The amount of council tax people in Bracknell Forest for police and firefighters has been unveiled.
Both Thames Valley Police and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service are in part funded through council tax.
Now, both the police and fire service have set the amount of councIl tax they will each be collecting from people in Bracknell Forest.
Three public bodies have the power to collect council tax: the upper tier authority, which is Bracknell Forest Council, town and parish councils, and the police and fire service.
READ MORE: How much council tax you will be paying in Bracknell if budget proposals are approved
Thames Valley Police and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service have both set the amount of council tax they will be raising for the 2022/23 financial year.
You can find out how much you will be paying for both services in the table below.
Both services have increased council tax this financial year.
The Thames Valley Police precept is set by Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber (Conservative), who has decided to increase the council tax by £10 this year (83p per month) for Band D households.
Justifying the increase, Mr Barber said: “By increasing council tax by less than 20p per week for the average Band D household, I can make further investments in operational policing to enable the Force to tackle crime in every community and to help keep the public safe.”
Meanwhile, the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority (RBFA), which manages the fire service, has increased council tax by £5 (less than 10p per week) for Band D households.
Bracknell councillor Colin Dudley, chairman of RBFA (Conservative, Crown Wood) said: “This additional flexibility in Council Tax charges will enable the financial resilience needed to continue to deliver a modern, effective and efficient service to the residents of Royal Berkshire.
“Despite RBFA being one of the lowest charging fire authorities nationally, we have been delivering upper quartile performance as a Fire Authority.
“Against a backdrop of additional cost pressures that have materialised, it is important that we continue to invest so that we can continue our journey of continuous improvement."
Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “It is encouraging to see RBFA continues to take difficult decisions to enable the delivery of an effective and efficient service to the people of Royal Berkshire.
“As a Service, we are committed to delivering value for money across the services provided to local residents, against a backdrop of additional cost pressures that have materialised.
“For example, following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, additional resources have been established to work closely with local authorities and landlords as part of our Protection Policy.
“Furthermore, it is imperative that we continue to maintain our stations, ICT and capital assets to ensure that we can provide a modern, fit for purpose service.”
The amount the police and fire service are collecting is on top of the council tax being set by Bracknell Forest Council this year.
The council’s tax rate is due to be approved at a full council meeting on Thursday, February 24.
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