The amount of council tax you will pay in Reading has been revealed – and once again, residents of the town will pay the highest council tax in Berkshire.

At a full council meeting, councillors agreed to increase the tax by 4.99 per cent, the maximum amount without having to cover a borough wide referendum.

The taxes are higher than Slough Borough Council, that was allowed to increase council tax by 9.99 per cent.

The figures were not lost on councillor Clarence Mitchell (Conservative, Emmer Green), who pointed out Reading has the highest council tax in the county.

Cllr Graeme Hoskin (Labour, Norcot) shot back, arguing that on a whole, taxpayers in general pay less because a majority of homes in council tax bands A-C.

You can see how much council tax you will pay this year below.

The total council tax bill constitutes funds raised by the council and the precepting bodies made up of the police and the fire service.

Introducing the budget, councillor Jason Brock the leader of Reading Borough Council (Labour, Southcote) praised council officers for their work in successfully bidding for government for major projects.

The council won a total of £19.1 million of government ‘Levelling Up’ cash to deliver the Minster Quarter project and to build a new central library and £15 million  for its bus service improvement plan.

In sum, cllr Brock called the budget “the most ambitious and holistic programme of work in Reading for a generation and driven by a party with its largest democratic mandate for a generation.”

The budget was opposed by Conservative and Green councillors.

Cllr Simon Robinson (Conservative, Emmer Green) said: “We are mindful that all residents of Reading in the midst of this cost of living crisis, and furthermore we believe raising the council tax even higher and placing the maximum seven per cent increase on council house rents is hitting the poorest in our community the hardest.”

READ MORE: Council tax in Reading - how much more it will cost you

Meanwhile, cllr Rob White (Green, Park) the leader of the opposition, took a jab at national Conservatives for a decline in council funding.

Cllr White said: “Green councillors want people and planet put first in the council’s budget.

“It is the Conservative government that has inflicted devastating cuts on councils around the country over the last decade.”

While Greens supported the council’s home insulation project and more investment in enforcing waste rule breaches, they disapproved of the increase in council housing rent and increasing accounting costs.

Cllr Anne Thompson (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) expressed regret about the council tax increase, but accepted rising demands on council services meant the tax hike was necessary.

Ultimately the budget was approved at the council meeting on Tuesday, February 28, with Labour and Liberal Democrats  voting for it and Greens and Conservatives voting against.

The new council taxes will come into force on April 6, the start of the 2023/24 financial year.