The the regular meeting of Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel took place on 31 January 2025. This is the meeting of 10 councillors (5 from Cumberland and 5 from Westmorland and Furness) to hold to account the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
This month’s meeting was the budget meeting, an important meeting because the Panel has the opportunity to question, and ultimately turn down, the proposals from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for the policing and fire budgets for the coming year.
Police Budget 2025-26
The budget for policing in Cumbria (the combined budget of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Cumbria Constabulary for 2025/26 is £142m. This is funded externally income from the Home Office Police Grant and Council Tax. Over the years the amount which is received from the Home Office has decreased as a share of income, with much more reliance on Council Tax.
This provides for an average establishment of 1,359 FTE (full time equivalent) police officers, 60 PCSOs and 684 FTE police staff.
The Police, Fire and Crime Panel were asked to endorse the Commissioner’s precept proposal
as set out within this report which is for an increase in precept of 4.50%. This is an increase of £13.95 per annum for a band D property and takes the total police element of the precept at band D to £324.00. The Chief Constable outlined some of the significant financial pressures facing policing, and that even with this Council Tax rise, significant savings would be needed this year, and even more in future years.
I asked a couple of questions about the long term resilience of the budget, in particular:
- Whether it was sensible for us to plan to reduce the Police reserves by around £9 million over the coming years, and whether this left enough provision for unforeseen emergencies (which I was assured it did).
- Whether it was sensible to plan to undertake so much borrowing (particularly fleet, equipment and buildings), when borrowing rates were so high.
The Panel approved the proposed Council Tax increase.
Fire Budget 2025-26
The fire budget for Cumbria for 2025-26 is around £34 million. About £23 million is spent on staffing, mostly fire-fighting staff which in Cumbria includes 213 full time fire-fighters, and then 447 on call firefighters at the many smaller stations (like our own in Longtown). There are just under 80 non fire fighting staff at headquarters.
Just under £19 million of that needs to come from Council Tax, so the proposed precept is a Band D Council Tax of £98.19. This is an increase of £4.95 (5.31%) on the 2024/25 amount of £93.24.
I asked again about the sustainability of the budget, in particular with the reserves of the fire service being at a particularly low level. The Finance Officer was confident that the reserves were adequate that steps are being taken to build the reserves up to a better level over a period of years.
The Panel agreed to support the proposed increase in Council Tax.
Confirmation of new Chief Fire Officer
The Panel undertook a confirmation interview with the proposed new Chief Fire Officer for Cumbria who has now been confirmed.
Papers for the meeting are here, any questions please ask.
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