Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden has launched a public consultation on a proposed increase to the policing element of council tax, warning that additional funding will be required next year to maintain current police officer numbers and service levels.
The proposed rise relates to the policing precept, the portion of council tax that is set locally by the PCC and used to fund Nottinghamshire Police. Each year, the Commissioner is legally required to set a balanced budget and determine how much of the force’s funding will be raised from local taxpayers.
In a statement setting out the rationale for the consultation, Mr Godden said police officer numbers in Nottinghamshire have now returned to the levels seen a decade ago, following several years of national recruitment drives. However, he said that financial pressures on policing have continued to intensify.
“As Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), I have a duty each year to set a balanced budget and set the amount of funding that will be generated through council tax locally, known as the ‘policing precept’,” he said.
“Police officer numbers have returned to the levels they were a decade ago in Nottinghamshire. However, inflationary costs and the rising scale and complexity of the demand on policing continue to place increasing pressure on our services. This is despite the year-on-year efficiency savings that we continue to deliver.”
The Commissioner said that looking ahead to the 2026 financial year, current funding levels would not be sufficient to sustain existing services without further income from the precept. He said modelling carried out by his office shows that, without additional efficiency savings, a rise of around £23 per year for a Band D property would be required.
“In 2026, I would still need to raise a little more from the precept if we are to maintain current service levels and police officer numbers in Nottinghamshire,” he said.
“We have calculated that, without further efficiency savings, a precept increase of around £23 per Band D property would be required in 2026 in order to maintain current services and invest in all areas of identified need.”
The policing precept funds a wide range of activity beyond frontline officer numbers, including neighbourhood policing, crime prevention initiatives, victim support services and partnership work with local authorities and community organisations. Like police forces across the country, Nottinghamshire Police has faced rising costs linked to inflation, pay awards, fuel, estates, technology and the growing complexity of crime, including serious violence, safeguarding, mental health demand and organised criminal activity.
Mr Godden acknowledged the financial pressures facing households and said public feedback would be central to the final decision on the precept level.
“I know that policing, crime prevention and community safety are important issues to the residents of Nottinghamshire, but I am also acutely aware of the financial pressures many households face,” he said.
“I would therefore like to hear your views. I hope you can spare around three minutes of your time to answer the following questions and help me to make the right decision for Nottinghamshire.”
Residents are being invited to take part in the consultation before the PCC finalises the policing budget and precept proposal for 2026.
The survey is here: Precept Survey 2026-27 – Closes 12 January 2026
