Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

The Conservative attempt to cut policing failed earlier this week.

Wiltshire Police Authority met on Thursday to set the Police precept for 2010-11. The recommendation was for a 3.4% increase, which is an extra £5.19 a year for a council tax Band D payer bringing it to £157.77.

The government grant element of the budget has increased by 2.4%. Within this budget the Police are committed to £1.6 million savings, including a reduction of about 37 police posts overall. The only item of non-essential growth would be 10 additional PCSOs across the County, dependent on parish/town councils match-funding the costs.

The Police Authority eventually agreed the 3.4% increase. The Liberal Democrat representatives on the Authority had proposed an increase of 3.6%, on the grounds that an extra 20p a year would fund two extra police constables. This was supported by all the independent members on the Authority but four Conservative councillors voted against with one for. The four Conservatives then proposed a 2.9% increase, a cut of over £200,000 a year on the budget, but saving only about 75p a year per Band D household. They voted three times against 3.4 and 3.6% but, eventually, one of them voted for 3.4%, which was enough. (The voting was so unusual because the precept has to be agreed not only by a majority of the whole authority but also by a majority of the councillor members).