Increased Precept announced for policing, victim support and crime prevention
PCC Rupert Matthews has confirmed that he will increase the Policing Precept for a Band D property by £15 in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Mr Matthews was required to reconsider his original proposal of an £11 a year for a Band D property when his recommendation was blocked by the Police and Crime Panel on 4th February on the basis that it was too low. The Policing Precept is the portion of the overall council tax that goes towards policing; households in other property bands will pay a different amount.
He explained that he had been keen to limit the impact of any increase on local taxpayers, however members of the panel were very clear that the residents of their communities were willing to pay more.
Today (10 February) he published a revised Precept Report which shows that he will issue a Council Tax Precept of £15 for the 2026/27 financial year for a Band D property, which will raise an additional £1.4-£1.5m for policing, crime prevention activity, community safety and victim support services.
Mr Matthews said: “The Panel recommended that the maximum level of precept should be imposed on local taxpayers.
“The challenges put forward by the Panel do not lead me to question my original decision-making process, but I do recognise their role to scrutinise my decision making and represent the views of their relevant organisations and electorates by extension.
“As I made clear, I wanted to go for a low level of council tax precept on behalf of local residents, which was blocked by the Panel. Therefore, my Council Tax Precept for the 2026/27 financial year will now be set at £15 for a Band D property.
“The additional income will cover the Force’s remaining deficit of £750k, which means that the Temporary Chief Constable no longer has an in-year savings target. The balance will boost both our reserves and be used to fund demand-reducing prevention activity to lessen the pressures on the call centre, and frontline officers and staff.”
The amount to be paid by each property band can be seen in the table below.
| Band | Increase from 2025/26 | Precept by Band |
| £ | £ | |
| Band A | 10.00 | 210.15 |
| Band B | 11.67 | 245.18 |
| Band C | 13.33 | 280.20 |
| Band D | 15.00 | 315.23 |
| Band E | 18.33 | 385.28 |
| Band F | 21.67 | 455.33 |
| Band G | 25.00 | 525.38 |
| Band H | 30.00 | 630.46 |
Ends
Editor information:
Schedule 5 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 sets out the process for issuing a precept, including the panel’s role in reviewing the proposed precept, their power to veto the precept and the steps to be taken if they do veto the proposed precept.
Where the panel vetoes the proposed precept, the PCC must have regard to the report made by the panel, give the Panel a response to the report and publish the response. In his/her response, the PCC must notify the panel of the revised precept that he/she intends to issue.
Where the Panel’s report indicates that they vetoed the precept because it was:
· Too high, the revised precept must be lower than the previously proposed precept.
· Too low, the revised precept must be higher than the previously proposed precept.
For clarity, there is no guidance or stipulation as to how much lower, or higher, the revised precept should be. Further details can be found on the Panel’s website – access here
The revised Precept Report can also be accessed from that page.
Media enquiries: Sallie Blair 07702 541401