The borough was left unreformed when most boroughs across the country were standardised under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Government commissioners had concluded that Henley's corporation had too few functions and the town was too small to justify the cost of reform. The old borough corporation continued to exist, but did not qualify for any subsequent new local government powers. In order to provide more modern forms of local government, notably including the provision of sewers, a separate local government district with an elected local board had to be set up in 1864. The local board then operated alongside the unreformed borough corporation until 1883, when the borough was eventually reformed to become a municipal borough. The reformed borough corporation (also known as the town council) took on the abolished local board's functions.
The borough was left unreformed when most boroughs across the country were standardised under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Government commissioners had concluded that Henley's corporation had too few functions and the town was too small to justify the cost of reform. The old borough corporation continued to exist but did not qualify for any subsequent new local government powers. In order to provide more modern forms of local government, notably including the provision of sewers, a separate local government district with an elected local board had to be set up in 1864. The local board then operated alongside the unreformed borough corporation until 1883, when the borough was eventually reformed to become a municipal borough. The reformed borough corporation (also known as the town council) took on the abolished local board's functions.