Information about Council Tax, bands and charges
All domestic properties in the country must pay Council Tax. This includes houses, flats, caravans and boats.
How is Council Tax calculated?
Each property is placed in a band according to its value (based on the market value of the property in 1991).
Bands range from A to H, with A being the cheapest and H being the most expensive.
To find out the band of your property please visit the Valuations Office Agency website.
This table shows the current property banding for Council Tax and then the amount of Council Tax each band has to pay depending on where you live in the City.
Council Tax 2025-2026 - the amount you pay
| Valuation band |
Range of values £ |
Council Tax 2025-26 Leigh-on-Sea Town Council area £ |
Council Tax 2025-26 all other parts of the city £ |
Ratio to band D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to and including £40,000 | £1,466.62 | £1,431.12 | 6/9 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,711.06 | £1,669.64 | 7/9 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £1,955.49 | £1,908.16 | 8/9 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,199.93 | £2,146.68 | 1 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £2,688.80 | £2,623.72 | 11/9 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,177.68 | £3,100.76 | 13/9 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £3,666.55 | £3,577.80 | 15/9 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,399.86 | £4,293.36 | 18/9 |
Changes in house prices mean that your homes current value may be different than it would have been in April 1991. But this does not mean that the Council Tax valuation is wrong and is, therefore, not likely to be grounds for appeal.
To find out how to appeal against your Council Tax band, please use our how to appeal against your Council Tax band page.
How the Council Tax money is spent
The table shows the breakdown of our spending on services in 2025/26.
Councils spending on services 2025/26
|
2024-25 Revised EXP £m |
INC £m |
NET £m |
Portfolio |
2025-26 EXP £m |
INC £m |
NET £m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.2 | (15.3) | 6.9 | Leader: Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy | 22.9 | (14.9) | 8.0 |
| 6.1 | (4.5) | 1.6 | Deputy Leader: Planning, Housing and the Local Plan | 7.1 | (5.3) | 1.8 |
| 122.5 | (73.8) | 48.7 | Children, Young People and SEND | 131.1 | (83.3) | 47.8 |
| 24.2 | (4.6) | 19.6 | Climate, Environment and Waste | 30.5 | (6.5) | 24.0 |
| 14.1 | (3.6) | 10.5 | Community Safety | 14.9 | (3.9) | 11.0 |
| 11.0 | (3.8) | 7.2 | Culture, Tourism and Business | 11.4 | (4.1) | 7.3 |
| 77.6 | (67.2) | 10.4 | Finance, Assets and Investments | 78.6 | (68.0) | 10.6 |
| 7.1 | (2.0) | 5.1 | Regeneration and Major Projects | 7.0 | (1.9) | 5.1 |
| 99.4 | (44.1) | 55.3 | Social Care and Healthier Communities | 106.7 | (47.0) | 59.7 |
| 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.8 | Levies | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| 2.4 | 0.0 | 2.4 | Contingency | 3.1 | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| 21.7 | (9.3) | 12.4 | Financing Costs, Interest etc | 21.6 | (9.3) | 12.3 |
| 0.0 | (18.4) | (18.4) | Non Service Specific Grants | 0.0 | (28.1) | (28.1) |
| 0.8 | (4.3) | (3.5) | Earmarked Reserves and Capital Contributions | 1.6 | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| 409.9 | (250.9) | 159.0 | Total Southend-on-Sea City Council | 437.4 | (272.3) | 165.1 |
| (46.9) | Business Rates | (46.4) | ||||
| (7.6) | Revenue Support Grant | (7.8) | ||||
| (1.0) | Collection Fund Surplus | (1.4) | ||||
| 103.5 | SCC Unparished Council Tax Requirement | 109.5 | ||||
| 0.5 | Leigh Town Council Precept | 0.5 | ||||
| 104.0 | Total SCC Council Tax Requirement | 110.0 | ||||
| 14.9 | Essex Police and Crime Commissioner | 15.8 | ||||
| 5.0 | Essex Fire Authority | 5.3 | ||||
| 123.8 | Total Council Tax Requirement | 131.1 |
Levies
The City Council is required to contribute to the services provided in Southend-on-Sea by the following bodies.
|
2024 - 2025 £000 |
Services Provided |
2025 - 2026 £000 |
|---|---|---|
| 221 | Essex Local Flood Defence – Environment Agency | 219 |
| 595 | Coroner's Court | 621 |
| 24 | Kent and Essex Inshore and Conservation Authority | 25 |
| 840 | Total | 865 |
Flood status warnings and information booklets are available from the 24 hour floodline service on 0345 988 1188.
Councils Spending 2025-2026 at Council Tax Band D Equivalent
|
Band D Equivalent
|
2024 - 2025 £ |
2025- 2026 £ |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Expenditure | 6,659.76 | 7,183.77 |
| Gross Income | (4,175.47) | (4,471.68) |
| Net Expenditure | 2,484.29 | 2,712.09 |
| Business Rates | (628.86) | (762.20) |
| Formula Grant | (125.64) | (128.15) |
| Use of Reserves | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Collection Fund Surplus | (16.55) | (23.00) |
| What You Will Pay at Band D |
2024- 2025 £ |
2025- 2026 £ |
% Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southend-on-Sea City Council* | 1,713.24 | 1,798.74 | 4.99% |
| Essex PFCC - Police and Community Safety | 246.42 | 260.37 | 5.66% |
| Essex PFCC - Fire and Rescue Authority | 82.62 | 87.57 | 5.99% |
|
Other than Leigh-on-Sea Town Council Area |
2,042.28 | 2,146.68 | 5.11% |
| Leigh-on-Sea Town Council | 51.75 | 53.25 | 2.90% |
| Leigh-on-Sea Town Council Area | 2,094.03 | 2,199.93 | 5.06% |
* this includes a 2.0% increase specifically for Adult Social Care.
Government statement concerning adult social care funding
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has made an offer to Councils with responsibility for adult social care. (“Adult social care authorities” are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.)
The offer for the financial year 2025–26 is the option of a Council with responsibility for adult social care being able to increase their council tax by an additional 2% on top of the core principle, without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting expenditure on adult social care.
How the money will be spent, where the money in Southend comes from and Capital Expenditure
| What the money is spent on | 2024 - 2025- Original £m | 2025 - 2026 £m |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 92.9 | 100.4 |
| Running Expenses | 271.8 | 293.9 |
| Schools Budget | 21.9 | 27.2 |
| Cost of Capital | 15.9 | 15.9 |
| Total | 402.5 | 437.4 |
Where the money comes from
| Where the money comes from | 2024 - 2025 £m | 2025 - 2026 £m |
|---|---|---|
| Government Grants | 169.0 | 182.4 |
| Other Grants and Reimbursements | 23.8 | 24.2 |
| Rents | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| Other Income | 53.3 | 59.1 |
| Business Rates | 38.0 | 46.4 |
| Revenue Supt, Grant | 7.6 | 7.8 |
| Collection Fund | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Council Tax | 103.5 | 109.5 |
| Total | 402.5 | 437.4 |
Capital Investment in Southend
The council has plans to spend a total of £94.8m on capital schemes for 2025 - 2026.
| General Fund Services | £m |
|---|---|
| Highways and Infrastructure | 34.9 |
| Enterprise and Regeneration - Levelling Up Fund | 16.6 |
| School Improvement | 6.3 |
| Southend Pier | 4.6 |
| Improvements and Priority Works to Council Property | 3.6 |
| Investment in ICT | 3.3 |
| Enterprise and Regeneration - other | 2.6 |
| Community Infracture Levy/S106 schemes | 2.0 |
| Disabled Facilities Grants and Private Sector Housing | 0.8 |
| Waste | 0.8 |
| Energy Efficiency | 0.2 |
| Culture and Tourism | 0.2 |
| Social Care | 0.2 |
| Total | 76.1 |
| Council Housing | £m |
|---|---|
| Council Housing New Build Programme | 9.1 |
| Decent Homes Improvements | 7.1 |
| Housing Acquisitions Programme | 1.7 |
| Disabled Adaptions | 0.8 |
| Total | 18.7 |
Calculation for the percentage increase for the 2025/26 Council Tax
The Council has increased the Council Tax charge for 2025-26 by 4.99%.
This is an increase of 2.99% on the standard Council charge and a 2.0% increase on the Adult Social Care (ASC) Precept charge which is used to helpfund the rising cost of social care services for older and disabled adults.
How we calculate the increases
The standard Council charge and the ASC Precept make up the 'Total Council Charge.' It is this overall charge that is used to work out both increases for 2025-26. The Total Council Charge for 2024-25 was £1,713.24 for a Band D property. The £1,713.24 was made up of the standard Council charge for 2024-25 of £1,465.12, plus an ASC Precept of £248.12).
Standard Council charge increase - 2.99%
Firstly, we multiply the Total Council Charge for 2024-25 by 2.99%.
£1,713.24 x 2.99% = £51.23
We then add that increase to the 2024-25 standard Council charge.
£1,465.12 + £51.23 = £1,516.35
ASC Precept charge increase - 2.0%
Firstly, we multiply the Total Council Tax Charge for 2024-25 by 2.0%.
£1,713.24 x 2.0% = £34.27
We then add that increase to the 2024-25 ASC Precept charge.
£248.12 + £34.27 = £282.39
Total Council charge for 2025-26
The Total Council charge for 2025-26 is the new standard Council charge
(£1,516.35) plus the new ASC Precept charge (£282.39) which equals £1,798.74
| Charge Type | Band A £ | Band B £ | Band C £ | Band D £ | Band E £ | Band F £ | Band G £ | Band H £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Council Charge 2024-25 | 976.75 | 1,139.54 | 1,302.33 | 1,465.12 | 1,790.70 | 2,116.28 | 2,441.87 | 2,930.24 |
| Adult Social Care Precept (ASC) 2024-25 | 165.41 | 192.98 | 220.55 | 248.12 | 303.26 | 358.40 | 413.53 | 496.24 |
| Total Council Charge 2024-25 | 1,142.16 | 1,332.52 | 1,522.88 | 1,713.24 | 2,093.96 | 2,474.68 | 2,855.40 | 3,426.48 |
| Increase in Standard Council charge for 2025-26 (2024-25 Council charge x 2.99%) | 34.15 | 39.85 | 45.54 | 51.23 | 62.61 | 74.00 | 85.38 | 102.46 |
| 2025-26 Standard Council charge on bill (2024-25 Standard Council charge + calculated increase) | 1,010.90 | 1,179.38 | 1,347.87 | 1,516.35 | 1,853.32 | 2,190.28 | 2,527.25 | 3,032.70 |
| Increase in Adult Social Care Precept for 2025-26 (2024-25 Council charge x 2.0%) | 22.85 | 26.65 | 30.46 | 34,27 | 41.89 | 49.50 | 57.12 | 68.54 |
| 2025-26 ASC Charge on Bill (2024-25 ASC + calculated increase) | 188.26 | 219.64 | 251.01 | 282.39 | 345.14 | 407.90 | 470.65 | 564.78 |
| Total Council Charge 2025-26 | 1,199.16 | 1,399.02 | 1,598.88 | 1,798.74 | 2,198.46 | 2,598.18 | 2,997.90 | 3,597.48 |
Leigh-on-Sea Town Council Precept 2025-26
Leigh-on-Sea Town Council appreciates that households within our boundary pay an additional council tax. This element is the only amount that is fully spent on Leigh-on-Sea which the Town Council has full control over. Taking into consideration the turbulence over the past year and thinking about the financial impact on all its residents the Council has tried to keep the increase to the bare minimum. Councillors and staff continue to provide an outstanding service for the residents; providing events and facilities to an excellent standard and looking forward to expanding what they do.
The precept for 2025/26 is £484,790.13 which equates to a Band D council tax figure of £53.25, a small increase of 2.9% on the 2024/25 Band D figure of £51.75.
Leigh-on-Sea Town Council continues to provide services which include the following:
- Help, support and provide information for our residents on a huge range of issues.
- Maintain our role as statutory consultee on planning, highways and licensing issues.
- Working with and supporting volunteers and community partners/groups.
- Helping to protect the environment and heritage of Leigh.
- Undertaking Community Infrastructure Levy projects for the benefit of Leigh and our residents.
- Provision of a Special Constables programme for the Leigh Town Council area.
- Providing and managing community facilities in particular the Community Centre, Skate Park, Strand Wharf, Bell Wharf Beach paddling pool, Gipsy Bridge and 17 acres of Allotment sites.
- Community engagement with our residents using various methods - face to face, social media, websites.
- A community news magazine twice a year and a newsletter in the local press.
- Events and activities throughout the year.
- Fortnightly Over 60’s Social Lunch Club to combat isolation in our community.
- Christmas Lights and Library Gardens Christmas tree and displays.
- Supporting the Arts in Leigh.
- Representing our residents to other authorities.
- Support to Youth Clubs.
- A Council run Community Centre Children’s’ Holiday Programme.
- A Community Trips Scheme supporting elderly residents and providing social contact.
- A local employer of staff to facilitate and manage all Council services and the Community Centre.
- Continue with repairs and improvements at the Community Centre.
- Grant Award Fund to support the work of other community groups and organisations in the Leigh Town Council area.
- Summer hanging flower baskets in various locations.
Leigh-on-Sea Town Council expenditure plans 2025-26
Expenditure
| Expenditure | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Community and Culture | 225,599 |
| Staffing | 202,523 |
| Finance and Governance | 135,151 |
| Christmas Lights | 50,000 |
| Refurbishment | 20,000 |
| Allotments | 18,879 |
| Events | 17,500 |
| Hanging Baskets | 11,160 |
Income
| Income | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Room Hire and External Facilities Hire | (110,600) |
| Interest on investments | (34,032) |
| Finance and Governance | (23,000) |
| Allotments | (19,800) |
| Events | (6,500) |
| Café | (2,000) |
| Total precept 2025-26 | 484,790 |
The Policing and Fire and Rescue Service Precept charges for 2025/2026 are available from their website.