Budget & Policing Precept History

On this page you can find historical information dating back to 2013 regarding the policing budget and precept. 

2025/26 Budget & Policing Precept

On 31 January 2025 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for 2025/26 for the Sussex area of £266.91.

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2024/25 and also the Medium Term Financial Strategy on 10 February 2025. The relevant documents are:

The full decision notice can be read here. 

The report can be read here. 

Appendix 1 - Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2025/26

Appendix 1b - MTFS Financial Risk Register

Appendix 1e - Capital Strategy

Appendix 2 - Precept Consultation Results

Appendix 3 - Engagement Summary Analysis

Appendix 4 - A Day in the Life of Sussex Police Info-graphic

Appendix 5 - Tax base and Levy Schedule 2025/26 

In addition, we have also produced a list of frequently asked questions and an explanatory leaflet to accompany council tax bills can be found from this page https://www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/about/financials/policing-budget/.

2024/25 Budget & Policing Precept

On 26 January 2024 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel supported the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £252.91

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2024/25 on 5 February 2024. 

The relevant documents are:

2023/24 Budget & Policing Precept

On 27 January 2023 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £239.91

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2023/24 on 8 February 2023. The relevant documents are:

2022/23 Budget & Policing precept

On 28 January 2022 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a Band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £224.91.

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2022/23 on 9 February 2022. The relevant documents are:

2021/22 Budget & Policing Precept

There are statutory requirements for the PCC to calculate the budget requirements and formally issue a precept for the financial year.

On 29 January 2021 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £214.91

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2021/22 on 8 February 2021.The relevant documents are:

2020/21 Budget & Policing Precept

There are statutory requirements for the PCC to calculate the budget requirements and formally issue a precept for the financial year.

On 31 January 2020 the Sussex Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £199.91. The agenda and reports for that meeting can be found on the Police & Crime Panel website.

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2020/21 on 7 February 2020.The relevant documents are:

 

2019/20 Budget & Policing Precept

There are statutory requirements for the PCC to calculate the budget requirements and formally issue a precept for the financial year. On 1 February 2019 the Police and Crime Panel supported the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £189.91. The agenda and reports for that meeting can be found on the West Sussex website. 

This year's police funding survey was phrased to inform the public that the 2019/20 precept - the police element of council tax - would rise by an average of £12 p.a. (for a Band D property) and asked if people would be willing to pay more than this amount if the cap on the precept was lifted.

The PCC approved the council tax precept and revenue and capital budgets 2019/20 on 8 February 2019 and you can view the decision in our PCC decisions section and you can download the supporting report.

 

2018/19 Budget & Policing Precept

On 19 January 2018 the Police and Crime Panel agreed the proposal of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (the PCC) to issue a band D council tax precept for the Sussex area of £165.91. This was later approved by the PCC.

There are statutory requirements for the PCC to calculate the budget requirements and formally issue a precept for the financial year. A public consultation took place between 5th November 2017 to 5th January 2018 on a potential precept increase. A total of 4,559 responses were received across the above period and the percentage in favour of an increase was the highest to date.

Full details can be found in the report.

View the Sussex Police Precept 2018/19 leaflet, which will be distributed with local Council Tax bills here.

 

The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets the financial context for the PCC’s revenue budget, capital programme and precept decisions.

It sets out the key financial issues facing the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) over the period 2018/19 to 2021/22, and provides options for delivering a sustainable budget and capital programme over the medium term.

The PCC approved the MTFS 2018/19 to 2021/22 on 7th February 2018 and you can view it here.

2017/18 Policing Budget & Precept

Information about the total police budget for 2017-18 can be found in the following links:

The PCC sought the views of Sussex taxpayers regarding the 2017/18 police precept (the amount you pay for policing in your Council Tax). The majority of respondents supported an increase of 3.36%. This proposal follows a business case set out by the Chief Constable for additional investment to provide over 100 additional police officers and specialist staff to strengthen four areas of local policing: Community Investigation Teams, Armed Response Officers, Public Protection Investigators and Expert Youth Teams.

The precept proposal was supported by members of the Sussex Police & Crime Panel at their meeting on 20 January 2017. This means that local taxpayers will pay an additional £5.00 for policing per year per household (for a Band D property).

The PCC approved the Council Tax Precept and Revenue and Capital Budget 2017/18 on 9 February 2017. This is all set out in the report here.

How the budget is used:

Please click on the links to below to see how Sussex Police uses its budget, and independent assessment of its value for money from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.

  • The annual statements of accounts can be found at this link

2016/17 Policing Budget & Precept

Information about the total police budget for 2016-17 can be found in the following links:

The Commissioner sought the views of Sussex taxpayers regarding the 2016-17 police precept (the amount you pay for policing in your Council Tax). The majority of respondents supported an increase of 3.4%. This proposal follows a business case set out by the Chief Constable for additional investment to support operational demands including digital forensics and protecting vulnerable people. The precept proposal was supported by members of the Sussex Police & Crime Panel at their meeting on 22 January 2016. This means that local taxpayers will pay an additional £5.00 for policing per year per household (for a Band D property).

Please click on the links to below to see how Sussex Police uses its budget, and independent assessment of its value for money from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.

2015/16 Policing Budget & Precept

Information about the total police budget for 2015-16 can be found in the following links:

The Commissioner sought the views of Sussex taxpayers regarding the 2015-16 police precept (the amount you pay for policing in your Council Tax). The majority of respondents supported a prudent increase of 1.98%. This proposal follows a business case set out by the Chief Constable for additional investment to support operational demands including improving the Force’s ability to tackle child sexual exploitation and respond to incidents of cybercrime. The precept proposal was supported by members of the Sussex Police & Crime Panel at their meeting on 23 January 2015. This means that local taxpayers will pay an additional £2.79 for policing per year per household (for a Band D property).

2014/15 Policing Budget & Precept

Information about the total police budget for 2014-15 can be found in the following links:

Following a government announcement in early 2014 about Council Tax Referendum Limits, the Commissioner decided, with the support of the Police & Crime Panel, to increase the policing part of the Council Tax for 2014-15 by 1.95%. This added £2.70 per year per household for a Band D property in Sussex.

The Commissioner has a statutory obligation to set the police budget and that is why the views of Sussex taxpayers regarding a potential increase were sought. The results of a public consultation showed that the majority (67%) of respondents supported a precept increase of 3.6% in 2015/15 to fund future investment in areas such as reducing serious sexual offending and tackling child exploitation, strengthening the fight against cyber crime and increasing the visibility of frontline policing.

A precept rise of 1.95% still enabled Sussex Police to invest in the above areas with revisions to the timescale for delivery of these investments

2013/14 Policing Budget & Precept

Budget information for the 2013-14 financial year can be found on the links below:

The PCC froze the policing element of the Council Tax (the Policing Precept) in 2013-14, meaning Sussex taxpayers paid the same amount for policing as the previous year.