 Balanced budget set for 2025/26 despite challenges
Despite ongoing financial pressures and low Government funding, we set a budget which protects services and invests in the borough's future last night (Thursday).
Our share of Council Tax will increase by 4.99 per cent (including a two per cent increase specifically for adult social care). This is the standard increase expected by the government and the same as most councils not in immediate financial crisis, where it's gone up much more.
This means Council Tax for the average Band D property (excluding precepts for fire service police and the average parish council) will be £1,931.04. This is an increase of £7.65 per month on last year. Sign up for e-billing to check your Council Tax bills easily at any time - select 'register/sign in' to start.
The budget highlights how little we get from Government compared with other authorities:
- Wokingham Borough has the lowest funding level in Berkshire
- Per person, Wokingham Borough receives the lowest annual Government grant towards services of all unitary authorities in the country
This leaves our Council Taxpayers having to fund a higher percentage of services directly than anywhere else.
More than 60 per cent of our running cost goes on adult and children’s services, looking after our most vulnerable residents, with most of the rest funding environmental services like road maintenance and waste and recycling collections.
 Shape the borough’s future through Council Plan
There’s not long left to give feedback on our draft Council Plan, which sets out our priorities for the next five years.
You can tell us what matters most to you. Your feedback helps us make sure our work reflects your needs as resident in the area in the years ahead.
It should take less than five minutes to respond. Survey is open until Monday 3 March.
 New supermarket and other amenities take shape
Works on the new district centre for Arborfield Green are moving forward with the completion of the first phase of the main access road.
This includes a new entrance to the Sainsbury's supermarket (pictured above) and a substation, which will go live once the service road is completed.
Temporary traffic lights were in place on Nine Mile Ride while these works were carried out, and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience.
Utility works and further earthworks, road building and drainage are coming up next, while Sainsbury's will be back to continue work on the store building.
The district centre is being provided by Crest Nicholson as part of a legal agreement linked to the new homes being built in this area. It includes new houses and flats, 18 shop units, public green space and other amenities, plus space for a pub, all on a 10.6-hectare plot off Nine Mile Ride.
It's hoped that work on the homes and retail spaces could start this spring, while negotiations with a pub operator are expected to resume later this year.
Community drop in to find out more
On Wednesday 26 February, we'll be holding a drop-in session at the community centre on Princess Marina Drive (RG2 9NN) from 5.30pm to 8pm.
This is your chance to find out what's happening across the development and speak with us or our partners at Crest Nicholson and Cala Homes.
Some roads in and around Wokingham town centre will be closed on Sunday (23 February) morning for Wokingham Half Marathon. A list of closures and timings can be found on the event’s website.
 Events to help you keep safe online and beyond
It’s the final week of the Keep Safe in Wokingham campaign and there’s still time to sign up to free webinars to learn more about day-to-day online safety and how it impacts you.
Involve Community Services and the borough’s Community Safety Partnership are leading the campaign.
Events next week
 Switch and save on your energy bill
The second round of the Big Community Switch is now open following the success of last year's campaign.
Registrations opened on Monday for the initiative, which helps people to make the switch to renewable energy.
The Big Community Switch uses the bargaining power of big groups to help secure lower prices. It is free to register and you will receive a personalised offer, with no obligation to go ahead.
The latest round of the Big Community Switch will run until Thursday 1 May. To find out more, visit the Wokingham Borough page on the Big Community Switch website.
An art showcase and series of events is running from today until Sunday at School Green Centre in Shinfield (RG2 9EH). It’s free entry and 50 local artists are displaying work. Open 10am to 8pm today and tomorrow, 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
What you might have missed
Here’s all our email newsletter updates from the last week:
If you’re interested in getting these updates directly, you can sign up on our website.
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