Published Wednesday 25 February 2026 at 15:46
Everyday services that people rely on can remain in place following the agreement of a 4.99% Council Tax increase for 2026/27.
This is in line with the level of increase Government expects councils to agree to protect essential services and support for residents with 2% of the increase protected for adult social care.
Alongside safeguarding key frontline services, the budget also continues to include additional support for residents.
The new support will include:
- A dedicated Council Tax relief scheme for residents with a terminal illness, providing financial support at the most difficult of times.
- One free bulky household waste collection per year for every household in Blackburn with Darwen, helping residents dispose of large items responsibly at no extra cost.
- More litter bins, gully cleansing, litter picking and back street cleansing.
The increase represents a relatively small weekly amount while helping to protect essential local services.
In 2026/27, the total Council Tax (including Police and Fire) will be £1,633.39 for a Band A property and £1,905.62 for a Band B property.
The 4.99% increase equates to around £1.26 per week for Band A households and around £1.47 per week for Band B households. This additional funding will help protect vital services such as adult social care for older and vulnerable residents, support for children and families, community safety, and everyday neighbourhood services like waste collection, street cleaning and road maintenance.
For a Band D property in areas without a parish council, the total Council Tax for 2026/27 will be £2,450.09 per year. This represents £47.12 per week. This figure includes funding not only for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, but also for Lancashire Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
This is below the average council tax rate across Lancashire.
Council Tax bills include amounts for:
- Lancashire Police – £292.40 per Band D property (an increase of £15 per year)
- Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – £94.73 per Band D property (an increase of £5 per year)
The Council’s own element of Council Tax at Band D is £2,062.96 (excluding parish precepts), generating £78.9 million locally towards essential services.
Nobody Left Behind
Did you know that every day in Blackburn with Darwen, our services are quietly supporting residents at every stage of life?
- Adult social care – helping older residents and vulnerable adults live independently and with dignity. £1.5million per week is spent on adult social care in Blackburn and Darwen. This includes home adaptations and support services that allow people to remain safely in their own homes for longer
Despite financial pressures, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has prioritised:
- Protecting care services for older and vulnerable residents
- Maintaining investment in community safety
- Supporting residents with the cost of living through targeted Council Tax support schemes
Other initiatives that are making a big difference to the lives of our residents include:
- Our homeless pods – providing shelter and support
- Apple trees short breaks service for children with disabilities and other respite care for our residents who need it the most
- Bringing empty homes back into use for families
- Providing specialist drug and alcohol programmes to help people overcome addiction
- Our network of family hubs – supporting families throughout every stage of their lives
Council Leader, Cllr Phil Riley, said:
“We want to thank residents for the important contribution they make through Council Tax.
“We remain ambitious for this borough and about protecting the services that people depend on most.
“Cutting services is the last thing we want to do, and we are in a position to avoid that. We know from asking residents that they value services that improve the quality of life of their families. This is what Nobody Left Behind means in practice – providing practical help, opportunity, and support for residents through every stage of life. “
Councillor Vicky McGurk, Executive Member for Finance and Governance, added:
“We continue to invest in those areas that make a difference to people’s daily lives. But not only do we have to consider what we do on a day-to-day basis; we have to think about the long term. Our success in winning funding from the Government means we have a wide-ranging capital programme to deliver our ambitions for economic growth.”
The budget setting follows strong independent evidence that services are improving for residents. Recent external inspections found:
- Children’s Services rated Good by Ofsted (March 2025), with inspectors praising leadership that is “improving the lives of children, care leavers and families”.
- Adult Social Care rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (July 2025).
- A recent Area SEND inspection highlighted the work of “caring and understanding” professionals and strong partnership working to support children and young people with additional needs. Funding for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities has been built into the council’s budget
Cllr Phil Riley added:
“These independent inspections show that, despite financial pressures, our focus on protecting frontline services is making a real difference to people’s lives. Every pound of Council Tax is being used to support residents at every stage of life.”
The everyday impact of local services, includes:
- 2,700+ residents receiving adult social care support
- 89% of people aged 65+ supported to remain at home after hospital discharge
- 98% of dangerous highway defects made safe within four hours
- More than 150 miles of roads gritted during winter to keep the borough moving
- Over £8m secured through the Government’s Youth Investment Fund, including a new youth centre in Darwen
- Family Hubs supporting thousands of families each year
- A new Take Charge campaign offering free help with debt, benefits and money worries.
Full details of Council Tax bands and charges are available at: www.blackburn.gov.uk
Did you know?
- Council Tax must be set each year before 11 March under the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
- The Council Tax base for 2026/27 is 38,246.
- Parish and town councils set their own precepts, which are added to bills in those areas.
- The total Council Tax includes the Borough Council element, Lancashire Police precept and Lancashire Fire precept.