Bristol council tax rises £130 for Band D homes as £18m refurbishment scrapped

Bristol residents face a £130 annual increase on Band D council tax bills after the city council raised rates by 4.99% for the 2026/27 budget, including a 2% levy specifically for adult social care. The decision, confirmed in official budget documents, comes as the authority also abandoned an £18m refurbishment programme affecting hundreds of homes.

Tax rise breakdown

The 4.99% increase, approved as part of the council's annual budget-setting process, consists of a general uplift plus a dedicated adult social care precept. For a typical Band D property, the combined rise amounts to approximately £130 for the financial year. According to the council's published budget papers, the adult social care element alone accounts for 2% of the total increase, reflecting the growing cost of supporting an ageing population and those with disabilities.

The tax hike was one of several measures introduced to close a projected shortfall in the council's £400m-plus annual revenue budget. Bristol City Council, like many local authorities across England, has faced rising demand for children's and adults' social care alongside inflation-driven cost increases for other services.

£18m housing project cancelled

Just three days ago, residents were informed that a planned £18m refurbishment of insulation, roofing and communal areas would not go ahead. The project, which had been earmarked for council housing blocks, was pulled after a review. Officials have not yet publicly detailed the rationale for the cancellation, but the move follows a pattern of capital project delays and cuts as the council grapples with constrained budgets.

The decision affects tenants in unnamed blocks who had been anticipating upgrades to improve energy efficiency and living conditions. The authority's housing stock, much of it built in the mid-20th century, requires significant investment to meet modern standards.

Political and policy shifts

The tax and spending decisions are being made under a newly established committee-based governance system. Following the local elections, the Green Party now holds 34 of 70 council seats, leaving no single party in overall control. The change means months of negotiation ahead of the budget, with cross-party committees rather than an elected mayor setting the agenda.

On 1 June, the council's Economy and Skills Policy Committee adopted the new Co-Living Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), signalling a push to accommodate more residents in shared living arrangements. The SPD provides planning guidance for developers, setting standards for room sizes, communal spaces and management plans for co-living developments.

Meanwhile, a separate infrastructure project is moving ahead: Whiteladies Road will be resurfaced and closed overnight from Monday 1 June to Friday 5 June, between 8pm and 6am, as part of a scheme to prevent water pooling and improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

The coming months will test the new committee system's ability to manage competing demands for services, housing investment and infrastructure maintenance against a backdrop of limited central government funding and rising local taxes.