County's council tax rises by 5% to pay for police

Lancashire County Council is set to increase council tax by just over 5% from April to pay for policing.

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said the hike was "the only option" to cover a funding gap of more than £6.6m.

He told councillors on the police and crime panel there would otherwise have to be a reduction of frontline officers, which already remained fewer than in 2010.

Councillors supported the rise which amounts to £14 a year or 27p a week for a typical Band D semi-detached home.

Mr Grunshaw told the meeting: "It is the only option we can take so we have to do it.

"Otherwise we would have to cut the number of frontline police officers and PCSOs.

"I am committed to rebuilding neighbourhood policing.

"It's mad that we still have less officers today than 2010 but that is the case."

Under questioning about the recruitment and retention of staff Mr Grunshaw said: "Our police have a really good mix of officers."

In a report to the panel which oversees his work, Mr Grunshaw said Lancashire had been allocated a government police grant of £259.040m, which is an increase of £10.298m on 2024/25.

However £5.8m of that had been allocated to meet the impact of the 2% increase in costs relating to Employer National Insurance contributions, leaving £4.498m to contribute towards all other cost increases for 2025/26.

"In the provisional settlement, it was confirmed that PCCs were expected to increase council tax for a Band D property by the maximum £14 in 2025/26 without the need to hold a referendum," he said.

The tax for a Band D semi-detached home in 2025/26 will rise from £263.40 to £277.40.

For a Band A terraced house it will be an increase of £9.33 from an annual £175.60 to £184.93 and for a slightly larger terraced home the increase will be £10.89 from £204.87 to £215.76.

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