Plans for the upcoming 2026/27 budget have been outlined by the Hillingdon Council Cabinet. Some key priorities were the maintenance of low council tax for residents, sustainability and delivering optimal value for money.
Hillingdon Council continues to provide a low-cost, low-tax authority, providing some of the highest quality and most efficient services in the capital despite growing financial pressures. Its cost of services ranks as the fourth lowest of all London Boroughs. Additionally, under the government’s new fair funding formula, there is a probable rise in the prospective grant the council will receive for the next three years. However, the changes are set to take effect slowly as the funds will be released gradually with more than £40 million being withheld during the first two years.
This prolonged underfunding has led to the council being forced into discussions regarding the Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to assist until the new formula is implemented. Alongside Hillingdon, six other London borough councils have requested to receive this additional funding for 2026/27, with some having already received it for several years.
Despite this emergency financial support, Hillingdon Council ensures that the residents of the borough remain central to their future planning. The commitment to keeping low council tax seems unwavering as residents continue to pay amongst the lowest levels in outer London. The proposed plan for the upcoming year includes core council tax increase of 2.99 per cent and a levy of 2 per cent to fund residents’ adult social care. This equates to £1.40 per week for a band D property.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation, said:
“While we welcome the recognition that Hillingdon needs more funding from 2026/27 to meet residents’ current needs, it doesn’t allow us to ‘get back what has been lost’ nor ensure we have the immediate funding we require.
He comments on the council’s priorities:
“We’re still fighting hard to combat the real-time impacts of increasing demand for services and prolonged underfunding. And while this has meant we’ve had to seek EFS, we are also proactively continuing to prioritise the delivery of our savings programme to further cut costs and identify efficiencies while remaining committed to ensuring residents don’t pay as much council tax as others.”
