'Exceptional' increase in police council tax charge

Cheshire Police has been given permission for a higher than usual increase in its share of the council tax, after a request from the area's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Labour PCC Dan Price is proposing to increase the police element of council tax - the precept by 6.7%, which is £18.50 more per year for a Band D property.

The increase is usually capped at £15 a year for a Band D property.

The PCC said the increase was to safeguard PCSO roles, after the force had proposed the loss of 60 positions.

But at a meeting last month, Price said after discussions with the force, ten of those roles would be saved.

The PCC sets the budget for the force but has no involvement in operational policing.

In a letter to the chair of Cheshire's Police and Crime Panel, Price said he asked for an exceptional increase from the government because of the "significant pressures facing policing".

He said he was "encouraged" by the Home Office's decision to grant the area permission to add an extra £3.50 to a Band D bill.

The documents for the 2026/27 budget includes savings of £1.3m because of 30 voluntary redundancies among PCSOs.

A further £1.9m of savings would come from workforce planning efficiencies, according to the budget documents, as well as vacancy management.

Overall, £4.9m of savings are planned.

The documents also said that more than 6,000 responses were received to a consultation, with more than half backing a higher precept increase.

The budget and precept will be discussed by Cheshire's Police and Crime Panel on Friday 6 February.

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