The amount of council tax you will pay if you live in Wokingham Borough has been revealed.

Every year the council must set its budget for the financial year, which this year runs from April 2023 to April 2024.

This is the first year since 2000 that a party other than the Conservatives have set the budget.

Wokingham Borough Council is led by the Liberal Democrats with a working agreement with the Labour party.

The administration has increased council tax by 4.99 per cent, the maximum amount without requiring a borough-wide referendum.

Of that, 2.99 per cent of the rise will be used for council services, and two per cent of it will be a ringfenced increase to provide adult social care.

You can see how much council tax you will pay by viewing the area you live in the table below.

The total amount Wokingham Borough Council is raising is included in the table.

Each area has a different amount because Wokingham Borough is divided into town and parish councils, which along with the borough council, police and the fire service can raise council taxes to fund services it provides.

The most expensive place to live in the area for council tax is the town of Woodley, followed by Wargrave, Remenham and the Reading suburb town of Earley.

Justifying the tax increase, councillor Clive Jones (Liberal Democrats, Hawkedon), the leader of the council, said: “We have had to make some difficult and tough decisions. Increasing the council tax by 4.99 per cent is one of those decisions.

“This has been forced on us by the government – which has made it clear that it expects councils to do this as part of its funding package.

READ MORE: Revealed: the millions Wokingham council spends on agency staff

“It’s a pretty well-known fact that the majority of councils across the country, Lib Dem, Independent, Conservative or Labour run councils will increase council tax by the maximum allowed by the government.

“By the way… this is also what the Conservatives have done here in Wokingham for many years.

“The overall budget proposal significantly enhances the financial resilience of the council, which has been achieved in the most challenging financial landscape and demonstrates that we hold financial responsibility amongst our highest of priorities.”

Cllr Jones added that his administration has lobbied the government for more funding, but the attempt was rejected. He also pointed out that £12 million savings has been found.

Wokingham Borough Council’s 2023/24 budget was approved at a full council meeting on Thursday, February 16.

The Conservatives attempted to amend the budget by retaining weekly bin collections, scrap the council’s Climate Citizen’s Assembly and move to the all out elections, among other proposals.

However, the Conservative amended budget was voted down at the meeting.