Every top-tier local authority across England has now finalised its council tax increases for the 2026/27 financial year, with a total of 153 councils confirming their rates. While most councils are typically allowed to raise taxes by up to 4.99 per cent without needing a local referendum, a select few have obtained special government approval for more substantial increases.
Authorities Exceeding the Standard Threshold
Seven local authorities were granted dispensation to surpass the standard 4.99 per cent cap. North Somerset, Shropshire, and Worcestershire are set to implement significant increases of 8.99 per cent. Meanwhile, Trafford, Warrington, and Windsor & Maidenhead will see rises of 7.49 per cent, and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole will increase by 6.74 per cent.
Councils Opting for Smaller Increases
In contrast, nearly one in five top-tier authorities—28 in total—chose to implement smaller increases than the maximum permitted. These range from 4.98 per cent in the London borough of Barnet down to a more modest 1.98 per cent in Hartlepool, illustrating the diversity of local fiscal decisions.
Detailed Breakdown by Authority Type
The list encompasses county councils, London boroughs, metropolitan boroughs, and unitary authorities, each detailed below with their political control and confirmed percentage increases. It does not include lower-tier district councils.
County Councils
- Cambridgeshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem majority: 4.99%
- Derbyshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.90%
- Devon (SW England), Lib Dem minority: 4.99%
- East Sussex (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Essex (Eastern England), Con maj: 3.95%
- Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Hampshire (SE England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Hertfordshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Kent (SE England), Ref maj: 3.99%
- Lancashire (NW England), Ref maj: 3.80%
- Leicestershire (East Midlands), Ref min: 2.99%
- Lincolnshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 2.90%
- Norfolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Nottinghamshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99%
- Oxfordshire (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Staffordshire (West Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99%
- Suffolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Surrey (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Warwickshire (West Midlands), Ref min: 4.40%
- West Sussex (SE England), Con maj: 4.99%
- Worcestershire (West Midlands), Ref min: 8.98%
London Boroughs
- Barking & Dagenham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Barnet, Lab maj: 4.98%
- Bexley, Con maj: 4.99%
- Brent, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bromley, Con maj: 4.99%
- Camden, Lab maj: 4.99%
- City of London, Ind maj: 4.99%
- Croydon, Con min: 4.99%
- Ealing, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Enfield, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Greenwich, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hackney, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hammersmith & Fulham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Haringey, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Harrow, Con maj: 4.99%
- Havering, Residents min: 4.99%
- Hillingdon, Con maj: 4.99%
- Hounslow, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Islington, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Kensington & Chelsea, Con maj: 4.99%
- Kingston-upon-Thames, Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Lambeth, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Lewisham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Merton, Lab maj: 2.00%
- Newham, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Redbridge, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Richmond-upon-Thames, Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Southwark, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sutton, Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Tower Hamlets, Aspire maj: 4.99%
- Waltham Forest, Lab maj: 4.99%
- Wandsworth, Lab maj: 2.00%
- Westminster, Lab maj: 2.00%
Metropolitan Boroughs
- Barnsley (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.40%
- Birmingham (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bolton (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Bradford (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bury (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Calderdale (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Coventry (West Midlands), Lab maj: 3.95%
- Doncaster (Yorkshire & Humber), Ref maj: 2.00%
- Dudley (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99%
- Gateshead (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Kirklees (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab min: 4.99%
- Knowsley (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Leeds (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Liverpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Manchester (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne (NE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- North Tyneside (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Oldham (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Rochdale (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Rotherham (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.95%
- Salford (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sandwell (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sefton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Sheffield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab-Lib Dem-Green: 4.99%
- Solihull (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99%
- South Tyneside (NE England), Lab min: 4.95%
- St Helens (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Stockport (NW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Sunderland (NE England), Lab maj: 4.50%
- Tameside (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Trafford (NW England), Lab maj: 7.49%
- Wakefield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Walsall (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99%
- Wigan (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Wirral (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Wolverhampton (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
Unitary Authorities
- Bath & North East Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Bedford (Eastern England), Con min: 4.99%
- Blackburn with Darwen (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Blackpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 6.74%
- Bracknell Forest (SE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Brighton & Hove (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Bristol (SW England), Green-Lib Dem: 4.99%
- Buckinghamshire (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Central Bedfordshire (Eastern England), Ind min: 4.99%
- Cheshire East (NW England), Lab-Ind: 4.99%
- Cheshire West & Chester (NW England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Cornwall (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Cumberland (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Darlington (NE England), Lab-Lib Dem: 4.99%
- Derby (East Midlands), Lab min: 4.99%
- Dorset (SW England), Lib Dem-Green: 4.99%
- Durham (NE England), Ref maj: 1.99%
- East Riding of Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99%
- Halton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Hartlepool (NE England), Lab maj: 1.98%
- Herefordshire (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99%
- Hull (Yorkshire & Humber), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Isle of Wight (SE England), Ind-Green: 4.99%
- Isles of Scilly (SW England), Ind: 4.99%
- Leicester (East Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Luton (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Medway (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Middlesbrough (NE England), Lab maj: 2.00%
- Milton Keynes (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- North East Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.50%
- North Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con maj: 4.70%
- North Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.99%
- North Somerset (SW England), Lab-Lib Dem-Green-Ind: 8.99%
- North Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99%
- Northumberland (NE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Nottingham (East Midlands), Lab maj: 3.50%
- Peterborough (Eastern England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Plymouth (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Portsmouth (SE England), Lib Dem min: 4.99%
- Reading (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Redcar & Cleveland (NE England), Lab min: 4.99%
- Rutland (East Midlands), Lib Dem min: 2.00%
- Shropshire (West Midlands), Lib Dem maj: 8.99%
- Slough (SE England), Con min: 4.99%
- Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- South Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem-Lab: 4.99%
- Southampton (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Southend-on-Sea (Eastern England), Lab-Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Stockton-on-Tees (NE England), Lab min: 4.95%
- Stoke-on-Trent (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Swindon (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Telford & Wrekin (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Thurrock (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99%
- Torbay (SW England), Con min: 4.99%
- Warrington (NW England), Lab maj: 7.48%
- West Berkshire (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- West Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.95%
- Westmorland & Furness (NW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- Wiltshire (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99%
- Windsor & Maidenhead (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 7.49%
- Wokingham (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99%
- York (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99%
This comprehensive overview highlights the varied approaches to council tax setting across England, reflecting local priorities and financial pressures. The data underscores the balance between maximum allowable increases and more conservative fiscal strategies adopted by different authorities.
