The amount of council tax you will be paying if you live in Wokingham Borough has been set this year.

For the 2022/23 financial year, council tax will be going up by 2.99 per cent.

This money will be spent on council services such as adult and childrens’ social care, leisure facilities, waste disposal, transport and other services.

The 2.99 per cent increase is the maximum amount the council can raise tax by without having a referendum.

And the total amount of council tax you pay is likely to be higher, as amounts can vary depending on where you live.

READ MORE: Wokingham: funding for leisure centres, solar farms and schools debated as borough's budget agreed

There are three categories of organisations that collect council tax, called ‘precepting bodies’.

These are the upper tier authority (the borough council), parish and town councils, and the police and the fire service.

Because each town and parish council charges different rates for services, it makes the total amount of council tax payable different for each area.

For example, Earley Town Council chose to freeze the amount of council tax it charges, whereas council tax in Swallowfield is going up by 24.57 per cent.

Wokingham Town Council has chosen to increase the tax it raises by 2.50 per cent.

You can see the total amount of council tax you will be paying in the table below:

Both Thames Valley Police and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service are charging a flat rate across all six of Berkshire’s areas.

You can see the total amount both services are charging in the table below:

The increase in council tax was agreed as part of the council’s budget proposals at a full council meeting on Thursday, February 17.

Explaining the merits of the budget at the meeting, councillor John Kaiser (Conservative, Barkham), the executive member for finance said: “We debate a budget to build solar farms, plant trees, reduce waste and increase recycling.

“A budget that continues to help residents reduce their carbon footprints and their energy bills via the Help to Heat scheme that has already benefited over 1,300 households across our borough.

“This is a budget that opens libraries while other councils are closing them. It invests into infrastructure like schools, greenways, cycle paths, active transport, reducing congestion, improving air quality, protecting green spaces and building play parks, community hubs and leisure centres.”

Less well of residents can apply for a council tax reduction as well. 

Wokingham residents: how to apply for council tax reduction

However, opposition councillors raised concerns about the sums reserved for the council’s solar farm projects and the rocketing costs of providing education.

The new council tax levels will be effective from Tuesday, April 1, the start of the 2022/23 financial year.