Bedford vs Blackburn with Darwen
Bedford Council charges £2,472.00 Band D council tax in 2026-27, compared to £2,455.00 for Blackburn with Darwen Council — a difference of £17.00. Blackburn with Darwen Council is cheaper.
Key metrics
Council tax for 2026-27 · budget figures for 2025-26
BedfordBlackburn with Darwen
Band D Council Tax (2026-27)£2,472.00£2,455.00 (lower)
Year-on-year change+5.1%+5.0% (lower)
Total service budget£341.5 million£342.9 million
Population183,300154,200
Spending per person£1,863£2,224
CEO salary£185,677£179,819
Spending by service
Budget allocation comparison for 2025-26
BedfordBlackburn with Darwen
Education£129.0 million£145.0 million
Adult Social Care£82.2 million£78.4 million
Children's Services£54.7 million£48.9 million
Environment & Streets£17.0 million£17.5 million
Roads & Transport£11.2 million£5.9 million
Housing£14.8 million£5.0 million
Leisure & Culture£9.7 million£8.0 million
Public Health£9.5 million£19.0 million
Planning£2.9 million£6.0 million
Council Services£10.5 million£7.3 million