West Mercia Police Authority

Police Authority Budget Agreed Following Consultation - 10p a week increase recommended

West Mercia Police Authority has agreed the budget for West Mercia Police for the forthcoming financial year (2010/11).

Members of the Police Authority unanimously approved the budget at its meeting at force headquarters, Hindlip Hall near Worcester, on Tuesday (16 February).

The net budget of £205.4m will result in a small increase in Council Tax. A local council tax payer living in a typical Band D property will pay less than 10p extra per week, or £5.10 more a year.

Authority chairman Sheila Blagg said: "West Mercia Police Authority has to produce a budget that delivers efficient and effective services across all the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire.
"The members unanimously agreed with the need to restrict spending in the current economic climate. However, this must be balanced with the need to ensure frontline policing services.

"With levels of public spending uncertain in the coming years it is vital that we look ahead and prepare for the future with prudent and long-term strategic thinking.

"We believe this new budget will protect those essential services while driving down cost and continuing to push up the standards that local people have grown to rightly expect of West Mercia Police."

West Mercia Police will take a number of measures to reduce its planned spending by £4 million in 2010/11, including reducing the number of police officers working in support roles by 42 posts.

Chief Constable Paul West said: "All of us in West Mercia Police are very conscious of the current economic climate and I have reshaped policing resources in line with this reality.

"However, policing is a vital service for the community and I have ensured that there has been no reduction in the number of operational front-line police constables, particularly those officers deployed in local policing.

West Mercia delivers high performance with a comparatively low resource base and I am keen to ensure that this value for money tradition is maintained in the forthcoming year and onwards."

Notes to editors:
West Mercia Police Authority is an independent body of 17 local people (nine councillors and eight independents). More information from:

www.westmerciapoliceauthority.gov.uk

The Authority holds West Mercia Police (which covers Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire) to account on behalf of local communities and is responsible for:

• Consulting with local people about what they think are the most important things the police should be doing and setting local policing priorities in the light of that consultation
• Setting the budget for West Mercia Police, including the levels of council tax
• Setting the strategic direction for local policing through three-year and annual plans
• Setting the force challenging targets to drive performance higher
• Continuously monitoring force performance against those targets and regularly reporting to local people on how well the force is doing

The budget increase of 2.94% in 2010/11 is an increase from £197.6 million for 2009/10 to £205.4m. This was due to be £209.4m with the original planned increase of 4.5%.

The policing precept part of the Council Tax was agreed as follows:
Band D – annual amount £178.72 (up from £173.62 in 2009/10). This equates to 12% of the total council tax bill.
ENDS