Our spending plans for 2024/2025
Did you know that the council tax you pay helps to fund more than 700 services across the district?
This year we will be spending £174m delivering these services, along with a further £50m on infrastructure and improvement projects. Our capital programme will see more than £10m invested in schools and education, £4m on improving our roads and £1m on active travel schemes as well as a range of other projects across the district. Alongside this, our revenue budget will help us continue delivering more than 700 statutory services across the district.
As a new Administration elected at the district council elections in May 2023, it is with pride and a keen sense of responsibility that we have set our first budget. The council tax we receive is vital in enabling us to provide the services our residents need, as well as investing in local infrastructure. We have worked hard to create a budget which delivers for the people of West Berkshire.
On these pages you can read more about how we're spending our money this year.
Despite very significant financial pressures, we believe that this is an ambitious budget as we look to continue delivering services and infrastructure we can be proud of. However, in taking a fresh look at the budget we have also made some significant changes to ensure our spending is ambitious, but also realistic and responsible.
Councillor Jeff Brooks
Acting Leader of West Berkshire Council
Our £50m capital programme is funding these projects this year...and many others too
 £95,000playground equipment |  £1.8mon flood prevention in Memorial Fields, Thatcham |  £150,000improving footpaths in Aldermaston |
 £7,000on disabled access to the countryside |  £50,000on public transport infrastructure |  £123,000on new library books |
 £532,000zero-emission vehicle infrastructure |  £700,000on a new solar farm £1.5m improvements to bus services |  £25,000improving open spaces |
 £741,000providing aids and equipment for vulnerable residents | £1.5mimprovements to bus services |
Investing in social care
An extra £12.3m is being put into social care - helping to keep children safe and families together, and ensuring older people and vulnerable adults are looked after and supported to live independently.
Saving for a rainy day
At the moment we have about £4m in our reserves - around a week's running costs. We're putting more in to help manage pressures in areas such as social care, and to make sure we're prepared for the unexpected.
Reducing the garden waste collection charge
We're charging less to collect waste - reducing the annual cost from £58 to £55 - which is a start to our commitment to phase out the garden waste collection charge.
Listening to you
We made changes to some of our spending plans for 2024/25 after listening to the 2,500 responses we received through a consultation. Thank you to everyone who took part.
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