There was no administrative area of Slough prior to 1863; the urban area of the nascent town was mostly in the parish of Upton cum Chalvey, but also extended into the neighbouring parish of Stoke Poges.

The act also stipulated that civil parishes could not straddle district boundaries, and so the old parishes of Upton cum Chalvey and Stoke Poges were both split on 4 December 1894, ahead of the new districts coming into force.

The part of Upton cum Chalvey within the local government district became a parish called Slough, whilst the part of Stoke Poges within the district became a parish called Stoke-in-Slough.

Slough Urban District Council held its first meeting on 31 December 1894 at the local board's old offices at 1 Mackenzie Street.

The coat of arms depicts a swan, the county emblem of Buckinghamshire and brick-axes, indicating local brick-making.

[10] In the early years, the Slough Local Board met at various locations across the town.

By the 1890s it had a small office and meeting room on the upper floors of 1 Mackenzie Street, above a shop.