Chorley Council is freezing their portion of Council Tax this year.
Following a consultation and in a move to reduce the financial burden on residents in challenging times, the council has used smart investment and efficiencies in how they operate to deliver a balanced budget.
The budget is ambitious, with continued investment to ensure that the borough can thrive and become an even better place to live, work and visit.
Some key areas identified in the budget are:
- £638,000 to help house families who are experiencing homelessness with the delivery of temporary accommodation.
- £188,000 for aids and adaptations to help residents to retain independence and ensure homes are safe and accessible.
- £4.5 million to enhance local leisure facilities and support health and wellbeing through a refurbishment and decarbonisation programme, including improvements to All Seasons Leisure Centre.
- £25,000 to commission a project to support school readiness in the borough.
- £44 million over multiple years, including £20 million from central government grant funding, to continue to deliver the town centre transformation programme.
- £1.5 million to improve recycling and reduce the environmental impact by implementing statutory weekly food waste collections introduced by central government.
- £479,000, including £100,000 grant funding, to complete renovations to the West Wing of Astley Hall.
- £6.6 million over multiple years to deliver a residential development at the Woodlands site alongside space for educational and commercial use to meet the needs of the community.
The opt-in Garden Waste collection charge will also be frozen this year, remaining at £40.
Councillor Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader of Chorley Council said, “After listening to our residents following the recent consultation, we have chosen to freeze our portion the Council Tax bill. While we only receive just 9% of the overall bill we don’t want to add to the financial burden for our residents.
“We have been working hard to reduce our costs and maintain services to protect what matters most to our residents and I am pleased that despite financial uncertainty; we have been able to propose a balanced budget.
“We have continued to generate income to enable the council to be less reliant on government funding, including through the Market Walk Shopping Centre, Strawberry Meadows Industrial Units, Strawberry Fields Digital Office Park, Logistics House, and the Primrose Gardens and Tatton Gardens extra care schemes.
“We’ve also changed the way that we work, such as sharing services with South Ribble Borough Council, and finding new ways to deliver services more efficiently, such as through digital and automated processes and reviewing staffing structures and service models.
“I am proud that our council tax rate remains one of the lowest in Lancashire, and we’ve been able to freeze our garden waste collection charges.”
You can see the full budget at www.chorley.gov.uk/budget2026-27
ENDS