Council tax bills to include 4.8 per cent rise for Nottinghamshire Police

The 4.8 per cent increase will bring in an extra £4.3m for Nottinghamshire Police over the upcoming 12 months from April compared to the current financial year.

The category of home which pays the lowest council tax, ‘band A’, which makes up the majority of homes in the county, will be asked to pay another £8.64, for a total of £188 over the course of the year.

The band B bill will rise by £10.08 to £219.45 for the year, and for band C homes it will rise £11.52 to £250.80.

For band D homes the planned rise is £12.96, taking their total bill for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) up to £282 a year.

The proposals will be presented to the police and crime panel at Nottinghamshire Council on Monday, February 5.

PCC’s were previously limited to a £10 tax rise per year, although this cap was increased in 2023 up to £13.

Nottinghamshire PCC Caroline Henry (Con), in a report on the proposal, said: “In considering the additional precept flexibility, I am mindful that this places further burden on taxpayers, particularly when households are already facing financial pressures.

“The outcome of the various budget consultation exercises has helped to inform my decision.”

The proposed budget says there will be no cuts to frontline police services next year.

Nottinghamshire Police officer numbers will be maintained at 2,408 – roughly one officer for every 482 members of the public – and 150 PCSOs.

A total of £5.2m savings and efficiencies have been found to reduce costs over the next financial year.

Like all local authorities, police forces are facing increased financial difficulty due to inflation and rising costs.

The report adds: “It is clear that the use of reserves will continue to be necessary to balance the budget beyond 2024-25.

“Efficiencies will also need to be identified to reduce the expenditure budget in the medium term financial plan and, to an even greater extent, if additional income is not forthcoming, for example, from the formula funding review.”