Fire service seeks council tax rise and makes cuts

Council tax payers in Berkshire are being consulted over a proposed increase to bills to support the county's fire service.

The Royal Berkshire Fire Authority says it is facing "significant budgetary pressure" in 2025/26, despite making £863,000 of cuts.

The proposals mean the fire precept - the portion of council tax that goes to the fire service - would increase by £5 for a band D property to £86.31 a year.

The consultation is open until the end of January.

In a letter to residents, West Berkshire councillor Jeff Brooks, chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, said £820,000 of government grants paid to the service in 2023/24 would not be available in the next financial year.

He said: "Royal Berkshire Fire Authority will deliver a significant programme of savings next year, amounting to £863,000. However, this will still leave us with a large funding shortfall.

"The money raised through this £5 annual increase will be used to make sure we have very highly trained and dedicated firefighters, excellent firefighting equipment with over £4.5m being invested in new fire engines in the coming years, as well as IT systems that are modern and impactful and backed up by exceptional support staff."

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service's annual budget for 2024/25 is £46m.

About two thirds of its funding comes from council tax, with the rest from government grants and business rates.

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