Tax bills to rise by £15 to pay for police

THE extra council tax bill to pay for policing is to rise by £10 to £15 a year for most households.

The Lancashire

Police and Crime Panel backed the recommendation of police commissioner Clive Grunshaw for a 7.1 per cent rise, adding £10 to the annual bill of a Band A terraced houses and £15 for a Band D family home.

The rise will come on top of the 4.99 per cent rise proposed by the county council.

This ‘precept’ would add £46 to the annual bill of a Band A home and £70 for a Band D property in 12 borough’s including Hyndburn.

Mr Grunshaw said he was following government guidance over the increase from April 1 to pay for 153 extra officers, but branded the system of financing policing ‘flawed, unfair and unjust’ and disadvantaged counties like Lancashire with smaller homes.

Even with these officers and 58 more paid for out of efficiency savings, he said the force was still 300 short of the numbers it had in 2010.

But he pledged to increase neighbourhood police officers out on the streets.

He said there would be 54 more officers in the East of the county including 19 response officers and five neighbourhood bobbies with more than 60 deployed Lancashire-wide.

Hyndburn’s Coun Munsif Dad said he was unhappy about the rise - but the panel had no choice but to agree it.

Hyndburn Conservative MP Sara Britcliffe said: “Any increase in the precept must be used to match the government’s significant extra funding for Lancashire Constabulary to boost our frontline police presence.”

The panel agreed to write to Home Office minister Kit Malthouse asking for a reform to the financing of policing.