Council facing pressure to explain £18m funding shortfall
Former MP writes to Bracknell Forest Council to ask for answers over government funding cuts
BRACKNELL Forest Council is facing growing pressure to spell out the impact of an £18 million government funding shortfall on local services.
The council estimates changes to the way local authorities are funded by central government will leave an £18m gap between 2026 and 2029, against a backdrop of rising costs and demand for services.
Political groups in the borough have raised concerns about the changes and how the council is responding to its financial pressures.
Bracknell Forest Conservative group leader Cllr Gareth Barnard and Windsor and Maidenhead Conservative group leader Cllr Julian Sharpe wrote to Bracknell MP Peter Swallow and Maidenhead MP Joshua Reynolds on October 20 calling for the changes to be opposed.
Their letter said Bracknell Forest received £50m in government grant last year and claimed this would reduce by £18m, or 36 per cent, within two years.
They asked the Labour MPs to oppose the scale and speed of the reductions in Parliament and consider whether the funding formula could be challenged through the courts.
Reform UK Bracknell has also called for greater clarity over the council’s financial position.
The party said it supported challenging the government over the funding settlement but argued the debate should also consider the council’s management of its finances.
It has called on the authority to publish a “clear, reconciled explanation” of the funding changes and their expected impact on services.
Reform also referred to Local Government Association reviews carried out in 2021, when the Conservatives controlled the council, and March 2026, under the current Labour administration.
It said the reviews showed some financial pressures predated the change of administration in 2023, while also raising concerns about the council’s more recent financial position.
Reform said: “The financial pressures facing Bracknell Forest are serious and residents deserve considerably more than another exchange of political accusations.”
Bracknell Forest Council has meanwhile raised its own concerns about the speed at which the government’s funding changes are being implemented.
Council leader Cllr Helen Purnell said the authority recognised the government’s aim was to create a fairer and more sustainable funding system.
However, she said: “As a local authority that is considered more affluent than others, we face losing a considerable sum of money very quickly.
“This will make it harder for us to continue to provide good quality and much-needed services for our residents.”
Bracknell Forest and Wokingham borough councils plan to write to the minister responsible for local government funding asking for reductions in their core grants between 2026/27 and 2028/29 to be capped at 10 per cent.
They are also seeking talks with ministers about how essential services can be protected as councils face increasing costs and demand.
Bracknell Forest Council has been contacted for further comment.