Key facts
- Wandsworth Council plans a 94% council tax increase for Band D properties.
- The increase amounts to £958 per property and will take effect from April 2027.
- The council attributes the rise to government funding reforms it says will cut its budget by £84 million annually.
- Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Peter Graham, stated that council tax will need to rise unless the government revises its funding approach.
- The council is lobbying the government for a fairer funding deal and has submitted proposals ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Wandsworth Council has announced plans for a record 94% increase in council tax for Band D properties, which will take effect from April 2027. This rise amounts to an additional £958 per property annually.
The council attributes this significant increase to government funding reforms, stating that these changes will reduce its budget by £84 million per year, a figure equivalent to more than 40% of its spending on parks, libraries, leisure centres, bin collection, and street cleaning.
Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Peter Graham, emphasized the difficult decision, stating, "Council tax will need to rise unless Government thinks again. And it must think again." He added that the council does not want to implement the rise but that "the scale of the financial pressure facing Wandsworth means additional income is now needed to protect the services people rely on."
The council is actively lobbying the government for a fairer funding settlement and has submitted proposals under the Sustainable Communities Act and for the Government’s Autumn Budget. Residents are being urged to share their views to help shape future priorities and inform decisions about council spending and services.