Council Tax Increase to Fund Thames Valley Police Budget for 2025/26
Thames Valley residents will see a council tax rise to support police funding, ensuring safety and resources for crime prevention efforts
Thames Valley, UK, Council Tax, Police Budget, Crime Prevention
Thames Valley: Matthew Barber, the police and crime commissioner, has shared his budget plans for 2025/26. A big chunk of the nearly £600 million budget will come from local council tax payers.
This means folks will see an increase of £14 a year, which is about 27p a week, for a Band D property. This rise is necessary to cover extra costs, like £8 million for National Insurance and £30 million due to inflation.
Barber emphasized the need for resources to help “cut crime and catch criminals.” He mentioned that setting the budget is tricky this year, especially with the uncertain funding from the Home Office.
Despite a cash boost from the government, inflation is making it tough to maintain current policing levels. He pointed out that rising National Insurance costs and insufficient central funding for police pay increases add to the challenge.
To keep communities safe and address local crime priorities, Barber decided to raise council tax contributions by 27p per week for a Band D property. This increase aims to ensure more police officers are on the front lines.
He also noted the positive impact of last year’s budget, which helped recruit more officers and tackle issues like knife crime among young people. The budget was presented to the Police and Crime Panel on January 24, before it gets finalized.