Councillor Says Government has Cost North Yorkshire Fire Service £1.8m

As North Yorkshire's Fire Service tries to balance the books, Conservatives claim government funding changes are costing North Yorkshire housholds £5 each, Labour councillors hit back at 13 years of austerity.

There's been an outbreak of politics at the latest meeting of York and North Yorkshire's Mayoral authority.

It came during a debate on increasing fire service funding.

The proposal will see band D properties pay an extra £24 a year from April for the fire service.

North Yorkshire Conservative Councillor - Gareth Dadd - said five pounds of that is a result of the government's budget and the withdrawal of some central government funding.

City of York Labour Councillor - Peter Kilbane - threw the accusation back at the Tory's.

This is the first year that the Mayor has been responsible for setting the Fire Precept.

The proposal is for a £24 increase for a Band D property, bringing the total to £107.02 per year, or £2.06 per week. This increase is intended to address a number of financial challenges and to invest in the future of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS).

• Inflationary Pressures: The fire service is facing significant inflationary pressures on both pay and non-pay budgets. Staff pay is expected to increase by £2.7 million in 2025/26 due to negotiated pay increases, increases to the Local Government Pension Scheme, and increases to National Insurance contributions. There are also non-pay pressures totaling £1.255 million including, training costs, premises costs, supplies and services costs, PFI costs, and injury and medical retirements.
• Reduction in Central Government Funding: The fire service is experiencing a reduction in funding from central government. The Rural Services Delivery Grant and Services Grant have been removed entirely, resulting in a loss of £699k and £43k respectively. The Minimum Funding Guarantee has also been reduced, resulting in a further loss of £669k. Overall, the proposed budget reflects a loss of approximately £1.2 million in government funding.
• Need to Rebuild Reserves: The NYFRS reserves are currently very low, offering little resilience to respond to major challenges. The proposed increase will allow the fire service to rebuild its general reserve from 3% to 5% over four years. There are also plans to increase reserves to support costs for pay awards and to create a ‘Change and New Developments Reserve’ to enable service improvements.
• Past Underinvestment: The fire service has suffered from underinvestment, including a decision to freeze the fire precept for three years between 2011 and 2014, resulting in £21m less funding. The current increase is intended to rectify some of the challenges that have occurred over the past decade.
• Service Improvement: The proposed increase will allow the fire service to invest in future service improvements after years of underinvestment. The increase in funding will enable the service to deliver a sustainable fire and rescue service for North Yorkshire. A million pounds a year for four years will be set aside for wider capital investment to improve efficiency in the service and meet future needs. The service also plans to invest and transform, setting aside a surplus in each year to fund change and investment.
• Unique Regional Challenges: The region faces specific challenges, including flooding, wildfires, and increases in population, traffic, and the number of roads. The increased precept will support the fire service in addressing these challenges.

A public consultation was undertaken to gather feedback on the proposed increase. The consultation included options for precept increases from £6 to £24. Initial responses showed a fairly even spread across the options, with 36% supporting a £24 increase. After an amendment to the consultation, 45% of respondents opted for the £24 increase.

The proposed £24 increase in the Band D precept is projected to increase total funding for the fire service by 17.9%.

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