Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, approved the Fire and Rescue Service’s (CFRS) Budget for 2025-26 at his Public Accountability Conference on Thursday 13 February 2025.
The budget will allow continued, necessary investment into the service. This investment will be placed into CFRS buildings to improve welfare and compliance, investment in its fleet and equipment to enable it to perform and respond appropriately, and investment in its people to continue to keep residents safe.
The Fire element of council tax will rise by £4.95 (9.5p a week) for a Band D property to support the continuing cost and inflation pressures that are impacting public sector organisations.
Commissioner David Allen said: “This is my first Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service budget setting as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria.
“CFRS continues to grow and develop following its disaggregation from the County Council and will be inspected by HMICFRS in the coming months.
“In setting a budget for the Service, I had to be mindful of the financial position of the CFRS following its move from the Council over to my Office. Over the past couple of years, the service has shown itself to be prudent in managing its budget.
“However, the Service needs further investment into estates, fleet and staff to ensure that they continue to provide a safe and legal service to the public, which is what this budget will allow them to do. This budget will also allow the Chief Fire Officer to deliver on the objectives set in my Police, Fire and Crime Plan that were decided by the public in a consultation in mid-2024.
“I appreciate that any form of council tax increase is difficult for residents. However, to ensure continued investment, I reluctantly had to increase the policing element of council tax by £4.95 per year for a Band D property. I consulted with our residents on this proposed increase and received support from 63% of those who took part.
“My role is to be the voice of the public in Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, including the budget, which is why I have put in place processes to hold the Chief Fire Officer and CFRS to account in how they spend taxpayers money. This is to ensure the money is placed in the areas the public wish to see prioritised and I will make sure that this scrutiny and challenge continues to be provided on behalf of the residents of Cumbria.”
Chief Fire Officer, Paul Hancock, said: “Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is a fantastic organisation with fantastic people and with more investment, which this budget allows for, we can continue to deliver improvements in the areas identified by the Commissioner, with a specific focus on making Cumbria a safer place for all.
“I am committed to working with the Commissioner, staff and partners on our improvement journey the service to ensure we meet the needs of our communities and that residents and visitors to the county receive an excellent service from CFRS.
“I look forward to continuing my work with the Commissioner to drive the organisation forward to be the best in the country.”
Those interested in the budget breakdown for Cumbria Fire and Rescue, can find the information on the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner website.