Wokingham Conservative councillors say the borough is set to lose £47 million in Government funding over the next three years as part of national changes to how councils are financed.
They argue that, under the latest Government funding settlement, Wokingham residents are likely to face the maximum Council Tax increase of 4.99%. However, they say the total resources available to the council — including both Government grants and Council Tax income — will increase by only 1.07%, which they claim is below inflation and pressures linked to National Insurance and minimum wage increases.
The Conservative Group says this means more locally-raised funding will be redistributed to other parts of the country.
They also point to a £1 million reduction in Government grant this year, comparing it with a £2.3 million increase in 2024 under the previous Conservative Government.
Before the election, the council’s Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Finance said, “Everyone is hoping there’ll be a change of government and there’ll be a proper look at how councils are funded.” Conservative councillors say the borough is now losing out under these changes.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, Leader of the Conservative Group, said residents would pay more in tax while the council faced a real-terms reduction in resources, and called on local MPs to raise concerns.
