At a full Council meeting held on Tuesday 24 February, Councillor Andreas Payne, Broxbourne’s Cabinet Member for Finance, announced the annual budget for 2026/27.
Broxbourne Borough Council has approved a balanced and deliverable budget that protects services, and continues to invest in the Borough, despite ongoing national uncertainty for local government.
For 2026/27, the Council has agreed an increase of £5 per year in its element of council tax.
This means that an average (Band D property) will pay £168.24 per year, keeping Broxbourne as the lowest council tax of all English Shire District Councils including parish precepts, in the country.
The Council remains fully committed to delivering the Brookfield Riverside and Brookfield Garden Village developments which recently received outline planning permission.
Work is also progressing well on the planned refurbishment of the John Warner Sports Centre, with a design partner appointed and preparations underway to begin construction later this year.
The Council will invest in new equipment at its leisure centres, reinforcing its commitment to the provision of quality services while further solidifying its position as the only Hertfordshire authority still managing its own leisure facilities in-house.
Investment will also go into BEST Ltd, the Council’s wholly owned environmental services company, safeguarding its operations. The company has been driving through improvements which has resulted in an overall increase recycling of 4% and reduction of missed bin collections by 25%.
The budget also provides for improvements to parks and play areas across the Borough including Cheshunt Park, Goffs Oak, Barclay Park and Broxbourne Recreation Ground.
In response to rising temporary accommodation costs, the Council will be streamlining processes and introducing additional safeguards to reduce both costs and the length of time residents spend in temporary accommodation.
Pre-planning application fees have also been simplified, making the system easier for householders while ensuring larger developers contribute fairly.
At the meeting, Councillor Andreas Payne, Cabinet Member for Finance, stated:
Despite uncertainty around Local Government Reorganisation, the Council has set a prudent budget, maintaining strong reserves and ensuring that future costs are carefully managed.
This is not a budget built on rhetoric or promises we can’t keep. Instead, it is built on discipline, realism and delivery. This budget delivers for, all of our residents, in Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross and Goffs Oak.
The 2026/27 budget continues to invest in services, staff and infrastructure, supporting residents across the Borough while delivering excellent value for money.