Newbury.
Apart from Newbury, other places in the district include Hungerford and Thatcham.
History
Until April 1, 1998, Newbury District council and Berkshire County council were responsible for the region at local government level. On April 1, 1998, Berkshire County Council was abolished and Newbury District Council changed its name to West Berkshire Council and took on the former County Council's responsibilities.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for West Berkshire were established in 1974 for Newbury District Council. Upon the creation of the Unitary authority they were inherited by West Berkshire Council.
The colours of red and gold in the arms represent industry and the richness of the area, whilst the interwoven cross represents the weaving industry which was important to Newbury in past centuries. The corn on the sheild represents the agriculture industry which is important to the area, whilst the cogwheels represent manufacturing and manufacturing acheivement. The mural crown represents local government and the grassy mount symbolises the downs of the surrounding area. Finally, the horseman represents the two battles of Newbury in the English civil war.
Politics
Since May 5, 2005 the council is Conservative-controlled because of a by-election in Thatcham North. Before that, the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party had an equal amount of seats but the Liberal Democrats had control due to the casting vote of the council chairman. The Liberal Democrats had first took power in 1991.
The district is approximately coterminous with the parliamentary constituency of Newbury, except for areas to the east where parts of West Berkshire are incorporated into the constituencies of Wokingham and Reading West.
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