Council tax precept increase of 27%

Chesham Town Council has agreed to a 27 per cent rise in the council tax precept as part of its budget for the coming financial year.

The decision will see the annual Band D charge increase from £154.35 to £196.57 — a rise of £42.22 per household.

At a full council meeting, members approved the increase as part of the authority’s £1.65 million budget for 2026/27.

Councillors were told a significant part of the rise was needed to fund repairs at the Elgiva Theatre and to begin rebuilding the council’s reserves.

Councillor Alan Bacon described the budget as exceptional in scale, saying the council had never previously required a budget of this size.

He said the council was in a difficult financial position due to the state of the finances left by the previous council, making a large increase necessary.

However, the size of the increase has drawn criticism from Chesham Conservatives and local campaigners.

Jonathan Coburn, a campaigner and finance manager, said: “This is not just a complete failure of leadership, it is a punishing slap in the face for everyone.

“Residents are being asked to pay significantly more while seeing services weakened and vital protections put at risk.

“Chesham deserves better than higher taxes, fewer services, and a council that ignores the needs of local families.

“This increase is unjustifiable and poorly timed given the continued cost-of-living pressures facing households and businesses.”

In response, Liberal Democrat councillors said the increase was necessary to reverse years of under-investment and neglect and to protect key community assets.

They said they had been elected with a mandate to rebuild reserves and invest properly in facilities including the Elgiva Theatre, parks and green spaces, and other town assets.

Also acknowledging that the rise required difficult decisions, they said it equated to around 81 pence per week for a Band D household, with 61 pence of that allocated to urgent repairs and renewals.

They said the investment was intended to secure the town’s long-term financial stability and prevent further deterioration of facilities relied upon by residents.

The precept will now be requested from Buckinghamshire Council, which collects council tax on the town’s behalf.

The Conservatives have also criticised the majority Liberal Democrat council over devolved services, with former Conservative leader Jane MacBean accusing the administration of abandoning them.

She said: “It threatens delivery of wildflower verges and other green initiatives devised to make the town healthier and removes the ability to act swiftly to deal with problems and ensure pride of place across our town.”

But Liberal Democrat councillors rejected the claim, saying the town council had been subsidising work on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council because the work was not fully funded and could no longer absorb the cost, meaning the work was being handed back.