Most householders in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear will pay less than 16p per day for one of the most efficient police forces in the country, according to figures released by Northumbria Police Authority today (10th February, 2010).

The figures were announced following Northumbria Police Authority’s agreement to an annual budget of £308m for 2010/11 – a 3% increase on this year’s budget which will guarantee Northumbria Police’s existing high levels of service.

Police Authority members also agreed to invest more than £33.4m in a range of capital initiatives, including completion of a major new building at North Tyneside.

Almost £13m has been set aside for minor building works, including upgrades of custody areas, and for expenditure on new information technology. Planned expenditure on police vehicles will ensure that current operational requirements are supported and that sufficient funding is available to maintain the fleet within the current vehicle replacement policy.

However, despite the increase in police expenditure, Council Tax payers across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear will not see big increases in their precept - the part of everyone’s Council Tax bill that is payable to Northumbria Police Authority.

Instead, by using some of the authority’s own financial reserves, Northumbria Police Authority members have agreed to limit the increase to only 2.9%, maintaining Northumbria Police Authority’s reputation for levying the lowest precept of any police authority in England and Wales. In fact, this is Northumbria’s lowest ever increase.

Councillor Mick Henry, Chair of Northumbria Police Authority, said “The budget we have approved today will allow us to continue to deliver the high quality police service that the people of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear have come to expect.”

“The current economic downturn means that, for many families, these are fairly tough times. So as well as continuing to fund one of the most effective police forces in the country, we have also tried to keep charges to hard-pressed Council Tax payers to an absolute minimum.

“Northumbria Police Authority has a national reputation for careful financial management. The financial reserves that we have carefully put aside over the years have given us the flexibility to reduce the amount of money we need to raise locally and this allows us to levy the lowest police authority precept in the country.”

He added: “We have come to expect a very high standard of service from Northumbria Police. I am confident that the budget we have agreed today will allow us to maintain that high standard, and build on it.”

The Northumbria Police Authority budget for 2010/11 totals £307,765,000 - £15,317,000 being funded from the Police Authority’s own financial reserves. A total of £36,264,000 will be raised from local Council Tax payers via the Council Tax precept.

The agreed precept levels will see Band A households – which constitute around 60% of all homes in the Northumbria Police area - paying just £55.79p per year, or only £1.07p per week.

Band B households will pay £65.09p (£1.25p per week), Band C households £74.38p per year (£1.43p per week) and Band D households paying £83.68p per year (£1.60p per week).

Members of Northumbria Police Authority agreed the budget for 2010/11 at their meeting yesterday at Gateshead Civic Centre.

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