Your Council Tax
For the year 2026/27
Find out what your Council Tax pays for and how your bill is calculated.
Most of the Council Tax we collect from you is used for services that are provided by Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner and Kent Fire and Rescue Service plus some is used by the parish and town councils.
Only 9% of what you pay is used to fund borough council services, which on average is 59p per day.
Here is a breakdown of each £ collected and where it goes
- Kent Police 12p
- Parishes 3p
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service 4p
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 9p
- Kent County Council 72p
What you get for 59p a day
- Cleaner streets
- Recycling and waste collection
- Community safety and CCTV
- Parks and play areas
- Leisure centres and sports activities
- Summer events and festivals
- Planning and building control
- Environmental, health and safety inspections
- Food hygiene ratings for local food businesses
- Assembly Hall Theatre
- Online services – from paying bills to reporting
- Fly-tipping removal
- The Amelia Scott cultural centre
- Running elections
- Housing needs service
- Licensing of taxis and premises
- Ice rink
- Community grants
Referendum Limits
Although Council Tax is set locally by democratically elected local members at a public meeting of Full Council, the Secretary of State has the power to set a limit above which a referendum must be held. For 2026/27 the limits allowed Kent County Council to increase their Council Tax by up to 5 per cent.
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner have a limit of £15 which is 5.6 per cent increase over the previous year.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) has a limit of 3 per cent increase over the previous year.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service have a limit of £5 which is 5.3 per cent increase over the previous year.
There are no set limits of increasing Council Tax for parish and town councils.
The table below summarises, for each Council Tax band, the amount of Council Tax allocated to each of the organisations described above.
| Authority | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council (including adult social care precept) | £1172.40 | £1367.80 | £1563.20 | £1758.60 | £2149.40 | £2540.20 | £2931.00 | £3517.20 |
| Tunbridge Wells Borough Council | £103.46 | £120.70 | £137.95 | £155.19 | £189.68 | £224.16 | £258.65 | £310.38 |
| Kent Police and Crime Commissioner | £190.10 | £221.78 | £253.47 | £285.15 | £348.52 | £411.88 | £475.25 | £570.30 |
| Kent Fire and Rescue Service | £66.54 | £77.63 | £88.72 | £99.81 | £121.99 | £144.17 | £166.35 | £199.62 |
| Total Council Tax (excluding Special Expenses & parish precepts) | £1532.50 | £1787.91 | £2043.34 | £2298.75 | £2809.59 | £3320.41 | £3831.25 | £4597.50 |
This section gives you a breakdown of our income and expenditure.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s financial position remains sound but faces significant challenges from demand and inflation pressures while income is relatively fixed at 3 per cent, creating a widening budget gap. The level of Council Tax increase reflects the need to deliver the Council’s priorities and statutory services, and to strike the right balance with fees and charges and Council Tax payers.
After over a decade of austerity and with relatively low levels of Grants from Government, the Council has had to operate on a very lean base. The Council has successfully set a balanced budget and held sufficient reserves to invest in its assets and capital programme. The Government has developed a universal benchmark indicator called ‘Spending Power’ to measure the revenue available to provide local services. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has the lowest level of Spending Power in Kent at just £146 per resident and therefore must continue to evaluate the range and quality of services it must provide and those it chooses to do so.
The average general Council Tax for a Band D property will be £155.19 for 2026/27 across the borough.
The borough council also provides certain services in Capel, Southborough, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall for the benefit of those residents for which the council levies a ‘special expenses’ charge only on Council Tax payers in those respective areas. This expenditure is included in the council’s revenue budget.
| 2025/26 | Parks | Footway | Total | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capel | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2.54 |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 2,685 | 134 | 2,819 | 134.79 |
| Rusthall | 116 | 11 | 127 | 77.97 |
| Southborough | 0 | 29 | 29 | 6.47 |
| 2026/27 | Parks | Footway | Total | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capel | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2.61 |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 2,839 | 72 | 2,911 | 138.80 |
| Rusthall | 118 | 12 | 130 | 80.30 |
| Southborough | 0 | 30 | 30 | 6.66 |
The amount of Council Tax you pay will vary where Parish and Town Councils have issued a precept to the borough council.
2025/26 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2026/27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benenden | 52,000 | 53.90 | 54,050 | 53.88 |
| Bidborough | 76,970 | 136.31 | 80,000 | 142.06 |
| Brenchley and Matfield | 145,500 | 92.69 | 149,000 | 93.21 |
| Capel | 101,000 | 104.25 | 198,877 | 207.59 |
| Cranbrook and Sissinghurst | 416,277 | 145.90 | 462,159 | 154.81 |
| Frittenden | 17,000 | 40.24 | 17,000 | 37.57 |
| Goudhurst | 243,900 | 176.44 | 260,000 | 184.92 |
| Hawkhurst | 269,000 | 123.18 | 279,000 | 124.54 |
| Horsmonden | 127,330 | 113.67 | 136,610 | 120.73 |
| Lamberhurst | 64,975 | 84.83 | 68,225 | 86.04 |
| Paddock Wood | 903,490 | 235.92 | 963,711 | 245.35 |
| Pembury | 297,500 | 125.97 | 313,129 | 131.75 |
| Rusthall | 127,000 | 78.01 | 138,244 | 85.10 |
| Sandhurst | 105,000 | 165.78 | 116,300 | 182.08 |
| Southborough | 728,246 | 161.59 | 749,923 | 166.63 |
| Speldhurst | 245,361 | 99.52 | 258,912 | 104.26 |
Click here for parish council contact details and town budget information (opens in a new window).
Parish and Town Precepts (exceeding £140,000)
Brenchley and Matfield
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Lighting | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Recreation | 59 | 56 | 60 | 52 |
| Other Services | 102 | 99 | 125 | 119 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | -12 | -24 | ||
| Total | 163 | 145 | 187 | 149 |
Cranbrook and Sissinghurst
| 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Lighting | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| Recreation | 101 | 126 | 144 | 118 |
| Other Services | 315 | 396 | 409 | 340 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | -15 | -15 | ||
| Total | 416 | 542 | 572 | 462 |
Goudhurst
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation | 94 | 78 | 99 | 81 |
| Other Services | 208 | 200 | 250 | 220 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | -34 | -41 | ||
| Total | 302 | 244 | 349 | 260 |
Hawkhurst
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Lighting | 16 | 16 | 33 | 33 |
| Recreation | 34 | 27 | 56 | 20 |
| Other Services | 251 | 226 | 255 | 226 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | ||||
| Total | 301 | 269 | 344 | 279 |
Paddock Wood
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Lighting | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Recreation | 518 | 506 | 565 | 540 |
| Other Services | 420 | 395 | 448 | 422 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | ||||
| Total | 940 | 903 | 1,015 | 964 |
Pembury
| 2024/25 Gross Spending £000's | 2024/25 Net Spending £000's | 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Lighting | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Recreation | 129 | 123 | 147 | 141 |
| Other Services | 162 | 124 | 170 | 129 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | 13 | 20 | 20 | |
| Total | 296 | 265 | 344 | 297 |
Southborough
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation | 538 | 462 | 574 | 494 |
| Other Services | 489 | 266 | 479 | 256 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | ||||
| Total | 1,027 | 728 | 1,053 | 750 |
Speldhurst
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreation | 39 | 38 | 54 | 53 |
| Other Services | 207 | 197 | 205 | 198 |
| Transfer to/(from) reserves | -10 | -5 | ||
| Total | 246 | 225 | 259 | 246 |
| 2025/26 Per Head £ | 2025/26 Spending £000's | 2026/27 Per Head £ | 2026/27 Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunbridge Wells BC Budget (Net) | 132.69 | 15,299 | 151.27 | 17,441 |
| Town and Parish Precepts | 34.01 | 3,921 | 36.82 | 4,245 |
| Total | 166.70 | 19,220 | 188.09 | 21,686 |
| Financed by Government Grants | 42.69 | 4,922 | 57.23 | 6,599 |
| Financed by Collection Fund Surplus/(deficit) | 0 | 0 | 0.55 | 62 |
| Financed by Council Tax | 124.01 | 14,298 | 130.31 | 15,025 |
| Total | 166.70 | 19,220 | 188.09 | 21,686 |
Summary of Revenue Budget
These figures exclude the re-allocation of overhead costs, including support service costs, departmental administrative costs and fixed asset depreciation charges to front line services. The ‘Other Services’ heading includes corporate management and a contingency provision.
| 2025/26 Gross Spending £000's | 2025/26 Income £000's | 2025/26 Net Spending £000's | 2026/27 Gross Spending £000's | 2026/27 Income £000's | 2026/27 Net Spending £000's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | 6,589 | -7,637 | -1,048 | 6,489 | -8,734 | -2,236 |
| Shared Services | 26,864 | -24,379 | 2,485 | 24,965 | -22,426 | 2,539 |
| Housing, Health and Environment | 15,380 | -9,108 | 6,272 | 14,793 | -7,664 | 2,539 |
| Economic Development | 4,632 | -3,717 | 915 | 6,886 | -5,156 | 1,730 |
| Planning and Building Control | 3,113 | 1,906 | 1,207 | 3,415 | -2,020 | 1,395 |
| Other Services | 12,540 | -5,261 | 7,279 | 14,318 | -7,712 | 6,606 |
| Budget sub-total | 69,118 | -52,008 | 17,110 | 70,875 | -53,712 | 17,163 |
| Capital Adjustments | 235 | 235 | 221 | 221 | ||
| Interest | -2,049 | -2,049 | 7 | -2,050 | -2,043 | |
| Transfer to/(from) Reserves | 2,100 | 2,100 | ||||
| Net budget requirement | 69,353 | -54,057 | 15,296 | 71,103 | -53,662 | 17,441 |
Your bill will tell you what band you are in and how much you need to pay. Council Tax is calculated based on your band and the area of the borough you live in.
2026/27 charges
| Parish | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benenden | £1,568.42 | £1,829.82 | £2,091.23 | £2,352.63 | £2,875.44 | £3,398.24 | £3,921.05 | £4,705.26 |
| Bidborough | £1,627.21 | £1,898.40 | £2,169.62 | £2,440.81 | £2,983.22 | £3,525.61 | £4,068.02 | £4,881.62 |
| Brenchley & Matfield | £1,594.64 | £1,860.41 | £2,126.19 | £2,391.96 | £2,923.51 | £3,455.05 | £3,986.60 | £4,783.92 |
| Capel | £1,672.63 | £1,951.40 | £2,230.18 | £2,508.95 | £3,066.50 | £3,624.03 | £4,181.58 | £5,017.90 |
| Cranbrook & Sissinghurst | £1,635.71 | £1,908.32 | £2,180.95 | £2,453.56 | £2,998.80 | £3,544.02 | £4,089.27 | £4,907.12 |
| Frittenden | £1,557.55 | £1,817.13 | £2,076.74 | £2,336.32 | £2,855.51 | £3,374.68 | £3,893.87 | £4,672.64 |
| Goudhurst | £1,655.78 | £1,931.74 | £2,207.71 | £2,483.67 | £3,035.60 | £3,587.52 | £4,139.45 | £4,967.34 |
| Hawkhurst | £1,615.53 | £1,884.77 | £2,154.04 | £2,423.29 | £2,961.81 | £3,500.30 | £4,038.82 | £4,846.58 |
| Horsmonden | £1,612.99 | £1,881.81 | £2,150.66 | £2,419.48 | £2,957.15 | £3,494.80 | £4,032.47 | £4,838.96 |
| Lamberhurst | £1,589.86 | £1,854.83 | £2,119.82 | £2,384.79 | £2,914.75 | £3,444.69 | £3,974.65 | £4,769.58 |
| Paddock Wood | £1,696.07 | £1,978.74 | £2,261.43 | £2,544.10 | £3,109.46 | £3,674.80 | £4,240.17 | £5,088.20 |
| Pembury | £1,620.33 | £1,890.38 | £2,160.45 | £2,430.50 | £2,970.62 | £3,510.72 | £4,050.83 | £4,861.00 |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | £1,625.03 | £1,895.87 | £2,166.72 | £2,437.55 | £2,979.23 | £3,520.90 | £4,062.58 | £4,875.10 |
| Rusthall | £1,642.76 | £1,916.56 | £2,190.36 | £2,464.15 | £3,011.74 | £3,559.32 | £4,106.91 | £4,928.30 |
| Sandhurst | £1,653.89 | £1,929.53 | £2,205.19 | £2,480.83 | £3,032.13 | £3,583.41 | £4,134.72 | £4,961.66 |
| Southborough | £1,648.03 | £1,922.69 | £2,197.38 | £2,472.04 | £3,021.39 | £3,570.72 | £4,120.07 | £4,944.08 |
| Speldhurst | £1,602.01 | £1,869.00 | £2,136.02 | £2,403.01 | £2,937.02 | £3,471.01 | £4,005.02 | £4,806.02 |
Empty properties - dwellings which are normally unoccupied and unfurnished for a period of 12 months or less will receive a discount of 0%
Second homes – dwellings that are furnished and not used as a main home will receive a discount of 0% and have the Council Tax charge increased by 100%.
Empty properties - dwellings which are normally unoccupied and unfurnished for a period of one year or more will receive a discount of 0% and have the Council Tax charge increased by 100%
Empty properties - dwellings which are normally unoccupied and unfurnished for a period of five years or more will receive a discount of 0% and have the Council Tax charge increased by 200%
Empty properties - dwellings which are normally unoccupied and unfurnished for a period of ten years or more will receive a discount of 0% and have the Council Tax charge increased by 300%
Empty and unfurnished properties requiring or undergoing structural repair or alteration or major works will receive a discount of 0%
12 monthly payments
Council Tax is normally spread over 10 monthly instalments. If you wish to pay your bill over 12 monthly instalments please see our change your bill frequency page.
Direct Debit
Paying by secure Direct Debit is the simplest and easiest way to pay your bill.
- you can pay over 10 or 12 monthly instalments, pay the full amount in one go or pay half yearly
- sign up online and choose either the 1st or 15th of each month to make your payment
- you will need your bank details and your Council Tax account number
Online
You can pay your Council Tax securely through our online payments site.
To make a payment online you will need:
- a debit or credit card (Visa and Mastercard only)
- your nine digit Council Tax account number
Telephone payments
Payments can be made securely on our automated telephone payment line.
Telephone: 0800 023 7086
Please follow the prompts to make your payment. You will be given a transaction number when your payment is successfully completed.
Bank transfer or standing order
You can make payment through your own online banking by transferring payment to the Council's account or by setting up a regular standing order.
Please ensure you quote your nine digit Council Tax account number on all payments.
Our bank details are:
Bank: Lloyds Bank
Account name: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Sort Code: 30-00-02
Account Number: 01396914
IBAN: GB02LOYD30000201396914
BIC: LOYDGB2LCTY
Cash payments
Cash payments can be made using the payment kiosk at The Amelia Scott in Tunbridge Wells.
Allocation of payments
If you have outstanding Council Tax arrears for a previous year, and your payment does not match the amount outstanding on the current year, your payment may be allocated towards the arrears rather than where you intend. You will need to contact us to let us know which year your payment is for.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council facts and figures for 2025:
- Our Housing team worked with partners to prevent around 186 households from becoming homeless over the last year and helped 78 homeless households to secure suitable accommodation.
- The Bereavement Services team at the Kent and Sussex Crematorium supported over 2,000 families with bereavement services.
- In Planning and Building Control we:
- dealt with over 2,962 planning applications
- received 439 pre-applications
- processed 214 applications for works to Protected Tree
- processed 165 applications for works to a Listed Building
- processed 555 building control applications
- At the Assembly Hall Theatre we sold 116,734 tickets for shows in 2025.
- Our Community Safety and Support team has continued to maintain and monitor 52 CCTV cameras across the borough. The CCTV control room covers our Kent Police area and works very closely with Shopsafe and the Pubwatch Business Crime Reduction Partnership.
- At The Amelia Scott we have welcomed over 400,000 visitors in 2025, that's around 1,100 visitors a day.
- We had over 2.7 million page views on our website and 77,000 online forms submitted.
- We sent over one million weekly emails to our subscribers.
- We delivered over 220,000 copies of Local Magazine to households in the borough.
- The borough supports a wide network of biodiversity sites, including 10 sites of special scientific interest, 61 local wildlife sites, 16 sites of local nature conservation value, 13 roadside nature reserves and four local nature reserves. The borough has 5,391 hectares of ancient woodland.
- Tunbridge Wells borough has just over 87,000 electors living in around 53,300 properties.