Council approves balanced budget for 2026/27
Following a council meeting on 27 February 2026, Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) has approved a balanced budget for 2026/27.
The decision means the local authority can keep delivering the services that people rely on every day, while continuing to plan for the future and invest in communities. The budget sets the Band D council tax at £173.91 for the year ahead, a 2.96% increase from 2025/26 that remains below inflation and keeps their council tax among the lowest in the country.
Councillors also approved the continuation of the council tax support scheme, which helps households who struggle to pay their council tax bill.
The budget includes funding to support regeneration in Andover and Romsey, invest in rural communities, progress priority projects across the borough from the Corporate Plan and prepare for the ongoing process of local government reorganisation.
Finance & Resources portfolio holder, councillor Maureen Flood, said: “Local councils continue to face financial pressures, but through careful planning and responsible decision‑making we’ve put forward a balanced and sustainable budget for the year ahead. This keeps vital frontline services running, supports our major regeneration work and ensures we’re ready for the future.”
Leader of TVBC, councillor Phil North, added: “This budget reflects our long‑term ambitions for the borough, while protecting our residents at a time of significant national change. It is a budget for now, and one that invests in and prepares for the future – supporting projects in our rural areas as well as the regeneration of our towns. And as we look ahead to local government reorganisation, it means we can hand over Test Valley to the new unitary in the most sustainable way. We're proud to have approved a budget that is both affordable and forward‑looking."
The council will implement the approved budget from April.
For more information about council tax in Test Valley visit www.testvalley.gov.uk/counciltax.