Cheshire residents will have to pay 4.99% more in the police precept from April, adding an extra £12.50 to the annual bill for a band D property, writes Belinda Ryan.
The £12.50 increase to the policing element of the Council Tax bill amounts to an extra £1.04 a month for a band D household.
Police Crime Commissioner John Dwyer said it was needed to maintain the level of service across the county.
It will take the monthly police precept for a band D property to £21.91 from April.
Mr Dwyer told the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel: “This is lower than the flexibility permitted of £13 and represents an increase of 4.99% per annum, in line with the maximum which can be levied by the four local authorities represented here today.”
He said two thirds of households in Cheshire fall in Council Tax bands A to C, so will pay less than the £12.50 yearly increase.
Mr Dwyer said £6.2 million of savings had already been identified for 2024/25 within the force.
“Without additional funding afforded through this precept increase, substantial and additional savings would be required and the level of service currently provided by the constabulary could not be maintained,” he said.
“So in essence, it’s about increase or we reduce the quality of service we’re delivering.”
All members of the panel – which includes councillors from Cheshire’s four borough councils – Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Warrington and Halton – voted in favour of the 4.99% increase in the precept.
Meanwhile, Crewe’s new out-of-town police station will be a purely operational base when it opens and members of the public will be expected to go to the new town centre hub.
Mr Dwyer was responding to concerns raised by the public about the new station in Shavington being inaccessible because it is to be located on the outskirts of Crewe.
Mr Dwyer said: “The current police station in Crewe town centre will not be closed until the Basford East development is finished and an alternative town centre site is operational.
“Currently it is anticipated that the new facility on the outskirts of the town will be finished sometime in 2027, but this is not a fixed time-scale and is dependent on many factors, some of which are outside of our control, such as planning permission which sits with Cheshire East Council.
“We will be looking to sell the existing town centre site once it is vacated, and both the new town centre location and Basford East site are operational.”
With regard to a question about public transport links to the new out-of-town site, Mr Dwyer said: “This will not be a consideration as we will be asking the public to go to the new town centre site which will take on all the current helpdesk capabilities rather than the out-of-town site which will be a purely operational deployment base.”
£1 a month is hardly going to affect anyone
“To maintain level of service”, what level of service are they talking about, there are no police around, no police station access, they don’t even investigate crimes anymore, it should be a 4.99 percent decrease.
We are paying more for less, we must be crazy.
They are taking the p*:_s out of us all now,
And somebody tell me why we have a police and crime comissioner, we managed rather well with out one before, just another high paid position for a pointless top knob.
Well, the PCC’s office will want a good pay rise. It costs about £1 million to fund this. Would not more PC’s be a better use of this money?