THE policing element of council tax in Warrington is to rise by 3.94 per cent – adding 11 pence a week to the bill for the average Band D home.
Margaret Ollerenshaw (pictured), chairman of Cheshire Police Authority said: “We are aware of the financial strains many people 
are facing at the moment. We looked carefully at the idea of freezing council tax at last year’s level. After careful consideration, we decided this small increase would help maintain front line policing services and keep the people of Cheshire safe.
“It means the reduction in the number of police officers in Cheshire during 2012/13 can be limited to 25, instead of the 48 required if we opted to freeze council tax.”
The new budget is the final one to be set by the Police Authority before it is replaced by a Police and Crime Commissioner in November. The chairman described it as “arguably the most difficult of the 17 budgets set by the Authority”.
She added: “We are working against a background of budget cuts.
The authority has to find £33 million in savings by 2014/15, compared to the figures for 2010/11.
Ms Ollerenshaw added: “So far the performance of the Constabulary has remained stable and we have not yet seen any increase in crime, or the deterioration in satisfaction levels which we feared.”
Warrington Borough Council is set to leave its part of the council tax unchanged for the second year running.
Police to cost 11p a week more
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
7 Comments
Outrageous! Do these people not live in the real world. When unemployment is at a record high and money is tight they have the audacity to raise the Police portion of the Council Tax we pay. Not good enough to say the rise is only 11p a week when it is in effect nearly £6 in addition to what we currently pay. I am not in favour of a “Crime Commissioner” but they cannot do any worse than this. When did you last see a “Bobby” on the beat?
When a well run Parish Council like Great Sankey doesn’t increase it’s precept and the council tax remains frozen, we are all aware of the financial strains that homes are facing. I strongly question this increase. So for this increase it will make me feel safer!!!
I can’t say I found the increase of £5.72 for the police for a whole year anything to whinge about. Lets face it that is less than one packet of ciggies or two pints of lager. Infact having read al the recent local news stories on here and elsewhere about the obvious increase in both burglaries and violent unprovoked attacks and crime in Warrington over the past couple of months I’d rather pay them and extra £40 a year if it meant we have more officers on the streets to catch the scumbag offenders and to be more visible and hopefully deter crime in the areas.
Cut the Chief Constables salary….. Stop buying fleets of new cars and see them all sat in the police station car parks for day after day…..Maybe then you can start charging the public more for your second rate service
Perhaps those that ask when did you last see a bobby on the beat should get in touch with their local force and find out what goes on. The police do a very good job with the limited resources that they have and the failure of Joe Public to assist them. Check out the figures. Normally they are at the sharp end where the crime is, not walking up and down someone’s street to be seen. get real. Totally agree with what Dizzy said.
I have nothing but praise for the Police, they do a very unpleasant job made all the more unplesant by the unplesant ones amongst us – and as you can see from recent reports there’s no shortage of those. Dizzy is right to equate the 3.94 % increase to a packet of fags or a couple of pints. Sometimes I feel as though the Police are somehow blamed for the shortcomings in our legal systems – they are just as disappointed as we are when a misguided magistrate or judge hands out a seemingly insufficient sentence. For the record I have no connection with the Police, but I do value what they do.
Karl….. If the police are so bloody disappointed about the sentences handed out to offenders maybe they should use their collective mouths and say something abot it…..They are quick enough to get on TV and in the press to moan about their pensions and pay rises….. Today we learn that car theft, damaged property, minor traffic incidents and drug dealing are no longer high priority crimes and that people wishing to report such crimes should not dial 999 (as that causes issues) but they should dial 101 instead….. As Bill rightly said when commenting on the 11p a week rise in the police precept ” I’ve just seen Someone drive off with my £30,000 car and they’re expecting me to talk with some low priority answering machine? Sorry but I think I’d ring the 999 service that I pay for with my taxes.”….disgraceful