Responding to the government announcing the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27, the council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance Cllr Lynne Jones, said: “Our level of council tax compared to other areas remains a significant issue for the council and our financial sustainability. While today’s announcement sees the government granting us permission to raise council tax by 7.49% from April 2026 - an increase of 2.5% above the standard 4.99% limit before a referendum is required – this would still leave borough bills the lowest in Berkshire and well below the national average.
“It also doesn’t address the way government allocate grant funding, leaving the Royal Borough £30m worse off and one of the biggest losers nationally, despite experiencing the same increasing service demand pressures as other areas.
“We have been clear to government that by severely reducing our funding they have torn apart our medium-term plan for financial recovery and are forcing us into a position where there is no choice but to turn to them for significant support, in the form of a loan - increasing our debt and our borrowing costs as it will need to be paid back over several years.
“We will consider what this means for us and await the outcome of our adjusted request for exceptional financial support from government - ahead having a fuller picture of our budget position for the next financial year.”