HARLOW Council will unveil its budget proposals for 2026 later today.

The council says Budget 2026 will “transform our council” to Build Harlow’s Future. It includes a record‑breaking fifth consecutive Council Tax freeze – the first time in the council’s history that Council Tax has been frozen for five years in a row.

Commenting on the proposals this morning, Councillor James Leppard, Cabinet Member for Finance, said:

“Our proposed Budget 2026 is fully funded, with no nasty surprises, no unidentified savings and no service cuts. Instead, it provides investment on a scale never seen before in Harlow, and meets all of our prudential indicators and financial rules in full.

“So how did we do it? By transforming how the council works – cutting waste, slashing bureaucracy, focussing relentlessly on what residents actually want, making smart commercial decisions, unlocking value from unused land, and treating every pound of public money like it truly matters.”

The full budget proposals will be published at 5pm today.