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Wiltshire Police will be able to protect police officer numbers and continue modernising local policing - while saving and transforming for the future - after the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel approved the Police and Crime Commissioner’s 2026/27 budget.
The budget proposal, presented by Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson at the panel’s meeting on 4th February, is designed to maintain visible and responsive policing across the county while ensuring the force remains financially resilient in the face of rising costs.
Wiltshire Police must still find £4.6M in savings in 2026/27, despite £8M efficiencies already delivered in 2025/6, as costs continue to rise: including police pay, fuel, utilities and essential equipment alongside the precept increase.
The cross-party panel approved an increase in the police element of council tax of £15 per year for a Band D household – around £1.25 a month. The police precept, together with Government funding, are the two sources which form the police budget for the upcoming year.
The decision will help Wiltshire Police protect neighbourhood and response policing, maintain officer visibility, and continue transforming how services are delivered, despite significant financial pressures affecting forces nationally.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “This was not an easy decision but it was the right one. The increase protects vital services and supports the continued progress Wiltshire Police is making for our communities.
Find out more on our website: Approval for a policing budget to protect police officer numbers while force saves and transforms
For more news from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, visit www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/about-us/news
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