After public consultation and a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel at County Hall, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Angus Macpherson, has set the policing element of Wiltshire’s council tax. It will rise by £3.06 per year for the average Band D property – an increase of 1.9 per cent.
Mr Macpherson said the increase is intended to reduce the impact of central government grant reductions: “…this is about the ability to preserve local policing and response.”
He said his consultation meetings had shown that “a clear majority” were in favour of the increase.
Based on current figures from Whitehall, there will be a £3.2million (or 5.1 per cent) cut in central government’s funding to the Wiltshire and Swindon police force. The rise in council tax will provide about £729,000 extra to help bridge the gap.
Since the start of the current austerity period in 2010, savings of more than £14 million have already been made to reduce policing costs.
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