Improvements to affordable homes and service upgrades are among the priorities in Bracknell Forest Council’s budget.
Bracknell Forest Council has drawn up a draft budget for 2026/27 that focuses on improving affordable homes, boosting digital infrastructure and upgrading leisure facilities.
Each year the council sets out spending for services such as waste collections and care, and this time it is backed by a multi-year funding settlement from the Labour government that was a manifesto pledge.
Cabinet members and finance officers have prioritised social housing work. Councillor Megan Wright, cabinet member for adults and public health, announced £300,000 will be spent to ensure social housing in Bracknell Forest meets the government’s Decent Homes Standard, with a total of £1.1 million earmarked for social housing improvements across the multi-year settlement up to 2028/29.
Cllr Wright (Labour, Town Centre & The Parks) said: “Obviously, we want all our homes we provide in the borough that belong to us to meet these decent home standards and be warm and energy efficient, so I’m welcoming that.”
The council works with Registered Providers such as Abri and Metropolitan Thames Valley to manage affordable homes, and the funding will pay for improvements including heating systems.
Other capital plans include £1.2 million for IT infrastructure and hardware, and a £576,000 refurbishment of the athletics track at Bracknell Leisure Centre.
Cabinet member for leisure, culture and public protection, Cllr Iskander Jeffries (Labour, Bullbrook), said: “Firstly, I’ll start off by congratulating everyone involved within Bracknell, before our time and during our time.
“This congratulation feeds into Bracknell recently being rated as the fourth best place to live in the UK.
“This accolade comes with a challenge. The government intends to redistribute funds to more deprived areas, placing severe pressures on our budgets.
“By investing today, we are safeguarding essential community assets for difficult years ahead.”
The ‘fourth best place to live’ accolade came from the UK Better Lives Index by the International Longevity Centre. A Fairer Funding Review by the Labour government this year means the council warns of a potential funding gap of £14–£18.5 million over the three-year settlement period.
The council’s all-Labour cabinet unanimously agreed on 16 December to send the draft budget to public consultation. The consultation is live on the council website and runs until 27 January 2026.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
