Police and Fire Authority Council Tax Rises Confirmed for East Riding

The amount people in East Yorkshire will pay on their council tax for local police and fire services has been decided.

Humberside’s police and crime panel unanimously agreed to Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Evison’s proposal to increase council tax for policing by £13.99 a year for Band D properties, in 2025/26. 

Mr Evison has said he proposed the increase “with reluctance”, and that even with the increase, Humberside Police will need “to make ambitious savings”.

Over 70 per cent of Humberside properties are council tax band C or lower, which means the policing increase on their bill will be lower than £13.99.

Meanwhile, Humberside Fire Authority has agreed to raise its precept on council tax for 2025/26 by £2.84 a year for Band D properties. The increase was agreed to sustain provision and enable investment for the future. With the majority of Humberside properties in Band C or lower, though, the fire authority’s council tax increase will be for most less than £2.84 a year.

Mr Evison commented on proposing the council tax precept increase: 

“It is with reluctance I propose to raise your council tax, especially with living costs remaining high, but I have a responsibility to keep your force efficient and effective and it is overwhelmingly the view of the public for me to maintain officer numbers, leaving me little option but to propose the increase in line with government recommendation. 

Even with the £13.99 increase, there will still be considerable monies drawn from reserves and the Force needing to make ambitious savings.”

He reiterated he had previously committed to not reducing police officer numbers in 2025/26. Humberside Police currently has its highest officer numbers since 2008.

The agreed precept increase follows a consultation on the rise, and the public’s policing priorities. It had over 650 responses. The top three policing priorities from the survey were:

• Neighbourhood Policing 
• 999 and 101 faster response times 
• Serious and organised crime e.g. gangs dealing drugs

The Humberside PCC asked temporary Chief Constable Judi Heaton her plans for improving the service, based on the increase. She made a number of commitments, including:

• Renewed focus on visible policing to further build public confidence
• Maintenance of current neighbourhood police officer and Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) numbers
• Increased specialists to address fraud offences, and provide advice alongside online crime prevention tools
• Develop an enhanced drone capability for Humberside Police – to help improve response to a variety of crimes, including rural, and to missing people
• After a successful pilot in summer 2024 of Operation Coastline, a long-term commitment to an enhanced police presence in coastal resorts as a response to increased visitor numbers
• Proactive investment in the force’s automatic number plate recognition technology, to ensure enhanced coverage on roads in and out of the county.

Mr Evison said the Government policing settlement has awarded £1.6m more to Humberside, though some of the cash will be ringfenced for more Neighbourhood Grants. The PCC said:

“Even with this additional funding, we would still be required to use £5m from reserves to cover all policing requirements,”

Humberside Fire Authority

Making the decision to vote for an increase earlier this month, the Humberside Fire Authority debated responses from a public consultation, considered current financial pressures people are facing due to high inflation, and weighed against the need to maintain current service delivery and invest in the future. 

The majority, 72 per cent, of over 1,300 responses to its consultation favoured an increase in the fire service’s precept. 

Martyn Ransom, Humberside Fire Authority’s executive director of finance said:

“The Authority’s decision to raise the precept was made with careful consideration, acknowledging the ongoing financial strains faced by people nationwide,” 

“Following deliberation, it was agreed to increase the precept to sustain the provision of excellent Fire and Rescue services and facilitate investments in resources for the benefit of everyone in the Humber region.”

Mr Ransom said the majority of its budget, £38m, would be allocated to fire response, prevention, and protection activities. 

“Additionally, £17.3 million will be dedicated to maintaining essential firefighting equipment, training, maintenance and running of vehicles and buildings, and our support functions. Making sure our staff can continue to deliver outstanding service to our communities.”

Council taxes by local authority

The precepts, or charges, made by the likes of policing and fire and rescue, are only a small part of households’ overall council tax bills. The main element is decided on by the area’s local authority.

The Humber region’s four unitary authorities are at different stages of setting their council tax for 2025/26. East Riding has agreed it will raise it by 4.99 per cent, the maximum rate a council can raise without causing a referendum. This is made up of 2.99 per cent on core council tax, and two per cent on the adult social care precept.

North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils will be deciding their budgets for next year on Thursday, February 20. North Lincolnshire Council is provisionally proposing a 4.99 per cent rise too, but the ruling Conservative administration frequently amends its budgets’ proposed council taxes at the meetings.

North East Lincolnshire Council has proposed a 3.98 per cent rise, made up of 1.98 per cent on core council tax, and two per cent on the adult social care precept.

Hull City Council is scheduled to be the last Humberside local authority to decide on its council tax level, on February 27. It has also proposed a 4.99 per cent rise.