People across Ascot will see council tax rises this year. The town is split between the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and Bracknell Forest Council.
RBWM’s Liberal Democrat administration is proposing a 7.49 per cent rise for 2026/27. Councils normally need a referendum to increase council tax by more than 4.99 per cent, but RBWM is one of seven councils the government has allowed to go above that level without a vote, because previous Conservative administrations kept the tax below average.
Bracknell Forest’s Labour administration is proposing a 4.99 per cent increase.
Other organisations that add to council tax bills (called precepting bodies) include Thames Valley Police and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Parish councils — which run local community centres, parks, allotments, burial grounds and street lighting — also set precepts.
Ascot is covered by Sunninghill & Ascot and Sunningdale parish councils in RBWM, and Winkfield Parish Council in Bracknell Forest. Sunningdale’s precept has not yet been set, so its full council tax figure can’t be published; the RBWM document notes Sunningdale will set a precept before the statutory deadline of Wednesday, March 11.
Final figures are subject to approval at full council meetings: RBWM on Tuesday, March 3, and Bracknell Forest on Wednesday, February 25.
Explaining the RBWM rise, councillor Lynne Jones, cabinet member for finance (Independent, Old Windsor Residents’ Association, Old Windsor) said: “Our council tax remains among the lowest in England, yet government has cut our funding, leaving a £50 million gap.
“Without using this 7.49 per cent increase and seeking exceptional financial support, we cannot balance the budget or protect essential services residents rely on, given rising demand and historic under‑taxation.”
cllr Mary Temperton (Labour, Great Hollands), Bracknell Forest Council’s leader, said: “Government funding changes and rising demand leave Bracknell Forest with an £18.75m gap over three years.
“However carefully we manage money, we cannot absorb these pressures without increasing council tax.
“The proposed rise helps us protect vital services residents depend on, while still making difficult savings and efficiency decisions.”
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
