Kentwood (Reading ward)
| Kentwood Ward, Borough of Reading | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from top left: Roebuck Hotel, Arthur Newbery Park, Church of St Mary Magdalene, Clevedon Road | |
  Kentwood Ward, Borough of Reading Location within Berkshire | |
| Area | 2.194 km2 (0.847 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 9,454 [2] |
| • Density | 4,309/km2 (11,160/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU672745 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Kentwood is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It takes its name from Kentwood Hill, a road which bisects the ward.
Location
The ward consists of the northern part of the suburb of Tilehurst, in the west of Reading and south of the River Thames. The ward rises from river level, in the north at some 40 metres (130 ft) AMSL, to the Victoria crossroads, in the south at about 90 metres (300 ft) AMSL.[3][4][5]
To the north, the ward boundary follows the Berkshire bank of the Thames from near the former Roebuck Hotel to a point about 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of Scours Lane. It then heads south joining Wigmore Lane and following Norcot Road to the Victoria crossroads. From here it follows Armour Road and Pierce's Hill to Lower Elmstone Drive. Here it meets the borough boundary, which it follows, largely running behind houses, back to the Roebuck.[4]
The ward is bordered by Caversham Heights and Battle wards to the north-east, by Norcot ward to the east, and Tilehurst ward to the south. To the west the ward is bordered by the civil parishes of Tilehurst and Purley on Thames in the district of West Berkshire, and to the north by the civil parish of Mapledurham in the district of South Oxfordshire. It lies entirely within the constituency of Reading West and Mid Berkshire.[4]
Profile
Demographics
As of 2024, Kentwood ward had an area of 2.098 square kilometres (0.810 sq mi) and there were 9,454 people living there. Of these, 18.4% were under 15 and 17.9% were 65 and over; 78.8% classified themselves as White, 9.1% as Asian, and 5.1% as Black, Caribbean or African; 18.6% were born outside the UK.[1][2]
The population lived in 3,487 households, of which 8.1% were in a flat, maisonette or apartment, and 91.9% were in a house or bungalow. Of the households, 32.0% were owned outright by the residents, 40.6% were owned subject to a mortgage, loan or shared ownership, 17.7% were privately rented and 9.7% were socially rented.[2][6]
Of the population aged over 16, 64.5% were in employment, 3.1% were unemployed, and 32.3% were economically inactive. Of those in employment, 45.8% were in managerial, professional or technical occupations. A total of 32.0% of the population were educated to university degree level.[2]
Environment
As of 2022, Kentwood ward had a tree canopy cover of 22.1%, compared to figures of 17.7% for the Reading as a whole, and 16.5% for the United Kingdom. The principal open spaces in the ward are two sizable parks, McIlroy and Arthur Newbery.[4][7]
Facilities
The ward includes Meadow Park primary school. Tilehurst railway station, on the Great Western Main Line, lies near the river in the north of the ward, some distance from the centre of the village it is named after.[4]
Representation
As with all Reading wards, the ward elects three councillors to Reading Borough Council. Elections since 2004 are generally held by thirds, with elections in three years out of four. As of May 2026, the ward councillors are Glenn Dennis and Mark Keeping, both of whom are members of the Labour party, and Raj Singh, a member of the Conservative party.[8][9]
References
- 1 2 "Kentwood (Ward, United Kingdom)". City Population. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Area profile for Tilehurst Ward". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Final recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Reading" (PDF). Report to the Electoral Commission. Boundary Committee for England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Election Maps (Map). Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ↑ OS Explorer Map (Reading), Ordnance Survey, 2012
- ↑ "Area profile for Kentwood Ward (with tenure)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Reading's Tree Canopy Cover Assessment" (PDF). Reading Borough Council. October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Your Councillors". Reading Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ "Local election results 7 May 2026". Reading Borough Council. Archived from the original on 8 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
External links
- Kentwood Ward in the 2021 census from the Office for National Statistics