Politics
Preston City Council Passes 2026-27 Budget Resolution Freezing Council Tax, Holding Steady Resident Payments
The approved measure keeps annual council tax bills unchanged for most Preston households in the coming financial year.
How we reported this
Preston City Council voted on July 7 to adopt the 2026-27 budget resolution that freezes council tax rates at current levels for properties in bands A through D. The decision covers the majority of residential addresses in the city and leaves payment amounts for those bands the same as in the 2025-26 year.
Timing of the vote and local budget pressures
The vote occurred during the council's regular monthly meeting and followed release of the latest finance report from the authority's treasury team. National changes to energy tariffs and benefit uprating schedules have increased pressure on household outgoings in Preston since the start of 2026, according to the same report. Council officers presented the freeze proposal as one element of the overall revenue budget that also maintains existing allocations for waste collection and library services.
Policy analysts say the freeze applies directly to the portion of the bill set by Preston City Council rather than to precepts collected on behalf of Lancashire County Council or the police and fire authorities. Residents therefore receive a single bill that combines all elements, and the city portion will not rise for qualifying bands.
Direct consequences for daily household costs
For a household in a band B property the annual city council element stays fixed, which means no additional amount is added to the four scheduled payment dates between April and January. The legislation states that the same treatment applies to council tax support recipients, so the reduction already granted under the local scheme remains calculated against the unchanged base amount. Local advocates note that this structure keeps the net sum due each month identical for those households.
The budget papers record that the freeze is funded in part by drawing on reserves accumulated from prior-year underspends in the housing revenue account. The same documents project that the reserves draw will be replenished through normal collection rates without requiring service reductions in the current planning period.
Implementation begins with the council tax base calculation that officers must complete by December 2026. Bills for the 2026-27 year will be issued in March 2027 using the frozen rates, and direct debit instructions already in place will continue without amendment for affected residents.