Council budget and spending

How council tax and business rates are spent

2024-25

Council tax and business rates where the money goes 2024 - 2025

The graph shows how every £1 budgeted is spent:

  • 22p pays for Adult Social Care Services
  • 30p pays for Children, Learning and Skills
  • 9p pays for Regeneration, Housing and Environment Services
  • 8p pays for Strategy and Improvement Services
  • 2p pays for Finance and Commercial Services
  • 2p pays for other council services
  • 8p pays for other corporate budgets
  • 3p pays for the pension deficit
  • 16p pays for financing capital and other investments.

Where does the money come from?

The budget required to support the Services provided by the Council is £162.203 million. The 2023/24 figures have been restated to reflect movement from reserves, a in the funding section. The funding sources for the council budget are detailed below:

Source of funding

2023/24
£000
2023/24
%
2024/25
£000
2024/25
%
Total Budget Requirement £156,449 100% £162,203 100%
LESS: Sources of Funding
comprised of the following
£85,032 54% £80,952 50%
Revenue Support Grant £7,302 5% £7,786 5%
Other Government Grants £8,674 6% £10,609 7%
Business Rates £30,591 19% £36,306 22%
Capitalisation Direction £31,575 20% £23,078 14%
Use of Reserves £5,312 3% £2,000 1%
Collection Fund Surplus £1,578 1% £1,173 1%
Council Tax Requirement excluding Parishes £71,417 46% £81,251 50%

Budget Table

2023/24
Budget
£000
Services 2024/25
Budget
£000
28,419 Adults Services 35,572
9,248 Children's Services 9,583
45,826 Slough Children First 39,043
16,302 Regeneration, Housing & Environment 14,426
1,304 Public Health & Public Protection 1,185
17,648 Strategy & Improvement 12,723
2,292 Law and Governance 2,342
34,819 Corporate 43,050
156,447 Budget requirement 162,203
(85,302) Other sources of finance* (80,952)
71,415 Council Tax requirement excluding Parishes 81,251
11,061 Thames Valley Police 11,945
3,407 Royal Berkshire Fire Authority 3,607
164.4 Local Parishes 192.8
86,047 Total Council Tax requirement including Parishes 96,996

*Other Sources of Finance for 2024/25 includes £23.1m capitalisation direction, this was £31.6m in 2023/24.

How the Budget has changed

Budget details £000
2023/24 Budget (Restated) 156,449
Recognised cost pressures and sevice growth requirements 17,960
Savings (12,206)
2024/25 Budget 162,203
Net increase in budget 5,754

Payments made for levies and parish precepts

Budget details 2023/24
£000
2024/25
£000
Environment agency for Flood Defence* 102.1 105.6
Britwell Parish 52.9 56.4
Colnbrook with Poyle Parish 76.4 93.6
Wexham Court Parish 35.1 42.8

* Flood defence levy is included in the Regeneration, Housing and Environment budget.

The council tax booklet explains how we work out your council tax and where the money goes.