How your Council Tax is spent

How Council Tax changes impact our budgets

Each one per cent increase in council tax generates £1.4million in income towards local services. 

Increases based on current average Band D charge for WBC of £1,839.26 per year.

*Note these would require approval through public referendum (only referendum held so far is estimated to have cost £600,000 for a population of 640,000 people, for Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner). 

The poll was held on 7 May 2015. 91,086 voters (30.5 per cent) supported the proposal, whilst 207,551 (69.5 per cent) opposed it. 

Surrey County Council proposed to hold a referendum on a 15 per cent increase in council tax for 2017/18, but later dropped the proposal.

Comparing our funding to other councils

• We have the lowest funding level across Berkshire councils
• We have the lowest Settlement Funding Assessment per head of population for all unitary authorities, councils which provide all local services, in England
• Lowest core funding per head of population (unitary authorities) 
• We lost 100 per cent Revenue Support Grant lost between 2017/18 and 2022/23, meaning Government did not contribute at all towards day to day services through this in the borough

We continue to lobby for change in how councils are financed to support residents.

How each £1 is spent in 2024/25:

• 40p on Adult Social Care services including Adult Safeguarding, Adult Social Care and Public Health
• 25p on Children’s Services including Child Safeguarding, Children’s Social Care, Corporate Parenting and School Support
• 19p on Place and Growth services including Transport and Highways, Waste and Recycling, Planning, Community Safety, Parks and Open Spaces 
• 9p on Resources and Assets services including Finance, Governance and Democratic Process, Procurement, Property and Assets 
• 7p on Chief Executive’s Office services including Libraries, IT, HR and Communications 

Building infrastructure and services for the future

The above costs set out how we run day-to-day services.

But we are also responsible for a capital budget, which sets out spending for things in the borough which will have a lasting economic benefit to the borough, as well as our budgets.

It includes things like new roads, schools, play areas, green spaces and more.

This does not come from Council Tax and is paid for through funding from housing developers, Government grants, other capital income and borrowing. This money cannot be used for day-to-day running costs. 

Significant investment is planned in the years ahead, including:

Children’s Services and Schools - £74.2million

• Two new SEND schools
• SEND centres for post-16 education and early years
• Expansions/new builds to meet basic demand in secondary schools
• Sixth form expansion
• Care leaver accommodation

Housing, local economy and regeneration - £104million

• Continuation of Gorse Ride regeneration
• Purchase of new council houses
• Carnival Hub redevelopment (part of Wokingham Town Centre regeneration)

Roads and highways - £108.4million

• Safer routes to schools
• Highways maintenance
• Improving safety/crash barriers
• Improvements to walking and cycling routes
• Active travel and bus route improvement
• Strategic road infrastructure

Adult Social Care - £25million

• New facilities, including older people’s dementia home
• Additional supported living accommodation
• Prevention support to reduce and delay need for long-term care by helping people in the community

Environment - £68million

• Investment in renewable solar energy
• Rooks Nest Wood nature park (SANG) extension
• Leisure centre improvements