'Consultation' on police tax increase

A public consultation is underway about the Police and Crime Commissioner's plan to increase by 1.9 per cent the policing part of council tax (known as the policing precept) for 2017-18.

The increase would mean an extra £3.17 a year for a band D property. At present, band D homes pay £167.10 a year.

Out of the 43 forces in England and Wales, only four receive less funding per head of population than Wiltshire.

This increase would provide the police with an additional £792,000 of income for 2017-18 and would help to cover rising costs, including £2m worth of National Insurance contributions from which they had until 2015 been exempt.

For details of the proposals and how to respond to the consultation see the PCC website here.

Please note that this is a Wiltshire-style consultation, so the increase will go ahead regardless of what you say.