On 1 April 1997 Thamesdown was made a unitary authority, making it administratively independent from Wiltshire County Council.

[7] In June 1996, during the transition period to becoming a unitary authority, the council passed an order that the borough and the new non-metropolitan county would both be renamed Swindon with effect from 1 April 1997 as well.

In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

It was also the owner of Swindon's main bus operator, Thamesdown Transport, until 2017 when it sold the business to the Go-Ahead Group due to issues with funding.

[12] The council's principal decision-making body is its cabinet, which comprises the leader and (as of 2022[update]) nine portfolio-holding members.

[29] The building was built for the old municipal borough council, and had been formally opened by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on 5 July 1938.