South Oxfordshire residents set for near five per cent council tax hike

South Oxfordshire residents will pay about five per cent more in council tax from April 1.

In Henley, the average band D household will pay £2,631.65, an increase of £122.06 on the current figure of £2,509.56.

The largest share of the tax is charged by Oxfordshire County Council and the rest by South Oxfordshire District Council, town or parish councils and Thames Valley Police.

Oxfordshire County Council approved a 4.99 per cent increase in its 2026/27 budget meaning that band D households will pay £2,006.78 for its services.

South Oxfordshire District Council has raised its share of the tax by £5 per year for a Band D property, bringing the average annual total to £156.24.

Thames Valley Police is to raise its share of council tax by £15 to £298.28.

Henley Town Council has agreed to increase its share by 4.6 per cent, meaning it will receive a total of £1,066,182 up from £1,019,237.

An average band D household will pay £170.35, an additional £6.71 per year, for the town council’s services. Most parish councils have raised their share by around six per cent.

The district council agreed its plans at a budget meeting on February 12, where it set a £19.4 million budget, which it said aimed to protect essential services, invest in infrastructure and housing, and support environmental goals.

It included a record amount of grant funding set at more than £2 million, including £590,000 for community grants and £750,000 for infrastructure grants.

It also announced a new £100,000 Climate Action Fund which will accept bids for nature recovery and climate adaptation including flood alleviation and access to nature for local residents

Councillor Pieter-Paul Barker, cabinet member for finance and property assets, said: “This is a practical, people-first budget that backs our communities, protects the services residents rely on every day and sets out a capital programme of over £100 million, including investment in community infrastructure that South Oxfordshire so badly needs.

“We are determined to look after every pound of taxpayers’ money, especially with local government reorganisation on the horizon.

"This budget has been set responsibly, based on clear priorities and realistic planning, so that whatever changes lie ahead, South Oxfordshire remains financially strong.”