London Borough of Richmond upon Thames: local authority assessment

Demographics 

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a unique outer London borough, notable for being the only one that spans both sides of the River Thames. It covers approximately 57 square kilometres and includes a mix of urban centres and suburban villages such as Richmond, Twickenham, Barnes, and Hampton. The borough is characterised by its extensive green spaces, including Richmond Park and Bushy Park, and has a strong conservation ethos.  Richmond has an Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of 10. A local authority with a decile of 1 means it is in the most deprived group (most deprived 10%), while a local authority with a decile of 10 means it is in the least deprived group (least deprived 10%).   

Richmond has a population of 196,678, comprising 44,038 children aged 0–17 (22.39%), 119,254 adults aged 18–64 (60.63%), and 33,386 people aged 65 and over (16.97%). In Richmond most people identify as White and White British (81.05%), with Asian and Asian British residents making up 9.61%, followed by Black and Black British 4.22%, Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 2.96% and other ethnicities (2.18%). 

Richmond is part of the South West London Integrated Care System (ICS), which includes six boroughs: Richmond, Kingston, Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon, and Sutton. Within this ICS, Richmond operates a Place-Based Partnership Committee, which brings together local NHS organisations, the council, and voluntary sector partners to improve health outcomes.  

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council is currently under Liberal Democrat majority control, holding 49 of the 54 seats, with the remaining 5 held by the Green Party. The council operates under a committee system of governance, with decisions made across five main service committees and a full council responsible for budget and policy. The borough is known for its emphasis on transparency and community-led decision-making.