The 2025 to 2026 budget for Bracknell Forest Council has been agreed with £105.59 million allocated to every day and frontline services and £14.3 million on large-scale improvement projects.
The council’s budget was agreed by councillors on 26 February following a public consultation, where more than 130 people gave their feedback.
Like all local authorities, the council is experiencing financial pressure and so balancing the budget is increasingly challenging. The agreed budget aims to protect services for our most vulnerable residents and make sure we retain good and high-quality frontline services.
The budget is split into two - revenue budget and capital budget:
The revenue budget covers day-to-day spending. In 2025 to 2026 £105.59 million will be available in this budget.
The capital budget covers spending on council ‘assets’. This includes buildings and roads. In 2025 to 2026 £14.3 million is earmarked for capital projects.
Key capital projects next year will include:
- investing £2.7 million to repair and improve Bracknell Forest roads
- investing £445,000 in South Hill Park on essential maintenance
- investing £500,000 in council properties used mainly for temporary accommodation so they remain safe and secure for residents (these are separate to housing association properties)
- spending £1.29 million to create new school places
Meanwhile, the revenue budget will pay for things like:
- adult and children’s social care
- mental and public health services
- libraries, leisure facilities and family hubs
- public protection (environmental health, trading standards, licensing)
- parks, open spaces and play areas
- community safety
- bin collection
- road, bridge, gulley and pavement repair and maintenance
- housing and homelessness support
- street and road lighting
- street cleaning
- foster care support
- road gritting
More than £85 million of the council’s revenue budget funding comes from council tax. To safeguard critical services, this year a 4.99% council tax rise has been agreed. For an average Band D home, the increase is around £1.55 a week (excluding town and parish council costs).
Cllr Kathryn Neil, cabinet member for finance and business change, said:
“We know it’s never welcome news that council tax is increasing, but given the squeeze on our finances from years of government under funding and increasing service cost and demand, we have no real choice.
“If we don’t increase council tax then we can’t provide all the essential services our residents rely on like social care, bin collection, road maintenance, community safety, libraries, education and so much more.
“We know some people will struggle with this increase and so we are providing further council tax discounts to people in financial hardship.”
To balance the books some discretionary services will be reduced next year, including:
- closing the upper decks of Braccan Walk car park for 3 months a year when the car park is quieter to save on business rates
- increasing the residents’ parking zone fees by £10 so the scheme becomes self-funding by the end of 2025 to 2026
- increasing the garden waste (brown bins) charge by £5 so the scheme becomes self-funding by the end of 2025 to 2026
- reducing the number of parking machines at The Look Out and The Avenue car park
Cllr Neil added:
“Generally, we are in a better financial position than most other local authorities and there is no immediate risk of bankruptcy or financial intervention. However, we have still had to make difficult budget decisions. Our priority remains to protect essential and critical services for our most vulnerable residents, for example social care and homelessness.
“We are not immune to further cost, inflation and service demand rises. This is why creating balanced draft budget plans has been particularly difficult; we’ve had to look very carefully at what we can spend money on and where we may need to make savings.”
More information
If you compare the council’s budget to a household budget, the revenue budget would pay for things like gas, electric and food. The capital budget would pay for something like an extension or new driveway.
A proportion of the council tax residents pay goes to the relevant town or parish council for where you live. It also pays for services provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner of the Thames Valley and the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority.
You can read the full budget papers.
Council tax bills will be sent directly to residents over the coming weeks.
You can also read about council tax support.