The West Mercia Police and Crime Panel met on Friday 06 February 2026 to discuss and approve the proposed precept and budget for 2026/27. The panel voted to accept the proposed precept increase of £15 per average household, which equates to a 5.2% uplift. The meeting also covered the police and crime plan activity and performance monitoring, and a review of the complaints process.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner's Proposed Budget and Precept 2026/27

The primary focus of the meeting was the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) proposed precept and budget for the 2026/27 financial year. The PCC, John Campion, presented a detailed overview of the financial challenges facing West Mercia Police, including increased officer pay costs and wider inflationary pressures. He explained that the proposed precept increase of £15 per household, or 5.2%, was necessary to help balance the budget and maintain service levels, despite a shortfall in anticipated government funding.

Paul Banfield, the PCC's Treasurer, provided further detail on the funding settlement, highlighting that while core government funding had increased, it was less than anticipated. He explained that the increase in the council tax precept was crucial to bridge a projected budget gap of £2.5 million.

Councillor Liz Harvey, chair of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, presented the group's findings. She acknowledged the difficult and uncertain circumstances surrounding the budget setting process and noted that the task group had expressed disappointment with the police receiving only a one-year settlement, unlike local authorities. The task group recommended supporting the PCC's precept increase proposal, with the caveat that a clear understanding of the impact of savings on the Safer Communities Plan be obtained.

During the question and answer session, panel members raised concerns about the impact of savings on frontline policing, the effectiveness of prevention programmes, and the sustainability of the financial model. The Chief Constable, Richard Lewis, assured the panel that efforts were being made to ensure officers were deployed where their skills were most needed and that the organisation was aiming for a better workforce balance. He also noted that while the current year's settlement was the best expected within the Comprehensive Spending Review, future years would likely become more difficult.

Ultimately, the panel voted to accept the proposed precept increase. They also agreed to write to the Home Office to propose multi-year funding for the police.

Police and Crime Plan Activity and Performance Monitoring

The panel received an update on the activity undertaken by the PCC in support of the West Mercia Safer Communities Plan. This included information on road safety initiatives, the Combating Drugs Partnership, and crime reduction efforts.

Councillor Vivienne Parry raised a question regarding the Safe and Stronger Communities Programme in Telford and Reakin, noting that funding for it had been cut. The PCC clarified that the programme was not being cut but rather not being continued for another year, and he expressed concerns about the approach taken by some leadership in Telford and Reakin.

Councillor Stephen Reynolds questioned the reduction in the budget for knife crime prevention, asking about further model adoptions and their rollout. The PCC explained that while violence prevention remained a priority, the effectiveness of current programmes was being reviewed, and new government funding was anticipated.

Councillor Liz Harvey inquired about the frontline operational and community impact of the savings required to close the budget gap. The Chief Constable provided reassurance that while savings would have an impact, no single area would be significantly negatively affected, and that the focus was on trimming non-pay budgets and managing vacant posts.

The panel also discussed the increase in revenue from road safety initiatives, with the PCC explaining that this was linked to more enforcement activity being funded by sources like speed awareness courses.

Complaints Process Review

Tom Pollock, Head of Commercial Law, presented a review of the complaints handling process for the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel. The revised process aimed to provide better clarity and was not a material change in how complaints were handled.

Councillor Liz Harvey raised concerns about the training provided to the Chairman of the panel in fulfilling their role in the complaints process. While the Chairman received legal advice, other panel members felt that specific training for the Chairman was necessary. Following a discussion, the panel agreed that the policy should include a reference to the Chairman receiving appropriate training, with the level of training to be determined in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and an independent person. This amendment will be included in the revised policy, which will be brought back to the panel in July.

Work Programme

The panel reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year. Several items, including updates on offenders to justice outcomes, ICT improvement programmes, and the prevention strategy, were proposed to be covered within future performance and activity reports. Councillor Liz Harvey suggested reviewing the existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the budget metrics report, which was agreed to be explored by a working group. Councillor Vivienne Parry also requested that road safety be brought forward on the agenda, which was noted.

The meeting concluded with the panel voting to accept the proposed precept increase, agreeing to write to the Home Office regarding multi-year funding, and approving the revised complaints process with an amendment regarding Chairman training. The next meeting was scheduled for July 25th.