Council invests millions of pounds to improve services

Three Rivers District Council’s £15.2m budget for 2026/27 was agreed at a Full Council meeting on Tuesday 24 February. This money is used to fund day-to-day services, such as waste collection, parking, housing and homelessness support, parks and open spaces, and more.

The budget includes an additional £1m over the next two years to enhance services across the district as well as supporting a wide range of projects that celebrate and protect Three Rivers’ heritage and improve parks and open spaces.

It also includes an enhanced management programme dedicated to cultivating, maintaining and caring for the trees in the district, speeding up the delivery of several new parking projects, accelerating Conservation Area Appraisals, funding for a town improvement project for Rickmansworth, funding for community-led litter picks and increased investment in upgrading Three Rivers footways and alleyways.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst OBE, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “Thanks to careful, responsible financial management and sound investments, we are able to enhance our services across the district, further improving our residents lives as well as cleaning and protecting our areas.

“With Local Government Reorganisation rapidly approaching - where we will be potentially absorbed with other councils in Hertfordshire – some local priorities could be pushed aside. That is why we are acting now to invest in the things that matter most to our communities.

“While only 10% of your total council tax goes towards our services, I do understand no one likes seeing their council tax increase – even by a small amount but it is necessary to keep our first-class services ticking while ensuring there are no cuts to services and no staff redundancies.”