• Support Wokingham Today
  • Get the print edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Monday, June 2, 2025
Wokingham.Today
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • All
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
    • Riseley
    • Shinfield
    • Sindlesham
    • Sonning
    • Spencers Wood
    • Swallowfield
    • Three Mile Cross
    • Twyford
    • Wargrave
    • Winnersh
    • Wokingham
    • Wokingham Without
    • Woodley
    • Woosehill
    • Yateley
    Cllr Stephen Conway addressing the annual meeting. Pic: Andrew Batt.

    Spend on new exec roles questioned

    Cllr Clive Jones. Credit: Michael Anderson.

    Call for minister to meet Wokingham businesses

    Wokingham Festival Pictures: Andrew Merritt

    More acts announced for Wokingham Festival 2025 with early bird tickets still on sale

    Works are still planned for the busy junction. Pic: WBC.

    Weekend junction closure postponed

    Charvil Picture: Wikimedia Commons

    Nine homes in Charvil approved

    Drag Artist Fonda Cox

    Bracknell Pride host says concerns for stage name ‘taking away’ from point of event

    Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    How you can play the Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    Kebab Picture: Wikimedia commons

    Hundreds support Kebab Van to renew licence after revocation from other locations

    Squire's Garden Centres will be celebrating the hydrangea at their month long festival of the blooms. Picture: Squire's Garden Centres

    Mop heads and lace caps: star attractions at Squire’s Garden Centres

  • SPORT
    • All
    • Binfield FC
    • Reading FC
    Joel Pereira

    Reading FC goalkeeper Joel Pereira ‘weighing up options’ ahead of summer transfer window

    Reading Football Club, Joe Jacobson

    ‘This club has tremendous potential’: Reading FC CEO speaks on transfer targets ahead of summer window

    Reading FC

    Reading FC to enhance matchday experience for fans

    Joe Jacobson Picture: Reading Football Club

    ‘We’re in a position to grow’: Reading FC’s new CEO speaks on his objectives

    Reading FC

    ‘He didn’t get the culture of Reading’: Former controversial Royals CEO appointed at Valencia CF

    Reading FC fans

    ‘Together we can be successful’: CEO thanks Reading FC fans for their support as season tickets go on sale

    Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair

    Rob Couhig speaks on aspirations of Championship return for Reading FC

    Goalkeeping coach Tony Warner Picture: Luke Adams

    Reading FC coach set to depart to join fellow League One side

    Reading FC

    ‘Reading FC is a sleeping giant’: Club gains new investors just weeks into Couhig’s takeover

  • READING FC
  • COMMUNITY
    Works are still planned for the busy junction. Pic: WBC.

    Weekend junction closure postponed

    Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    How you can play the Wokingham Borough Community Lottery

    Inner Wheel members take to the catwalk for charity

    Erleigh Cantors will be singing in a concert on Saturday. Picture: Foto-Rabe via Pixabay

    Celebrate 35 years of music with an Earley concert of Sacred music

    Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

    Struggling families can get help with groceries

    Children and carers meet at Kings Kiddies in Wokingham. Picture: Esi Grunhagen via Pixabay

    Fun for toddlers and carers in Wokingham

    Staff and residents from a Wokingham care home enjoyed a memorable day out at Reading Football Club. Picture: West Oak Care Home

    Care home residents enjoy football nostalgia at Reading FC

    Pupils with the new bee hotels.

    Bee happy at Farley Hill

    Cllr Carol Jewell. pic: Stewart Turkington.

    Carol appointed as borough mayor

  • LIFESTYLE
    • All
    • Food
    • Health
    • Obituaries
    • People
    Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

    Struggling families can get help with groceries

    Wokingham MP Clive Jones Picture: Andrew Batt

    MP calls for action on ‘dangerous’ delays

    Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

    Naturally Speaking

    Christen  Forster speaks about the explosion of life in Spring, and at Pentecost. Picture: Christen Forster

    Church Notes: Impossible things to believe?

    Entries are open for this year's event.

    Enter now for Wokingham Bikeathon

    A government push for more radiotherapy machines has been welcomed by ministers as the Royal Berkshire Hospital is among the services to benefit from them.

    Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

    A banking hub in Yorkshire. Pic: Murray Scott/Link.

    Banking hub plans for village

    Retrospective plans have been refused. Pic: WBC.

    Vending machine plans refused

    Mind in Berkshire, which provides support, advice, and signposting for mental health services in Berkshire, was commissioned to examine Black people's access to necessary services, as part of a wider drive from the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to address inequalities in local services. Picture: PixaBay

    Mind in Berkshire report finds serious deficits in mental health provisions for Black people

  • WHAT’S ON
    • All
    • Arts
    • Entertainment
    Double Standards

    New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

    Wokingham Pride

    Could you help Wokingham Pride 2025?

    REVIEW: “Three Hens In A Boat” at The Watermill Theatre

    Siren RG1

    Siren RG1 to mark first anniversary with weekender celebration

    Wellington Farm Shop

    Wellington Farm Shop celebrates its 20th anniversary

    Two concerts in one day from Reading's APO. Picture: Pexels via Pixabay

    An orchestral event in Wokingham promises evening of drama and contrast

    Eva Wong Nava will be at Trinity Hall Church on Monday from 4pm until 5pm. Picture: Eva Wong Nava

    Young writers can meet children’s author Eva Wong Nava

    Crafters can join a project  to decorate Twyford village centre with bunting Picture: Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

    Get out the bunting for VE Day at Wokingham’s May Fayre

    Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra's performance of American music promises to be a fun and high energy evening. Picture: CSO

    Discounted tickets available for summer concert in Wokingham

  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
No Result
View All Result
Wokingham.Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

FROM THE CHAMBER: Council income

by Phil Creighton
February 2, 2024
in Featured, Opinion
Wokingham Borough Council's Shute End offices Picture: Phil Creighton

Wokingham Borough Council's Shute End offices Picture: Phil Creighton

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen

Wokingham Borough Council’s Liberal Democrat administration has found the latest excuse for their mismanagement – comparing the funding they get to other, less well-off parts of the country.

This makes no sense, and is simply deflecting away from the Liberal Democrats’ inability to properly run the council’s finances.

To start with, in communications with residents the Liberal Democrats keep focusing on only one grant.

But the Council’s core spending power – including a number of Government grants, retained business rates and Council Tax – is set to increase by 7% in the new financial year.

That is more than the average for England and more than any other council in Berkshire.

Related posts

Man wanted in connection with three burglaries in Wokingham and Winnersh

Police provide update on minibus crash where six-year-old boy was killed

The Social Care Grant will increase by nearly 17% to £6.3 million, and the Government has since announced an extra £500 million will be distributed amongst all Councils for Adults and Children’s services.

Core Spending Power is a council’s main income, but it doesn’t include the additional Government funding for schools or things like road repairs.

So why is the Liberal Democrats’ comparison nonsense?

Our Core Spending Power per household is more than any other Council in Berkshire apart from Slough. And it is more than most Unitary Councils in England have to spend including places like Swindon, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, and Brighton and Hove.

The Council has compared its funding to that of Blackpool who gets the most funding.

Yet, Blackpool cannot raise the same level of Council Tax as we can in Wokingham.

In Blackpool, 44.2% of homes are in band A, those paying the lowest Council Tax.

In Wokingham, just 2.6% of homes are in Band A.

It’s right that any administration continues to make the case for more funding for their area.

When the Conservatives were in power, we pressed Government for more money for Wokingham Borough and met with the then Secretary of State to make our case.

We will continue to press the Government for more money if we are elected.

However, the Liberal Democrats comparing Government funding in areas with some of the greatest need, like Blackpool, where salaries and life expectancy are less and unemployment is higher, just isn’t credible – especially not when they run a Council that has such a high core spending power.

And it’s shameful when the Liberal Democrats use a false narrative to frighten residents into believing the Council’s about to go bust.

It is certainly unlikely that any future Labour Government would increase the proportion of funding for areas like Wokingham when we already have more money per household than more deprived areas like Darlington.

In 2020, under a Conservative administration, Wokingham Borough was rated in the top 20 for financial sustainability by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Just last year the Council’s Chief Financial Officer said that the Council’s Finances were in good shape under the previous Conservative administration.

This month the Liberal Democrat administration will set their budget.

The Liberal Democrats tell us that they are both financially responsible and that the Council is on the brink of bankruptcy. Neither of those statements is true.

The Liberal Democrats are cutting universal services and hiking fees and charges. A Conservative administration would take the approach we used when we ran the Council: delivering savings by improving efficiency, while keeping increases in charges to a minimum and listening to residents.

In May’s local elections, you can make this happen by backing the Conservatives.

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen is the leader of Wokingham Conservatives and ward member for Hillside

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: berksBerkshireimogen shepherd-dubeyLocal NewsUK NewsWokinghamWokingham Borough CouncilWokingham CouncilWokingham Council Taxwokywoky berkswoky berkshire
Previous Post

FROM THE CHAMBER: Financial questions answered

Next Post

NHS urges more women to attend breast cancer screenings following release of new statistics

FOLLOW US

POPULAR THIS WEEK

Mike's company, Kill A Watt, aims to help households cut down their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment. PIcture: Dock8 via PIxabay

Naturally Speaking

May 30, 2025
A government push for more radiotherapy machines has been welcomed by ministers as the Royal Berkshire Hospital is among the services to benefit from them.

Royal Berks one of 28 Trusts to see new radiotherapy machine investment

May 29, 2025
Wokingham borough council. Pic: WBC.

Have your say on council spending

May 28, 2025
Double Standards

New play ‘Double Standards’ at South Streets Art Centre to explore hypocrisy in dating

May 30, 2025
Share Wokingham operates at locations across the borough, through the week, providing fresh groceries. Picture: courtesy of Share Wokingham.

Struggling families can get help with groceries

June 1, 2025
Cllr Clive Jones. Credit: Michael Anderson.

Call for minister to meet Wokingham businesses

June 2, 2025

ABOUT US

Wokingham Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Wokingham. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Wokingham Borough.

Wokingham.Today is a Social Enterprise and aims to ensure that everyone within the Borough has free access to independent and up-to-date news. However, providing this service is not without costs. If you are able to, please make a contribution to support our work.

CONTACT US

[email protected]

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Support Us
  • Book Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: [email protected], or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Arborfield
    • Barkham
    • Beech Hill
    • Binfield
    • Bracknell
    • Charvil
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
    • Emmbrook
    • Finchampstead
    • Grazeley
    • Henley
    • Hurst
    • Lower Earley
    • Norreys
    • Reading
    • Remenham
  • COMMUNITY
  • LIFESTYLE
  • SPORT
  • READING FC
  • OBITUARIES
  • WHAT’S ON
  • JOBS
  • PHOTOS
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION
  • SUPPORT US

© 2022 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.