2026/27 Draft Budget Consultation
Draft budget proposals 2026/27
Every year the council must, by law, set a balanced budget. This budget sets out how the council plans to pay for and deliver services in the year ahead.
Plans for the 2026/27 budget are being developed at a time when councils across the country are facing serious financial pressures. These include high inflation, higher interest rates and growing demand for services such as social care and housing.
The Royal Borough is also likely to be particularly affected by changes to how government funding is shared between councils, following the Fair Funding Review. These changes could reduce the amount of funding the council receives.
Alongside this, the Royal Borough has a low level of council tax compared with other areas and high levels of historic debt. This means the council has less financial flexibility to deal with rising costs and demand, even after taking significant action to improve its finances since 2023.
The council is on track to achieve £6m of savings in 2025/26 by changing how services are delivered, increasing income and strengthening financial management. This has included difficult decisions and an 8.99% increase in council tax this year. Even with this increase, council tax in the Royal Borough remains among the lowest in the country, with a Band D charge almost £500 a year less than the national average.
Despite these steps, the council still faces a £51m gap between the money it has and the cost of providing services in 2026/27. This highlights the difficult choices ahead, and why we want your feedback on our budget proposals for the coming year.
Why we want your views
We are taking the necessary steps to stabilise the council's finances, but it is vital to receive your feedback so we can continue to protect the services you use, invest in the areas that matter most to you, and help shape the choices ahead for the Royal Borough. The feedback we receive through the consultation will be reviewed and carefully considered as part of the council’s budget-setting process and will form part of the final budget report that will be published in February. The final budget will be voted on by all councillors at Full Council on Tuesday 3 March.
How to have your say
The consultation is open from Wednesday 17 December 2025 until 23:59 Sunday 1 February 2026 for residents and businesses in the borough, as well as people who study or work here, and also community and interest groups.
You are able to give your feedback by completing the online survey below.
If you don’t have online access, you can ask for help from staff at your local library who will be able to help you access the survey. Printed copies are also available form the libraries upon request.
Printed surveys can be posted to Budget Consultation, FAO Strategy, Policy and Performance team, Town Hall, St Ives Rd, Maidenhead, SL6 1RF or handed in at the Town Hall.
If you have any questions, please contact budgetconsultation@RBWM.gov.uk.
