Westmorland and Furness Council proposes council tax rise and higher charges
Westmorland and Furness Council has said it has no choice but to recommend increases to council tax and a range of local charges after significant reductions in government funding.
Last updated 10th Feb 2026
The proposals were outlined as the council’s Cabinet discussed its draft 2026/27 budget on Monday. Cabinet members agreed to recommend the measures to Full Council, which will make a final decision later this month.
Introducing the budget report, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance Cllr Andrew Jarvis said government funding for the authority had been cut by around a third over the current funding cycle.
He said this had left the council facing a £12m funding gap next year, rising to £43m by 2028/29, despite warnings to government about the potential impact on services and residents.
Cllr Jarvis said the council had already identified savings by reviewing how services are delivered and challenging existing spending, but said those measures alone were not enough to offset the scale of the funding reductions.
As a result, Cabinet members agreed to recommend a package of increases that would affect residents across the area, during what the council described as an ongoing cost of living crisis.
Among the proposals is a 4.99% increase in the council’s share of council tax for 2026/27.
The Cabinet has also recommended the introduction of a £60 annual charge per bin for garden waste collections. The charge would apply only to residents who choose to use the service and would operate through a subscription model. The council said it had previously intended to keep the first garden waste bin free, but could no longer afford to do so.
Other proposals include an increase of around 10% to car parking charges, higher fees for the use of the Windermere Ferry, and the removal of the Blue Badge exemption for the service.
In addition, the Cabinet has recommended that other fees and charges be increased in line with inflation.
Cllr Jarvis described the budget as a difficult one, containing measures the council would have preferred to avoid, and warned it carried significant financial risk.
He said ambitious savings would be required over the coming years to balance the budget and protect investment in frontline services, adding that the council’s financial position was the result of government decisions rather than local choices.
The recommendations will be considered by Full Council at a meeting on 26 February.