Commissioner Sets Out Budget Proposals to Boost Neighbourhood Policing

Despite rising costs and pressures, his budget includes a £5.65m investment into neighbourhood policing, the force’s professional standards department, multi-agency safeguarding hubs, and digital investigations. It also protects police officer numbers, enabling Lancashire Constabulary to increase visible policing and invest in IT and critical infrastructure to be efficient and effective, keeping Lancashire safe.

The budget proposal includes a rise of 5.31%, equating to £14 a year in council tax precept, the equivalent of 27p a week for a Band D property, or 18p a week for a Band A property. Aside from the Government grant, this is the only mechanism PCC Grunshaw has to raise money to invest in policing across Lancashire.

The Commissioner has pledged a minimum of 20 extra neighbourhood police officers, together with an additional 20+ PCSOs, and says the money will be spent on delivering the public’s priorities, which include preventing violence against women and girls, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, serious violent crime, and rebuilding trust and confidence.

In addition to growth and investment, Lancashire Constabulary is making £7.463m in cost savings in 2025/26 through ongoing efficiencies, an approach supported by the majority of respondents to the Commissioner’s budget survey, in order to reduce the overall burden on council tax payers.

Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, said:

“As your elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, I am determined to put investment back into policing and get Lancashire Police back to the strong position we were in before austerity, working with our partners to deliver the service that the public want and expect.

“I have set this 2025/26 policing budget against the continued backdrop of a challenging economic environment, with inflation, pay, utilities, and insurance costs all rising. It remains a difficult time for the country, with the increased cost of living affecting all of us. It is therefore more important than ever that the hard-earned money people contribute towards policing works harder to sustain and improve services and keep them safe.

“Whilst the Police Uplift Programme has secured an extra 579 officers to bring numbers back to similar levels to 2010 before austerity, we’ve lost hundreds of staff and PCSOs.

“The additional money raised through the council tax will not only help balance the books, but it will also see investment across the force, specifically to rebuild neighbourhood policing, and free up police officer time to ensure they are out on the frontline and visible in their communities. This is something the public repeatedly call for and will help to rebuild trust and confidence.

“Neighbourhood policing has long been a cornerstone of our policing model. It’s vital to tackle and prevent all crime, from ASB to violence against women and girls to terrorism. These officers on the ground, in their communities, are the eyes and ears of the public, and their intelligence gathering is invaluable.

“My mission is to make Lancashire safer through strong leadership and tough scrutiny, ensuring an effective and efficient policing service that meets the needs and expectations of residents.”

The Commissioner says residents can be assured that investment made will be maximised to achieve the best possible outcome for Lancashire after the force was recently judged as good for efficiency in the use of their resources by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

The Police and Crime Commissioner has a statutory requirement to set an annual Police and Crime budget and, as part of that process, to notify the Police and Crime Panel regarding any proposals in relation to the council tax precept.

The budget was passed with cross-party support by the Police and Crime Panel, which is made up of Councillors representing each area of Lancashire along with independent members. A formal written decision will follow.

The budget for policing Lancashire in 2024-25 is £420.8m. This includes a 5.31% increase in the portion of the council tax that goes towards policing (the police precept). This is approximately 31% of the overall police budget, with Government funding making up the remainder.

View the survey results here