Budget and council tax rise is finally approved

WARWICKSHIRE County Council has finally approved its budget for 2026-27 - but only following another fractious row which saw Reform UK and the Conservatives shut down the debate after one interrupted speech.

- By ANDY MITCHELL

The Reform administration began with its proposal to cap the rise in the county’s portion of council tax to 3.89 per cent but having seen that rejected for a second time, came out of discussions with the Tories with a 4.44 per cent rise which the two parties united to push through.

It will result in an £80.91-per-year increase for an average (Band D) property.

The Liberal Democrats and Green Party united around a 4.80 per cent increase and plans to invest in youth services, sustainable transport and the protection of climate initiatives.

The two blue camps hammered out a deal that protected youth services from cuts building up to £280,000 per year over the next three years, also safeguarding preschool autism diagnostic funding that had been earmarked for a £29,000 cut from April this year.

Additional income was foregone by freezing on-street parking permit charges for residents whilst slashing £90,000 per year from staffing costs on the county's climate team, followed by a further £30,000 per year from April 2027.

The five-year financial plan remains reliant on making savings of more than £100 million per year by 2030-31 with £4.2 million of that - £2.7 million of which begins from April 2028 - still unidentified and requiring “further scoping”. The Conservatives secured a victory on additional funding for gulley cleaning, with £180,000 per year allocated to complete them every two years rather than three, helping to prevent flooding.