Council tax will need to rise unless Government thinks again
Published: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Wandsworth Council has tonight confirmed that unless the Government rethinks its cuts to funding, Council Tax will need to rise by £958 for a Band D property. The borough faces significant financial pressure from Government funding reform, rising costs, and increasing demand for services.
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The Council is fighting hard for a fair funding deal that reduces the pressure on residents and protects vital local services. Together with Westminster City Council, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, we will be submitting a proposal under the Sustainable Communities Act, calling for a fair deal. We have also submitted a proposal for the Government’s Autumn Budget and continue to lobby hard on behalf of our residents.
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The Government’s Fair Funding reforms reduce Wandsworth’s funding by £84 million a year, which is a 40% and more than all of our spending on parks, libraries, leisure centres, bin collection and street cleaning.
This will place significant additional pressure on essential local services and means the council must make tough choices unless Government agrees a fair and more sustainable settlement for Wandsworth residents.
The council has undertaken a comprehensive Spending Review to examine how services are funded and delivered, alongside seeking residents' views on local priorities before final decisions are made.
Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Peter Graham, said: “We promised that we’d be honest with residents:
“Council tax will need to rise unless Government thinks again. And it must think again.
“We do not want to do this, and we do not take this decision lightly, but the scale of the financial pressure facing Wandsworth means additional income is now needed to protect the services people rely on.
“Residents should not be left to carry the cost of an unfair funding system. That is why we are fighting hard at the heart of Government for a fairer deal for Wandsworth, and why we have made a clear case ahead of the Autumn Budget that our borough should not be punished for running efficient services and keeping council tax low.
“Our message to residents is clear: we are on your side, we are making your case, and we will keep fighting for the funding Wandsworth deserves.”
Residents are urged to take part in a critical borough-wide engagement exercise to help shape future priorities and inform decisions about council spending and services. This will inform our upcoming proposal to Government under the Sustainable Communities Act.
The feedback we receive will help us understand which services matter most to residents as we plan how to respond to ongoing financial pressures while continuing to deliver the services people value most.
Final details on council tax levels and budget proposals will be published as part of the council's formal decision-making process in February 2027.