Council Tax bills 2025 to 2026 - introduction from the Leader
On 26 February councillors joined me to agree the council's budget for 2025 to 2026. It was an enormous challenge to save £46.7 million while protecting front-line services such as collecting the bins, providing social care for children and adults, running leisure centres and libraries, and much more.
Residents continue to need our help more than ever due to the high cost of living, local health inequalities and the housing crisis, meanwhile the cost of delivering this support continues to rise.
However, thanks to some tough but necessary decisions over the next year we can invest £1.6 million to repair roads, £1 million to establish a community energy fund that gives grants to local people for clean and affordable energy projects, £200,000 to expand emotional wellbeing hubs for children and young people, and a further £1.7 million to open six new centres for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Work has already started on a brand new £31.8 million SEN secondary school in Kidbrooke.
We continuously review our services to make sure residents get value for money and last year we agreed to make £33.7 million in savings. Although we are in a stronger position compared to many other councils across London, we have no choice but to increase Council Tax by 4.99% to bridge the gap created by 14 years of underfunding by the previous government. That will still be a lower Council Tax rate than neighbouring councils Bexley and Bromley.
For most residents, this will mean an extra £1.39 per week for the services that the council provides and another 36p per week to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for policing, transport and fire services.
We understand that many residents are worried about the cost of living, housing, and health. We have allocated £1 million to the Council Tax Hardship Fund and are providing immediate help to those most in need through Greenwich Supports.
If you need support or advice to manage rising costs, visit the Greenwich Supports page or call 020 8921 6375.
Lines are open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 10am to 1pm.
Cllr Anthony Okereke Leader,
Royal Borough of Greenwich
How Council Tax is changing
This table shows the changes to the charges that make up your Council Tax:
| Charge | Property band | Percentage increase | Cost increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Council Tax | Band D property | 2.99% increase | £43 per year |
| Adult Social Care precept introduced by the government | Band D property | 2% increase | £29 per year |
| Greater London Authority (GLA) | Band D property | 4% increase | £19 per year |
GLA goes straight to the Mayor of London for:
- Transport for London
- policing and crime
- London Fire Brigade
How the increase affects you
This table shows how the increase affects you:
|
Property band* |
Weekly increase |
|
A |
£1.16 |
|
B |
£1.36 |
|
C |
£1.55 |
|
D |
£1.75 |
|
E |
£2.13 |
|
F |
£2.53 |
|
G |
£2.92 |
|
H |
£3.50 |