Political map of Wokingham redrawn for 2024 election

Each year, a third of the representatives on Wokingham Borough Council are voted for in an annual election cycle.

But this year the whole council will be up for election with 54 seats being up for grabs.

The news comes as the Boundary Commission for England has redrawn the political map of the borough.

Wokingham Town is one of the areas which has seen the least changes, as the names for the borough wards are unchanged.

But the number of councillors representing Wokingham will increase from 11 to 12, as the Wescott ward gains a councillor.

The Wokingham Borough Ward boundary changes that will come in to force for the 2024 Local Elections in May. Credit: Wokingham Borough Council

Perhaps the biggest ward rebrand is in the north, where a new ‘Thames ward’ covers Sonning, Wargrave, Charvil and Remenham.

Neighbouring Reading Borough also has a Thames ward which straddles the river.

Meanwhile, the map has been significantly redrawn in the Earley and Woodley, with the creation of the Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates and Bulmershe & Coronation wards.

READ MORE: Earley and Woodley gets its own MP seat for the first time 

Areas which previously had individual councillors representing them have been amalgamated, which is the case with the new wards of Barkham & Arborfield and Spencers Wood & Swallowfield.

Each area will get three councillors across the board, as opposed to the three, two and one member wards currently in place.

You can view the full list of ward names here:

Barkham & Arborfield

Bulmershe & Coronation

Emmbrook

Evendons

Finchampstead

Hawkedon

Hillside

Loddon

Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates

Norreys

Shinfield

South Lake

Spencers Wood & Swallowfield

Thames

Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst

Winnersh

Wescott

Wokingham Without

The existing boundaries will remain until the council is recessed for the election on Thursday, May 2.

Councillor Andy Croy, a Labour representative of the Bulmershe & Whitegates ward that is set to be abolished, supports the changes.

Councillor Andy Croy (left) with fellow Labour candidates at the Wokingham Borough Council elections in 2021. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cllr Croy said: “It was obvious the changes had to happen to rebalance representation to reflect where people are in the borough.

“There have been massive population increases in Wokingham and Shinfield, which means some councillors have a much higher workload as they represent more residents.”

The Boundary Commission for England conducted the changes so each ward has between 6,000 to 8,000 electors.

Cllr Croy said: “Now all wards will have three members, which is much better for democracy.

“It means places where residents have had to wait four years to vote for their councillor can now vote each year.

“Democratic representation is very important and these changes give voters a say more often.”

After this year’s election, 18 councillors will be voted for in each subsequent election.

The council has the power to decide whether the election cycle is conducted on an annual or four year all-out election basis.

Wokingham Borough Council’s previous Conservative administration advocated for four year all-out elections in 2022 but the planned change was scrapped when the Liberal Democrats took power in May of that year.