Northamptonshire police and fire services open public consultation on proposal to increase council tax precept by £20 for Band D home

A public consultation has been launched for a proposed increase to the council tax precept for Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold, who represents the services, has launched a consultation warning that these services are under pressure from the financial challenges facing the country and asking how much residents are prepared to pay.

This comes as West Northamptonshire Council is also proposing to increase council tax by 4.99 percent, or £80.50 for a Band D home. This council-led increase could be higher in some areas, due to council tax harmonisation.

The emergency services precept increase

Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service are funded by a combination of central Government grants and local council tax.

This year, the settlement from the Government is based on the expectation that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will ask for an increase in the local council tax precept of £15 or 5.3 percent a year for policing and £5 a year or 7.3 percent for fire and rescue. The total yearly increase - based on a Band D home, which is the national average - would be £20.

Mr Mold said both services will need to look for savings, even with the increase.

He said: “Over the past few years, we have invested in more police and firefighters and improved services - and that comes at a cost. Maintaining gains we have made may just be sustainable with this level of increase.

“While we may still have to make savings, the extent depends on the support taxpayers are prepared to give. I understand the pressures that every household is facing and I genuinely want to know what people are prepared to pay for their emergency services.”

Police officers

According to the OPFCC, Northamptonshire Police is on target to have the most police officers it has ever had, with 1,500 by March 2023. An additional 330 officers have been recruited over the last few years, some funded through the Government’s recruitment scheme and some through local council tax investment.

Mr Mold said that a council tax increase in the coming year of £15 for policing would allow police officer numbers to be kept at this level and for investments that will increase efficiency to be prioritised.

Firefighters

Twelve new firefighters have been recruited, bringing the number to 254, and outdated equipment has been replaced, Since transferring to the governance of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has progressed from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ for both efficiency and effectiveness.

Mr Mold said: “NFRS has made great progress, but the service is incredibly lean.

“A council tax increase of £5 or 7.3 percent, will not cover rising costs, but it will go some way towards helping us maintain progress. But with such a lean model, we may still have to look for further savings where we can.”

The commissioner’s budget proposal will go to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel early in early 2023. You can have your say on it until 4.30pm on January 17, 2023 here.