# Council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





Council tax in **Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole** for 2026-27 is **£2,436 a year for a Band D home**, £1,624 for Band A and £4,871 for the top band. That is £25 above the England average of £2,411. It ranks 154 of 296 billing areas in England. Figures are the council's own set rates.



Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).





## Key figures



- £2,436Band D a year, 2026-27

▲
As of 6 April 2026
- £1,624Band A, the lowest


As of 6 April 2026
- +£25Band D against the England average of £2,411

Above average
As of 6 April 2026
- 154 of 296Rank in England, highest first


As of 6 April 2026




Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## What is the bill for each band?




£2,436
Band D, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 2026-27







| Band | A year | A month |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Band ADetails | £1,623.72 | £135.31 |
| A month£135.31 | | |
| Band BDetails | £1,894.34 | £157.86 |
| A month£157.86 | | |
| Band CDetails | £2,164.96 | £180.41 |
| A month£180.41 | | |
| Band DDetails | £2,435.58 | £202.97 |
| A month£202.97 | | |
| Band EDetails | £2,976.82 | £248.07 |
| A month£248.07 | | |
| Band FDetails | £3,518.06 | £293.17 |
| A month£293.17 | | |
| Band GDetails | £4,059.30 | £338.28 |
| A month£338.28 | | |
| Band HDetails | £4,871.16 | £405.93 |
| A month£405.93 | | |






### What does this mean for you?



Choose your band to see your bill in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for 2026-27. Your band is on your bill, or on the Valuation Office Agency’s search.


Your band

Band ABand BBand CBand DBand EBand FBand GBand H




Band D in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: **£2,436 a year**, or £243.56 a month over the usual ten instalments. Living alone as the only adult, it would be £1,827 after the 25% discount.



The council’s set rates, before any council tax reduction or other discount. You can ask to pay over twelve months instead of ten.



Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).








## Who gets the money?



1980

455



Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 81%Other precepting bodies 19%





| Who receives it | Band D | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleDetails | £1,980 | 81% |
| Share81% | | |
| Other precepting bodiesDetails | £455 | 19% |
| Share19% | | |





Each body sets its own precept and the council simply collects them together. The council that
sends the bill keeps only its own share.



[Where your council tax goes: from your bill to each service](/council-tax/england/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/where-it-goes/)





## How does it compare?



Band D here is **£25 above** the England average, 154 of 296 councils from the highest.




**Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole among the England councils nearest it, Band D 2026-27**



- 150. Horsham

£2,441
- 151. Luton

£2,440
- 152. Swindon

£2,438
- 153. Broadland

£2,438
- ◆154. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

£2,436
- 155. South Tyneside

£2,434
- 156. Chorley

£2,430
- 157. Kings Lynn and West Norfolk

£2,430
- 158. Melton

£2,430




England average: £2,411 ◆ Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole



Ranked highest first. [Every council](/councils/) is in the full table.




**Show as a table**





| Name | Band D |
| --- | --- |
| 150. Horsham | £2,441 |
| 151. Luton | £2,440 |
| 152. Swindon | £2,438 |
| 153. Broadland | £2,438 |
| 154. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | £2,436 |
| 155. South Tyneside | £2,434 |
| 156. Chorley | £2,430 |
| 157. Kings Lynn and West Norfolk | £2,430 |
| 158. Melton | £2,430 |






Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## How does Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compare? The report card



Official figures on complaints, finances, audit, pay and services for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, each from the body that
published it and set against the figure for England. See every council on the
[council map](/councils/map/?council=E06000058).



Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was created on 1 April 2019, replacing Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole
([SI 2018/648](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/648)). Figures for years before then belong to those councils.


- Council tax rise this year7.5%Higher than the England figure of 4.9%
- Council tax per head£915Higher than the England figure of £796
- Ombudsman uphold rate83% (20 of 24)Lower than the England figure of 86%
- Reserves as a share of net spending22%Lower than the England figure of 50%
- Borrowing per home£2,394Lower than the England figure of £3,474
- Accounts, 2024-25Delivered by backstop92% of bodies had an opinion delivered by the backstop date
- Ofsted, children's servicesGood73% of English councils are good or outstanding
- CQC, adult social careRequires improvement62% of assessed councils are good or outstanding
- A roads needing maintenance considered4%Lower than the England figure of 5%
- Recycling rate43.9%Higher than the England figure of 42.0%
- Major planning decisions on time79.3%Lower than the England figure of 91.0%



Each figure is set against the figure for England as a whole. They are plain comparisons, one measure at a
time: there is no overall score and no ranking of councils. Higher is not always better or worse; what each
measure does and does not show is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-report-cards).




### What do complaints to the ombudsman show?





| Measure | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Complaints and enquiries receivedDetails | 182 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Complaints and enquiries decidedDetails | 133 | 146 in 2024-25 |
| For comparison146 in 2024-25 | | |
| Detailed investigationsDetails | 24 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| UpheldDetails | 20 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Uphold rateDetails | 83% | 86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 85% for similar councils |
| For comparison86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 85% for similar councils | | |
| Upheld cases where the council had already offered a satisfactory remedyDetails | 20% | 13% for every body the Ombudsman covers |
| For comparison13% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | |
| Ombudsman’s recommendations the council complied withDetails | 100% | 99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers |
| For comparison99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | |
| Uphold rate in 2024-25Details | 74% | — |
| For comparison— | | |




An uphold rate depends on how many complaints reach a detailed investigation. With few investigations, one decision moves it a long way.

Source: [Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Annual review of local government complaints](https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/annual-review-reports/local-government-complaint-reviews), 2025-26.



The Housing Ombudsman, which handles complaints from council tenants, made
**0** findings of severe maladministration
against Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in 2025-26, out of 19 findings in
7 determinations. Its maladministration rate for this landlord was
67%.

Source: [Housing Ombudsman Service, Annual complaints review: landlord tables](https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/annual-complaint-review-reports/), 2025-26.






### How healthy are its finances?





| Measure | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Net revenue spending, 2025-26Details | £364.9m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Reserves at the end of 2025-26Details | £79.6m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Reserves as a share of net spendingDetails | 22% | 50% for England; 25% in 2024-25 |
| For comparison50% for England; 25% in 2024-25 | | |
| Outstanding borrowing at 30 June 2026Details | £455.9m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Borrowing per home on the valuation listDetails | £2,394 | £3,474 across English billing authorities |
| For comparison£3,474 across English billing authorities | | |




Earmarked and unallocated revenue reserves at the end of the year, excluding schools and public health, as a share of net revenue expenditure. Much of any council’s reserves is set aside for particular purposes. Borrowing is total outstanding loans of every kind; councils borrow mainly to pay for buildings, roads and housing, and the figure does not show what the borrowing was for.

Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: revenue outturn time series](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing), 2025-26; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority borrowing and investment live table](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance), 30 June 2026; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Council Taxbase statistics](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics), 2025.







### What have the auditors said?





| Accounts year | Status recorded by PSAA | Opinion signed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-25 | Delivered by backstop | 27 February 2026 |
| 2023-24 | Delivered by backstop | 28 February 2025 |




“Delivered by backstop” means the auditor gave an opinion by the statutory backstop date. Many opinions given that way
were disclaimed or qualified because the deadline cut the audit short; PSAA publishes which type of opinion each
council received only as national totals, so it is not shown here. Auditors’ value-for-money findings are in each
auditor’s annual report on the council’s website.

Source: [Public Sector Audit Appointments, Monthly audit opinion data](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/), 2024-25.






### What are senior staff and councillors paid?



Senior pay and councillor allowances for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have not yet been read from its statement of accounts. There is no
central dataset of either; they are being added council by council, each with a link to the page of the accounts
it comes from.






### How are its services rated?





| Measure | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Children's services, Ofsted overall effectiveness | [Good](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/839) | 29 January 2025. 73% of English councils judged good or outstanding |
| Adult social care, CQC assessment | [Requires improvement](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/bcp-council) | 18 June 2026. 62% of assessed councils rated good or outstanding |
| A roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 4% | 5% in England |
| B and C roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 6% | 7% in England |
| Unclassified roads where maintenance should be considered, 2024-25 | 1% | 17% in England |
| Household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting, 2024-25 | 43.9% | 42.0% for England |
| Major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of june 2026 | 79.3% | 91.0% for England |
| Non-major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of June 2026 | 86.0% | 90.7% for England |




Inspections happen at different times, so a rating can be several years old; the date is shown with each.
Planning figures are measured differently in each nation: share of decisions made within the statutory time (13 weeks for major, 8 for non-major) or an agreed extension, over 24 months.
Recycling rates are measured differently in England, Scotland and Wales, so compare within a nation.

Source: [Ofsted, Children's social care: local authority inspection outcomes](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-social-care-statistics), as at 31 March 2026; [Care Quality Commission, Local authority assessments](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports), latest assessment; [Department for Transport, Road condition statistics: data tables (RDC)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/road-condition-statistics-data-tables-rdc), 2024-25; [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Local authority collected waste management: annual results](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results), 2024-25; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Live tables on planning application statistics (P151, P153)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics), 24 months to end of June 2026.








### What has happened recently?



Decisions and publications by official bodies about Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, newest first. Each links to the body that made
or published it. News reports are not included.



- 1 April 2026
Council tax
[Council tax for 2026-27: Band D £2,436, up 7.5% on the year before](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 1 April 2026
Council tax limit
[Council tax referendum limit for 2026-27 set at 6.75%](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6989c723d3f57710b50a9bb4/Council_Tax_Referendum_Principles_Report_2026-27.pdf)
Set for this council in the government’s referendum principles report, above the standard limit.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 27 February 2026
Audit
[Auditor’s opinion on the 2024-25 accounts signed](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/august-2026-audit-opinion-data/)
PSAA records the status as “Delivered by backstop”; auditor Grant Thornton UK LLP.
Public Sector Audit Appointments
- 4 May 2023
Election
[Local election: 76 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole.2023-05-04/)
Liberal Democrats 28, Conservative and Unionist Party 12, Labour Party 10, Christchurch Independents 8, Green Party 5, Independent 5, The Party for Poole People Ltd. 5, Poole Engage Party 2, Labour and Co-operative Party 1
Democracy Club
- 10 October 2022
Ombudsman
[Ombudsman report: upheld, other](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/education/other/20-012-191)
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 20-012-191.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- 12 May 2021
Ombudsman
[Ombudsman report: upheld, friends and family carers](https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/children-s-care-services/friends-and-family-carers/19-014-589)
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman public interest report, case 19-014-589.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- 1 April 2019
Reorganisation
[Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council created](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/648)
Replaced Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole.
legislation.gov.uk, SI 2018/648







### Does the council think something here is wrong?



If you represent Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and think a figure here is wrong, out of date or unfairly presented, email
[hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk](mailto:hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk?subject=Right%20of%20reply%3A%20Bournemouth%2C%20Christchurch%20and%20Poole%20report%20card) with this page’s address and the source you would point to.
Every correction is logged, with its date, on the [corrections page](/corrections/).






## How much of the council's spending does this cover?



Council tax paid for **28.7%** of the money
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole had to spend in 2025-26. The rest came from government grants
(37.7%), business rates
(7.2%) and fees, charges and other income
(25.7%), with 0.6% taken from reserves.
That is why a grant cut can raise your bill even when the council has not changed what it does.
[See where it goes](/council-tax/england/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/where-it-goes/#d-bill).





## Where can I find out more?



[What council tax is and why it works this way](/council-tax/), including why the bands
are still based on 1991 property values in England and Scotland, and
[how every area compares](/councils/), everything else on
[Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: parking, roads, your MP and local services](/your-area/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/), and
[Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on the council map](/councils/map/?council=E06000058).






## Common questions


How much is council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?
Band D is £2,436 a year for 2026-27. Band A is £1,624 and the top band £4,871.Is council tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole higher than average?
Yes. Band D here is £25 above the England average of £2,411.





## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Related pages

- [Next in this section: Where your council tax goes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/where-it-goes/)
- [Back to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/bournemouth-christchurch-and-poole/)
- [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/)
- [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/)
- [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/)

## More from this publisher

- [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk)

Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.