Running Lancashire Constabulary costs over £300m a year, with almost 72 per cent of this coming from Central Government funding, and the remainder being raised by the policing element of your Council Tax bill.
Following the government’s announcement on police funding for 2021/22, PCCs are expected to use the maximum flexibility to raise the council tax precept equating to a £15 a year/29p a week increase for a band D property to deliver the government’s uplift programme which promises extra officers for the county.
Over 4,600 residents responded to my recent survey with 83% of respondents in favour of my proposal to invest the majority of the money raised through the precept into neighbourhood policing. This investment will result in 58 additional officers across Lancashire.
This has been a challenging year for the country and for Lancashire residents but it has also highlighted the need for properly funded policing in times of crisis.
Despite having saved over £86m from the police budget since 2010 already, the government leaves Police and Crime Commissioners no choice but to increase the council tax precept to make the investments necessary. Not doing so would force further savings that could reduce the level of service we are able to provide across Lancashire.
With Lancashire Constabulary having been rated as outstanding for efficiency in the use of their resources by HMICFRS, residents can be assured that any investment made will be maximised to achieve the best possible outcome for Lancashire.
My commitment is to ensure that you will see genuine improvements to local policing and increased officer numbers as a result. I will continue to lobby the government to provide fair funding for Lancashire without asking local council tax payers to foot the bill.
Thank you for your continued support.
Clive Grunshaw
Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire
| BUDGET ANALYSIS | |||
| £m | |||
| 2020/21 Budget requirement | 312.930 | ||
| Add: Uplift | 6.786 | ||
| Add: Cost Pressures | 5.060 | ||
| Add: Investment | 8.621 | ||
| Less: Savings | -2.625 | ||
| Less: Specific grant funding | -11.380 | ||
| 2021/22 Net Budget requirement | 319.392 | ||
| EXPENDITURE AND INCOME | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2021/22 |
| £m | £m | £ per head | |
| Gross Revenue Expenditure | 322.65 | 339.85 | 225.23 |
| Less: Income | -20.46 | -20.46 | -13.56 |
| Net Budget requirement | 302.19 | 319.39 | 211.67 |
| Less: Central Government funding | -207.29 | -219.54 | -145.49 |
| Collection Fund -surplus/+deficit | -1.06 | 0.41 | 0.27 |
| Council Tax Requirement | 93.85 | 100.26 | 66.44 |
| Band D equivalent (£) | 211.45 | 226.45 |
https://democracy.blackburn.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=200&MId=3100&Ver=4
