Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell is run by Bracknell Forest Council, with Bracknell parish council for local matters. Labour has a majority on Bracknell Forest Council. Most of Bracknell is in Bracknell (MP Peter Swallow, Labour); 7% of residents are in Maidenhead (MP Mr Joshua Reynolds, Liberal Democrat).
£2,272
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Bracknell’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Bracknell Forest Council
Labour holds a majority on Bracknell Forest Council: 22 of its 41 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 10, the Liberal Democrats 7 and the Greens 2. Who’s in charge ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Bracknell is £2,282 for 2026–27; Bracknell Forest Council keeps 78% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 58% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 21 of Bracknell Forest’s 41 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour22
- Conservative10
- Liberal Democrat7
- Green2
Latest election: May 2023.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Bracknell
One council runs every main service here.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
76% of Bracknell’s residents · Band D precept £111
The parish council for the part of Bracknell inside Warfield parish.
Who runs Bracknell: same source as Who runs Bracknell, above.
The parish council for the part of Bracknell inside Winkfield parish.
Who runs Bracknell: same source as Who runs Bracknell, above.
The parish council for the part of Bracknell inside Binfield parish.
Who runs Bracknell: same source as Who runs Bracknell, above.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Bracknell, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish4 parish councilsBracknell parish councilWarfield parish councilWinkfield parish councilBinfield parish council
- 2Bracknell Forest Council11 wards · 29 councillorsLabour 23 · Conservative 3 · Green 2 · Liberal Democrat 2 · all 30
- 3Police and crime commissionerThames Valley Police · elected May 2024Matthew Barber
- 4House of CommonsSplit between 2 constituencies
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
29 councillors for 11 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Tricia BrownLabour · May 2023
- Ryan George FrostLabour · May 2023
- Michael KarimLabour · May 2023
- Paul BidwellLabour · May 2023
- Guy GillbeLabour · May 2023
- Helen Amelia PurnellLabour · May 2023
- Cherise April WelchLabour · May 2023
- Pete FrewerLabour · May 2023
- Jodie Christas WattsLabour · May 2023
- Kathryn NeilLabour · May 2023
- Georgia Rose PickeringLabour · May 2023
- Steve O'ReganLabour · May 2023
- Donna Louise PresslandLabour · November 2024 · by-election
- Mary TempertonLabour · May 2023
- Gerry WebbLabour · May 2023
- Naheed EjazLabour · May 2023
- Jenny PenfoldLabour · May 2023
- Janet Gwendoline CochraneLabour · May 2023
- Cath ThompsonLabour · May 2023
- Gareth BarnardConservative · May 2023
- Robert McLeanConservative · May 2023
- Caroline May EgglestoneLabour · May 2023
- Kandy JefferiesLabour · May 2023
- Megan WrightLabour · May 2023
- Roy BaileyLabour · May 2023
- Sophie Louise ForsterLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Patrick SmithLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Sheila CollingsGreen · May 2023
- Adrian Michael HaffegeeGreen · May 2023
- John HarrisonConservative · May 2023
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priestwood & Garthall in Bracknell · 9,225 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Tricia BrownRyan George FrostMichael Karim | May 2023 |
| Easthampstead & Wildridingsall in Bracknell · 9,092 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Paul BidwellGuy GillbeHelen Amelia Purnell | May 2023 |
| Harmans Water & Crown Woodall in Bracknell · 8,858 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Cherise April WelchPete FrewerJodie Christas Watts | May 2023 |
| Binfield South & Jennett's Parkmostly in Bracknell · 8,840 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Kathryn NeilGeorgia Rose PickeringSteve O'Regan | May 2023 |
| Great Hollandsall in Bracknell · 8,823 residents3 seats · November 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Donna Louise Presslandby-electionMary TempertonGerry WebbNaheed Ejaz | November 2024, May 2023 |
| Hanworthall in Bracknell · 8,387 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Jenny PenfoldJanet Gwendoline CochraneCath Thompson | May 2023 |
| Whitegroveall in Bracknell · 6,094 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Gareth BarnardRobert McLean | May 2023 |
| Bullbrookall in Bracknell · 6,012 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Caroline May EgglestoneKandy Jefferies | May 2023 |
| Town Centre & The Parksall in Bracknell · 5,637 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Megan WrightRoy Bailey | May 2023 |
| Swinley Forestmostly in Bracknell · 5,528 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Sophie Louise ForsterPatrick Smith | May 2023 |
| Binfield North & Warfield West28% in Bracknell · 2,166 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Sheila CollingsAdrian Michael HaffegeeJohn Harrison | May 2023 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Bracknell Forest Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Bracknell Forest council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Bracknell, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
11 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Bracknell’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗4,574 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
4,447 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
4,873 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Every ward’s result (8 more)
5,625 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
5,893 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
5,300 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
3,163 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,019 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
1,956 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,530 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
4,145 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Bracknell is split between 2 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024
93% of Bracknell’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 61% (England 60%).
Majority 784 of 43,837 votes (1.8%): the 34th-narrowest of 543 in England.
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024
7% of Bracknell’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 66% (England 60%).
Majority 2,963 of 50,329 votes (5.9%): the 114th-narrowest of 543 in England.
43,837 votes for candidates · majority 784
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 43,837 votes from 71,660 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 784 of 43,837 votes (1.8%): the 34th-narrowest of 543 in England.
Maidenhead
50,329 votes for candidates · majority 2,963
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 50,329 votes from 75,687 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 2,963 of 50,329 votes (5.9%): the 114th-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Bracknell’s Band D council tax is £2,282 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Bracknell Forest Council keeps £1,781.46 of a Band D bill (78%); the rest goes to the Bracknell parish council, the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner and the Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,272 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Bracknell Forest’s Band D bill has risen 58% in ten years, from £1,433.37 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £518.63 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Bracknell, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Berkshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £1,800.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Berkshire
| Bracknell Forest | Bracknell’s councils | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £463 | £465 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £261 | £286 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £61 | £37 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £35 | £46 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £130 | £116 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £32 | £20 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £22 | £17 | £26 |
| Public health | £47 | £56 | £78 |
| Running the council | £41 | £55 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,091 | £1,101 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Berkshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Bracknell is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
bracknell-forest.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
bracknell-forest.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Bracknell is run
Which council runs Bracknell?
Bracknell is run by Bracknell Forest Council.
Does Bracknell have a town council?
Yes: Bracknell has its own parish-tier council (Bracknell parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £111 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Bracknell?
Bracknell is split between 2 constituencies: Bracknell (Peter Swallow, Labour) and Maidenhead (Mr Joshua Reynolds, Liberal Democrat). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Bracknell have?
29 ward councillors represent Bracknell’s 11 wards.
When are the next elections in Bracknell?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Bracknell’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Bracknell?
Band D council tax in Bracknell is £2,272 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Bracknell Forest Council?
Labour has a majority: 22 of 41 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2023 council election in Bracknell?
In Bracknell’s wards on 4 May 2023, Labour 22 · Conservative 3 · Green 2 · Liberal Democrat 2 of the 29 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 48.1%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.