Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, has warned he will be raising the precept and “efficiency savings will have to be identified”.

Mr Cuthbert is to raise the amount the average household pays for policing through council tax by £1.73 per month. This equals a 6.82 per cent increase and means that an average band D property will pay an additional £20.72 each year.

Bit not only that, Mr Cuthbert has suggested policing could be rolled back after saying efficiency savings are needed.

In a tweet, Mr Cuthbert said: “I have taken the difficult decision to raise the amount of council tax the average household pays towards policing.

“We are seeing increased demand across services and this increase is a compromise between affordability for residents and the money Chief Constable Pam Kelly needs to maintain services for the next year.

“I will make up the shortfall from reserves but further efficiency savings will have to be identified.”

South Wales Argus:

(Jeff Cuthbert made what he described as a tough call)

The decision was unanimously approved by the Gwent Police and Crime Panel, a body made up of representatives from each of Gwent’s five counties, at a meeting on Friday 27 January after what was described as a “robust financial case” put forward by Chief Constable Pam Kelly for a budget of about £170m for 2023-24.

Mr Cuthbert warned that despite the rise in tax and the potential “efficiency savings”, this is still not a “sustainable solution”, and called on the Home Office to provide more funding to meet the exceptional costs now faced to maintain service delivery.

 “I have listened to residents across Gwent throughout the year,” said Mr Cuthbert, in a statement given to the Argus. “Overwhelmingly, they have told me that they are prepared to pay more to support essential services, but also that they are struggling.

“Unfortunately, policing is not immune to these rising costs. We are seeing rising demand across services and this increase is a compromise between affordability for residents and the money Chief Constable Pam Kelly needs to maintain services for the next year. I will make up the shortfall from reserves but, even then, further efficiency savings will have to be identified.”

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