Berkshire: Bracknell Forest could raise council tax in hunt for £9.5m

The council could raise some £3.75m from residents if it increases council tax by the full 4.99% from April

Council tax could rise by the maximum possible amount next year as a local authority hunts for £9.5m of extra income and savings.

Resources director Stuart McKellar said Bracknell Forest Council, in Berkshire, faces a "huge challenge".

The council could raise about £3.75m from residents if it increases council tax by the full 4.99% from April 2024.

Mr McKellar included the figure in a report on the state of the council's finances.

He said the council needs to find the extra money by the end of April 2027.

"Delivering this level of savings, particularly in such a short time period, represents a huge challenge for an organisation of the council's scale," Mr McKellar said.

"Efficiencies alone will not bridge this scale of gap."

The council already faces spending some £3m more than it had planned to this year.

This could mean it has to make up the difference by dipping into its reserves, as it is legally required to set a balanced budget.

But Mr McKellar warned that the council could not rely on its reserves in the long run.

On top of this, Bracknell has had to refund some £30m to shops in The Lexicon shopping complex that claimed years' worth of tax refunds this year.

Mr McKellar is set to present his update to a committee of councillors on Tuesday.