Elmbridge Borough Council has approved its budget for 2026/27, which includes borough-wide investments in housing and parks that will benefit residents in Walton-on-Thames and beyond.
The council has allocated £11.43 million to its Affordable Housing Delivery Plan to increase the supply of socially rented homes across the district. To protect essential services, council tax will increase by 2.99 per cent, which amounts to approximately 15p extra every week for a typical Band D property.
A new £4.5 million multi-year programme for play areas and splash pads will also begin, with eight sites across the borough scheduled for modernisation this year, including facilities in nearby Hersham. In the town centre, a new trial will start in April 2026 that reduces car park charging hours, ending at 6pm instead of 7pm from Monday to Saturday.
The Love Walton BID will also begin a new five-year term on 1 April to support local shops and events. This budget will be the council’s last full spending plan before it merges with other local authorities to form the new East Surrey Council in April 2027.
