Council Tax: Full list of proposed and confirmed top-tier rises in England

The latest snapshot of 2026/27 local budgets shows a large majority of top-tier authorities in England planning significant council tax increases, a trend that will shape services and local finances next year. The data, current as of February 25, finds many councils proposing or confirming rises at the maximum level allowed without a local referendum and reveals how one county’s low-tax pledge has fed political rows over priorities.

National snapshot: 119 of 153 propose the 4. 99% top rise for 2026/27

Some 119 of the 153 top-tier authorities in England have either proposed or confirmed a rise of 4. 99% for 2026/27, the largest increase possible without holding a local referendum. A further six councils with acute financial challenges are likely to accept the permission granted by the Government to increase council tax beyond this level. Taken together, 125 authorities — 82% of the total — are planning a rise of at least 4. 99%, down from 134 (88%) the previous year. The dataset is a snapshot dated February 25 and covers only the 153 top-tier local authorities in England: county councils, London boroughs, Metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities; it does not include lower-tier district councils.

Council Tax levels below the top rate and the Reform UK role

Not all upper-tier councils are pursuing the top rate. The findings show 25 upper-tier councils are currently not looking to raise council tax by at least 4. 99%. Of those 25, eight have pencilled in rises between 4. 00% and 4. 98%, nine are between 3. 00% and 3. 99%, and the remaining eight are between 1. 99% and 2. 99%. Some 10 of these 25 councils are run by Reform UK, either as the majority party or as a minority administration. By contrast, two Reform-led councils — Doncaster and North Northamptonshire — have signalled their intention to apply the maximum 4. 99% this year, while Worcestershire has been given permission for a rise of up to 8. 99% to deal with financial pressures.

County Durham’s Reform budget caps council tax at 1. 99%

The Reform administration in County Durham has just passed a £1. 5bn budget it says “respects working people, ” capping the council tax rise at 1. 99% while fully protecting the council’s reserves. The administration says this protection of reserves has been achieved for the first time in 15 years. The leader of the county council has declared that “net zero is cancelled” in the county, criticizing a rival plan for more solar panels as ill-timed in winter when solar yields are at record lows and saying the county faces a social care emergency rather than a climate cult to appease.

Row over road funding, councillor allowances and £264m investment

Opposition proposals included a £10, 000 fund for each councillor, sourced from local network resources, intended to “fix roads. ” The Reform administration called this a slush fund that would bypass the transport team. County highways lead Cllr McGuinness pointed out an average pothole repair scheme costs £40, 000, and the administration argued a £10, 000 allocation would only deliver a quarter repair. The adopted budget allocates £264m in new investment, including 200 special educational needs (SEN) places at a new state-of-the-art school, road repairs and school maintenance.

Local disputes, rejected motions and related council decisions

Debate in County Durham also saw rehashes over parking permits and garden waste charges. The administration’s position is that services must pay for themselves, asking why a working person without a garden should pay to clear out someone else’s weeds and why someone without a car should subsidise another’s parking permit. A plea for a £10, 000 allowance to fund County Durham road safety measures was rejected. The council leader said Lib Dems, supported by Labour, agreed with 99. 98% of the budget; because the administration rejected the remaining 0. 02%, Lib Dems and Labour voted against the entire package with no alternative budget presented. Separately, Darlington council tax bills are set to rise by 4. 99% later this year, and a full breakdown of new Darlington council tax bands has been prepared ahead of that 4. 99% bill increase.

How the national list is organised and three named authorities

The full list of proposed and confirmed council tax rises for 2026/27 is divided into four sections corresponding to the four types of top-tier authority and is arranged alphabetically within each section. For each authority, the percentage increase in council tax in 2026/27 is given along with whether this has been confirmed or proposed, and the current political control of each authority is listed, indicating whether the ruling party runs a majority or minority administration or if there is a multi-party agreement. The material also notes that three top-tier authorities had yet to make public a proposed or confirmed figure. Separately in the dataset, Cambridgeshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem majority: 4. 99% confirmed; Derbyshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4. 90% confirmed; Devon (SW England), Lib Dem min: 4. 99% confirmed.