Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr John Smale.

It was agreed that all the panel members had an interest – as council tax payers.

This should not however bar them from debating and voting on the Commissioner’s proposals.

The Chairman advised that both Cllr Junab Ali and Cllr Jonathon Seed were standing as candidates in the forthcoming PCP election, that there was no statutory impediment to them continuing to sit as panel members.

The Panel welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you wish to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the first page of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

Members of the public are able to ask questions in relation to the responsibilities and functions of the Panel at each meeting. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the Head of Democratic Services at Wiltshire Council no later than 5.00 pm on Friday 31 January 2020. Please contact the officer named on the first page of the agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

That Cllr Junab Ali had submitted a member’s question on behalf of a resident. That this question would be taken after the precept proposal vote.

The Commissioner advised that on the 22 January he had received the following guidance. 

The headlines from the settlement for Wiltshire Police were:

·       Central Grant increased by 7.5%

·       Capital Grant reduced by £0.298m to £0.109m from £0.407m

·       Police Officer Uplift Pay to be funded by specific grant (£1.384m) dependent on delivery

·       Uplift Infrastructure for the 20,000 officers to be funded from Central Grant increase

·       Precept flexibility limited to £10 per Band D property

The Commissioner advised that his initial paper had identified that he was considering a £12 increase in precept.  With a £10 capping limit this option was now only available via a referendum.  The Commissioner was not considering a referendum.

That he was now considering the whole funding position.  Wiltshire remained the 3^rd lowest funded area with the lowest council tax in the South West.  Based on this low funding position and assuming the Chief Constable would use any additional funding available to increase front line policing, he was therefore minded to increase the precept by £10 for a Band D property to £216.27.  This increase would help the long term funding of policing in Wiltshire.

The Police and Crime Panel were given the opportunity to discuss the Commissioner’s proposals, after which a vote on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed Council Tax precept for the year 2020-21 was taken.

Decision

·       That the Panel supports the Commissioner’s decision to set a precept of £57.055m.

·    This will require council tax to be set on all property bands based on £216.27 for a Band D property.  This represented a £10 (4.8%) increase on the 2019-20 level. 

The Chairman thanked the Commissioner for his report.

The following Members question from Cllr Junab Alli on behalf of Mr Andrew Martin

Dear Councillor Ali

The saga of the PCC precept continues and I gather there is another panel meeting tomorrow.

 When I last wrote to you,  Macpherson was “consulting” this year about a further 12% while admitting that the extra staff we were asked for last year and are paying for now were not yet in post.   Now that HMG has announced all police may have an extra 10% next year, he seems to have decided to have the 10% as of right without the consultation.   He has also failed to publish the results of his consultation.

That might be OK if he had not poached 13% last year.  HMG clearly intended a 10% this year but they  did not intend 20% plus over two years.

 Macpherson needs to do two things. One, publish the results of his consultation, since they relate to proposed increases for 2020/21.  Two, admit that he has not yet fulfilled the conditions for which he took the increase last year and hence he should not claim a second increase for the new year.

He also owes me an honest answer to my letters, but that is not your problem.

Thank you for your interest

 Andrew Martin

It was agreed that the OPCC would provide a written  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

To note the future meeting dates below:

·       Thursday 19 March – Monkton Park, Chippenham

·       Thursday 4 June – City Hall, Salisbury

·       Thursday 3 September – Corn Exchange, Devizes

·       Thursday 10 December – Swindon Borough Council Offices

Future meeting dates were:

·       Thursday 19 March – Monkton Park, Chippenham

·       Thursday 4 June – City Hall, Salisbury

·       Thursday 3 September – Corn Exchange, Devizes

·       Thursday 10 December – Swindon Borough Council Offices

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