PFCC announces plan to save Essex PCSOs after additional funding

A plan to save all Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) roles in Essex is being put forward thanks to robust intervention and lobbying of the Government by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and Essex MPs and Councillors, the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel heard today.

Speaking at the panel meeting today, Mr Hirst revealed he had spent a hectic week outlining the Essex Police funding settlement shortfall to ministers, MPs and the public, details which created consternation among county residents.

On Friday the Government provided £100m of extra funding for policing nationally and Essex Police’s share of this funding, £2.3 million, along with other measures, will help bridge the £5.3m shortfall announced last week. A new budget has now been put together which is designed to retain PCSOs in Essex.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “As PFCC for Essex and the joint national finance lead for the police and crime commissioners in England and Wales, we appreciate the government listened to concerns from the policing sector and we welcomed the extra funding announced on Friday.

“Details of this funding have been worked through over the weekend and today I can confirm this extra money, alongside the precept increase agreed today, means we have a way to retain PCSO posts in Essex.

“The next step is to submit our plan to use the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee funding to the Home Office for approval. Our ability to work within the budget is dependent on the Home Office accepting that plan and providing the additional funding.

“The public support for PCSOs was vocal and powerful and I want to thank all Essex MPs and councillors who supported us in helping me persuade the Government to give more funding to help save these posts.”

However, the additional funding is not enough to cover the whole of the Essex Police budget shortfall and some measures will still have to be taken. These are:

• Reducing staff posts by around sixty five, subject to the usual HR processes and a formal consultation

• Stopping some non-critical building and technology projects

• Reducing the Southeast Allowance by £250, to £2,750 and removing the Detective targeted variable payment of £1,200.

Mr Hirst added: “We recognise the impact this has on staff, officers and PCSOs who come to work each day to protect all of us and prevent crime. However hard the decisions, I am committed to working with everybody in Essex and nationally to secure the resources that Essex Police need to get crime down.

The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel today approved a proposal from Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, to raise the Essex Police Precept by £13.95 a year, or 27p a week, a 5.66% increase for a Band D property, taking the yearly total to £260.37p or £5 a week.

Tough choices have also been made prior to setting the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service precept following the loss of the Services Grant and Funding Guarantee for 2025/26. This resulted in a reduction of £1.5m placing significant financial pressure on the service.

The proposed precept will allow the service to deliver its proposed Community Risk Management Plan which is focussed on delivering the PFCC’s Fire and Rescue Plan priorities and making Essex safer. This includes increasing the amount of prevention and protection activity it carries out, specifically the number of home safety checks delivered by operational crews to the most vulnerable people. The service will will also continue to invest in partnership activity such as the Community Wellbeing Officers scheme.

The panel also approved a proposal from the PFCC to raise Essex County Fire and Rescue Service precept by £4.95 a year, or 9p a week, a 5.99% increase for a Band D property taking the yearly total to £87.57, or £1.68p a week.

Together these precept increases amount to £18.90p each year, or 36p a week for a band D property.

The proposed precepts were informed by a public Precept Survey hosted by the PFCC between Friday 25th October 2024 to Monday 9th December 2024.

Mr Hirst added: “We are committed to maintaining the great progress we have made since 2016 in building Essex Police to be the biggest and strongest it has ever been and investing in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to focus on reducing risk in our communities.

“We know Essex residents value their services - in the recent PFCC Precept Survey, held before Christmas, 85% of people who responded said they would like to see more investment in policing in their community and 65% wanted more investment in fire and rescue, figures reflected in this proposed precept rise.

“We remain committed to delivering the best possible services to the public and to working with government to reform and improve policing and fire and rescue in Essex. We know safe and secure communities are the bedrock for economic growth.”

PFCC 2025/26 Precept survey

The results from the PFCC 2025/2026 Precept Survey were:

• 1,579 people who live, work or study in Essex responded to the survey.

• 85%, who gave a view, wanted to see more investment in policing in their community.

• 54% of people who gave a view said they were prepared to contribute £15 per year or more to invest in policing.

• 65% who gave a view said they would be prepared to invest £5 per year or more in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service response to budget pressure

During the 2025/26 budget setting process, ECFRS made several changes to its plans in response to the changing financial environment.

These include:

• Reducing its capital investment programme, with the cost and feasibility of a fire training facilities project at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service headquarters at Kelvedon Park now under scrutiny

• A Joint Fleet Workshop collaboration project with Essex Police has now been paused.

• The Wholetime Station Modernisation Programme has been paused, including plans for inclusive workspaces, new training rooms and updated breathing apparatus (BA) and PPE servicing areas.

• Additional operational training roles will now be offered fixed term contracts rather than permanent roles.