History of government in Swindon
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The history of government in Swindon has it's origins in the Middle Ages. Its history is marked by a long period of very little change and, since the 19th Century, a constant period of redevelopment and re-adjustment.
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[edit] Mediaeval
The first recorded Member's of Parliament in Swindon's history are John Ildhelfe and Richard Pernaunt. In 1295 they were elected into the Model Parliament of King Edward I. Others noted are Richard Neel (the 43rd parliament of Edward I in 1304) and Thomas and Robert Crekkelade (Henry VI's first parliament in 1422).
[edit] Middle Ages
Swindon for many years from the 16th to 17th century was governed by the vestry, people 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 relief of the poor. Swindon became part of the constituency of Cricklade in 1660.[1] A constituency that was represented by both the Lord's of the Manor, the Goddard family, and also Daniel Gooch of the Great Western Works.
Old Swindon petitioned in 1849 for powers to set up a Local Board under the Public Health Act 1848 which was not adopted and the town remained a parish for the next 15 years. In 1864, following the possibility of Swindon and Highworth being merged together, the Local Government Act 1858 was applied to both New and Old Swindon with each area setting up it's own 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.
The local boards remained until 1894 when they both became Urban District Councils.
In 1889, a motion was raised at a meeting of the New Swindon Local Board by James Hinton, suggesting that in 1909 would Swindon be of sufficient size to be re-classed as a county council in it's own right. The Council investigated this once more in 1913; under the Local Government Act 1888 if an authority contained over 50,000 residents then they could apply for County Borough status, Swindon only narrowly qualified with it's 1911 census reported population of 50,751[2] and became a Corporated Borough Swindon Corporation later Swindon Borough Council
In 1918, the parliamentary constituency of Cricklade was abolished and the Swindon constituency was formed.
[edit] David Murray John
David Murray John OBE became a Swindon town clerk in 1937 and eventually became the architect of the town's post-war growth. He engendered the diversity of jobs in Swindon so that the town would not rely solely on the Railway to provide employment.
When the Town Development Act 1952 was passed, the Council was able to make a persuasive case for Swindon as an overspill district, ideally suited to accommodate a good number of London's jobless. The Act provided for rehousing subsidies, compulsory purchase of land and financial assistance from governments to provide for local amenities and services.
With negotiations successful between Swindon Council, the London County Council and the Borough of Tottenham; Murray John and his officers proceeding along a series of diversifications that eventually expanded the town's industrial base, regenerating the local economy and increasing the stock of available council housing.
The companies of Plessey and Vickers also helped by agreeing to employ over 1,500 of those moving to Swindon and the Council also funded the creation of Industrial Estates and new housing developments. In the period 1951-1981, Swindon's population grew by 70 percent[2] "some 58 per cent higher than the national average over the same period".[1]
"The policy of diversification really took off in the 1980s, as Swindon became the fastest growing town in Europe"[1]
He died in 1974 and is honoured with the David Murray John Tower in the centre of Swindon, built in 1976 it rises to a height of 83 metres and is the tallest building in the town.[3]
[edit] Name changes
1974 saw the Borough merged with the former Highworth Rural Council and re-titled under the Local Government Reform Act as the Borough of Thamesdown. The term is an allusion 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".[1]
The parliamentary constituency of Swindon was split in 1997 into the two separate areas of North Swindon and South Swindon.
Swindon became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998, following a review by Local Government Commission for England and the area was designated the Borough of Swindon. The town is therefore no longer under the auspices of Wiltshire County Council.
The name Thamesdown is still prevalent in the town however, as the local Bus company is named Thamesdown Transport.
[edit] City Status
In 1993 Swindon Borough Council and the Swindon Chamber of Commerce unveiled a joint public relations venture "Swindon - City for the 21st Century" to raise awareness of the town and gauge public opinion for a potential bid for City Status. The partnership mounted an exhibition in London but the project stalled.[1]
By the 1990s, Swindon had become one of the most important centres along the M4 Corridor. During this period the town continued to attract new, predominantly hi-tech, companies to the town and encouraged relocation. However the town's infrastructure and amenities did not develop to the same level.
The Borough Council made formal bids for city status in 1999 and 2002 but both were unsuccessful.
To overcome the problems raised at the failed city bids, the town council invited an Urban Regeneration Company into the town to oversee the blueprint for revitalising much of the Town Centre.[4]
[edit] Parliamentary constituencies
- Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency) 1660-1918
- Swindon (UK Parliament constituency) 1918-1997
- North Swindon (UK Parliament constituency) 1997-present
- South Swindon (UK Parliament constituency) 1997-present
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Child, Mark [2002]. Swindon : An Illustrated History. United Kingdom: Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 1-85983-322-5.
- ^ a b Swindon Census Information. Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved on 2006-12-05.
- ^ The David Murray John Building. SwindonWeb. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
- ^ About Us. The New Swindon Company. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
