Photo: HelenK · CC BY-SA 2.0The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on West Berkshire Council
Thatcham is run by West Berkshire Council, with Thatcham parish council for local matters. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on West Berkshire Council. Its MP is Mr Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat), member for Newbury.
£2,542
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Thatcham’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on West Berkshire Council
The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on West Berkshire Council: 29 of its 43 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 11, the Greens 2 and Labour 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Thatcham is £2,543 for 2026–27; West Berkshire Council keeps 79% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 56% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 22 of West Berkshire’s 43 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat29
- Conservative11
- Green2
- Labour1
Latest election: May 2023.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Thatcham
One council runs every main service here.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
99% of Thatcham’s residents · Band D precept £136
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Thatcham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierThatcham parish council
- 2West Berkshire Council4 wards · 7 councillorsTom McCannLee DillonJeremy Richard CottamStephanie Diane SteevensonIain David CottinghamJeff BrooksJustin Alexander PembertonOwen Edward Jeffery
- 3Police and crime commissionerThames Valley Police · elected May 2024Matthew Barber
- 4House of CommonsNewbury
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
7 councillors for 4 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Tom McCannLiberal Democrat · April 2025 · by-election
- Lee DillonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Jeremy Richard CottamLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Stephanie Diane SteevensonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Iain David CottinghamLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Jeff BrooksLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Justin Alexander PembertonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Owen Edward JefferyLiberal Democrat · May 2023
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thatcham North Eastall in Thatcham · 7,737 residents2 seats · April 2025, May 2023 | 2 | Tom McCannby-electionLee DillonJeremy Richard Cottam | April 2025, May 2023 |
| Thatcham Centralall in Thatcham · 7,373 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Stephanie Diane SteevensonIain David Cottingham | May 2023 |
| Thatcham Westall in Thatcham · 7,320 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Jeff BrooksJustin Alexander Pemberton | May 2023 |
| Thatcham Colthrop & Crookhammostly in Thatcham · 3,107 residents1 seat · May 2023 | 1 | Owen Edward Jeffery | May 2023 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. West Berkshire Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
West Berkshire council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Thatcham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
4 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Thatcham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗3,501 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,520 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,278 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (1 more)
1,133 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Thatcham is in Newbury constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Thatcham).
48,930 votes for candidates · majority 2,377
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 48,930 votes from 71,982 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 2,377 of 48,930 votes (4.9%): the 94th-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Thatcham’s Band D council tax is £2,543 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
West Berkshire Council keeps £2,017.32 of a Band D bill (79%); the rest goes to the Thatcham parish council, the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner and the Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,542 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
West Berkshire’s Band D bill has risen 56% in ten years, from £1,603.73 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £528.75 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Thatcham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Berkshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £1,800.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Berkshire
| West Berkshire | Thatcham’s councils | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £547 | £465 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £276 | £286 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £32 | £37 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £40 | £46 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £173 | £116 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £36 | £20 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £20 | £17 | £26 |
| Public health | £46 | £56 | £78 |
| Running the council | £45 | £55 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,215 | £1,101 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Berkshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Thatcham is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
westberks.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
westberks.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Thatcham is run
Which council runs Thatcham?
Thatcham is run by West Berkshire Council.
Does Thatcham have a town council?
Yes: Thatcham has its own parish-tier council (Thatcham parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £136 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Thatcham?
Mr Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for Newbury, which covers Thatcham.
How many councillors does Thatcham have?
7 ward councillors represent Thatcham’s 4 wards.
When are the next elections in Thatcham?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Thatcham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Thatcham?
Band D council tax in Thatcham is £2,542 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls West Berkshire Council?
The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 29 of 43 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2023 council election in Thatcham?
In Thatcham’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 7 of the 7 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 61.3%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.