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Suffolk County Council leaders back Police and Crime Commissioner’s bid for close to £14 Council Tax hike




Leaders have backed a police boss' bid for close to £14 extra Council Tax-payer contribution on the force's precept.

On Friday, Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) presented the constabulary's case for a 5.1 per cent increase in the force's precept, or £13.95 for the average Band D property, for the coming financial year.

Members of the county council's police and crime panel, who scrutinised the proposals, pushed the PCC on the need to increase the force's precept by nearly the £14 maximum allowed by the Government without a referendum.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, said he was proposing a Council Tax precept increase with great regret. Picture: Joao Santos/LDRS
Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, said he was proposing a Council Tax precept increase with great regret. Picture: Joao Santos/LDRS

Mr Passmore said it was 'with great regret' he made the proposals, but pointed to the lack of willingness from the Government, both old and new, to reform the police's funding formula, leaving Suffolk severely underfunded.

He said: "Making sure the police force is adequately funded is fundamental. Keeping crime levels low is fundamental to everybody's wellbeing and economic growth.

"I take absolutely no pleasure in putting up Council Tax whatsoever — I've got to do what I possibly can to support the constabulary."

Suffolk police will still have to find £4.6 million in savings despite a £13.95 increase in its Council Tax precept. Picture: Joao Santos
Suffolk police will still have to find £4.6 million in savings despite a £13.95 increase in its Council Tax precept. Picture: Joao Santos

He committed the force to find £4.6 million in savings between April this year and the end of March 2029, but warned these were becoming harder to find.

The PCC cannot, for instance, make police staff redundant as doing so would result in a financial penalty from the Government of just over £60,000 per officer, which he described as a 'bonkers way to run anything'.

On other staff, he promised to try to maintain numbers.

Prompted on whether savings would impact services, Mr Passmore said: "Where am I supposed to find that money from, or do we reduce the service, but that is no good for victims — that's the sort of cleft stick between a rock and a hard place I'm stuck in.

"The constabulary has done a damn good job and I hope everyone appreciates it, but demand is ever-increasing.

"We are getting to the bottom of what can be done, there is no more low-hanging fruit — I can't sit here and say it won't impact on service."

The report states a further option of increasing the precept by just £9.99, or 3.4 per cent, was considered but abandoned as it would leave the constabulary £1.1 million out of pocket, even after savings were made.

Overall, despite nearly two hours of questions, councillors were sympathetic to the pressures facing the service, many of them facing similar pressures at their respective authorities.

Cllr John Ward said: "Ultimately I don't see there's any alternative - people do want a functioning police service and it has to be paid for."

Not all were convinced, however, with Cllr Peter Beer pointing out a £13.95 increase would amount to a total of around £55 hike over the past four years.

He added: "There does come a point where we've got to say that enough is enough and certainly increasing the Council Tax by this amount, at this particular time, is unacceptable. The public out there can't afford it, they really can't.

"I don't think we can continue to put this burden on the general public."

Ultimately, councillors agreed to support the proposed precept with six votes for and one against.