Council Tax 2012/13

It is the responsibility of Hampshire Police Authority to set the council tax for policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Chief Constable prepares the budget for the coming year and advises Hampshire Police Authority how much he needs to efficiently and effectively police the two counties.

The Police Authority receives the money for this budget from government grants, business rates and the police precept in the council tax. Depending on how much money it receives from government, the Police Authority has to raise a certain amount of money from the precept, which is the only part of its income the Authority can adjust.

The police precept comprises approximately one tenth of the total council tax bill. In 2012/13 the policing element of the council tax has been frozen, the council tax for a band D porperty is still £146.25. The freeze in the police element entitles Hampshire Police Authority to a government grant, equivalent to a local council tax increase of 3 per cent.  This grant will equate to approximately £3 million.  

How the money will be used

The funding announcement in December 2010 means that Hampshire Police Authority’s grant has been reduced by £14 million for 2012/13.  Due to inflation and other budget pressures Hampshire Police Authority will have to make £20 million savings.  The majority of these savings will be delivered by making efficiency improvements that allow us to reduce the number of employees needed to deliver excellent services. No reductions will be made to frontline personnel.

The majority of budget will again be spent on employees in order to continue to deliver excellent service.

The budget includes growth of £0.6 million for additional mobile information devices that will allow frontline personnel to undertake more work in the community and reduce the need to return to police stations.

The budget protects ‘ring-fenced’ frontline posts which include response officers, safer neighbourhood teams and local crime management through to March 2013. The aim is to protect frontline personnel numbers right through the Spending Review grant reduction period.

Please visit the 'frequently asked questions' page to find out more about the amount for policing in the council tax.

The information booklet issued with council tax bills can be viewed on the precept notices page of this site.

The report that presented the budget and amount for policing in the council tax to the Police Authority on 14 February 2012 can be downloaded by clicking here and the addendum to that report can be dowloaded here.