Reading

Reading, unitary authority, southern England, located to the south of Oxfordshire at the junction of the Thames and Kennet rivers. Reading unitary authority came into existence on April 1, 1998, and was established as a result of the review of local administration in the non-metropolitan counties of England carried out by the Local Government Commission that was established under the Local Government Act of 1992. Previously the town of Reading had been administered by Reading District Council, which was part of a two-tier structure with Berkshire county. However on March 31, 1998, Berkshire was abolished and six single-tier unitary authorities were created in its place. These are Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham. Population 143,124 (2001).