Dorset & Wiltshire Fire precept rising by average £5 per household
We'll be paying a bit more towards the fire service in our council tax
We're going to be paying an average of £5 more a year for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in our council tax.
The increase has been agreed - and will see average Band D properties paying £84.43 a year from April - up from £79.43 during this financial year.
The precept amount will give the authority revenue funding of £66.7 million for the next year.
Around 80% of the service's costs relate to spending on staff, with around 75% of its total funding coming from the precept on council tax, with the remainder mainly from Government grants.
The meeting at DWFRS headquarters in Salisbury heard that despite the budget agreement, the figures could be blown off course by a number of unknown factors, including a lack of information on Home Office grants towards pensions, and uncertainty over pay awards.
Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell told the meeting that they'd budgeted for 2% pay awards for this year and next – but those agreed so far were running at more than double that, already adding an extra £1.65 million to costs this year.
He said that if the pay dispute did go to strike action, it would incur extra costs for the service to bring in emergency back up.
The authority also has a capital budget which includes £8 million, more than half of which would go towards replacement vehicles.
Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell said:
“Elected Members and Officers have been working with our 15 MPs across Dorset and Wiltshire, the Home Office, DLUHC and the National Fire Chiefs Council, to seek the freedoms and flexibilities to increase the fire precept for Band D properties by a modest £5 per year or just 10p per week. I am pleased that this flexibility has been offered to us for 2023/24. This additional funding does relieve some of the financial pressure we are under, but we still must find savings where we can.
“We are a lean Service with a strong track record of performance, efficiency savings and ensuring value for money. Our recent His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection rated us as ‘outstanding’ in efficiency. We continue to face financial challenges and will need to work extremely hard to maintain levels of prevention, protection and emergency response provision to our communities.”
Cllr Rebecca Knox, Chair of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority, added:
“Members considered both the £5 increase and the option of raising our share of the council tax by 3%. Members unanimously agreed that the £5 was the most prudent and sustainable option in the face of the ongoing economic issues and global financial uncertainty. We know that any increase is difficult for bill-payers, but our council tax level remains below the national average, and we believe strongly that our Fire and Rescue Service provides excellent value for money.”