Residents in Swindon and Wiltshire to pay extra £15 per year for policing
The increase was approved at a meeting of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel
Last updated 10th Feb 2026
Swindon and Wiltshire residents will pay an average of £15 a year extra on their council tax for policing from April.
The increase was approved at a meeting of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel – a committee made up of councillors from Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council – last week.
The figure is based on a Band D council tax rate, and equates to £1.25 a month.
It was the maximum by which the committee could increase the policing element of the council tax without holding a referendum.
A recent public consultation suggests a slight majority are in favour of paying more council tax for policing: a total of 1,015 residents took part in the official consultation exercise, with 56 per cent supporting the increase.
Council tax forms one of two elements of police funding. Wiltshire Police also receives a government grant, but this is one of the lowest in the country.
At a previous meeting, Police & Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson told the committee: “If Wiltshire Police was funded to the same level at the other four forces in the South West, I would have an additional £14.6 million to add to my £172 million budget,” he said.
“And if we were funded to the national average, I would have an additional £42.9 million to add to the budget.”
“Unless we increase the precept (the part of the council tax ringfenced for the police budget) this year, we will not be able to continue to deliver the level of service that we have in the past.”
Despite the increase, Wiltshire Police will still need to find savings of £4.6 million to meet rising costs, including nationally-agreed police pay, fuel, utilities, and the cost of equipment.
The chairman of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel, Swindon Council’s Junab Ali, said: “We listened carefully to residents’ concerns about affordability and value for money.
“After detailed scrutiny, the panel agreed this proposal strikes a difficult but fair balance between protecting local policing and recognising the significant financial pressures facing Wiltshire Police.
“Our decision reflects both the financial reality facing policing and our responsibility to ensure Wiltshire continues to receive an effective and visible service.”
Mr Wilkinson said: “This was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.
“The increase protects vital services and supports the continued progress Wiltshire Police is making for our communities.
“Without this increase, we would face reductions to services that people rely on every day. Protecting neighbourhood policing and public-facing services must come first.”