Council Tax rise on the table for Peterborough residents
Tax payers could see a five per cent rise
Peterborough residents may see an increase in Council Tax to help support the region’s policing over the coming year.
A report set to be scrutinised by the Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Panel at Sand Martin House on January 28 will recommend a rise in the proposed policing element of the council tax precept for 2026-2027.
The proposal – which has been set out by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Darryl Preston – will ask the panel to recommend an increase of 4.99% compared to 2025/26.
This will see the policing element of Council Tax (Band D equivalent) rise from £299.43 per year in 2025/26 to £314.37 per year in 2026/27 – an increase of £14.94.
Band D council tax is the standard measure of council tax (all other bands are set as a proportion of Band D) used by local authorities and precepting authorities to determine council tax requirements.
Policing funding comes from two sources: just over half from central government, and the rest from the policing part of Council Tax (known as the precept).
Mr Preston’s task is to set a precept for the force which will enable the appropriate allocation of assets and funds to the Chief Constable.
Central government announced the provisional funding settlement for policing on 18 December 2025. The Minister of State for Policing and Crime stated: “For Police and Crime Commissioners in England, the council tax referendum threshold will be £15 for a Band D property.”
According to the report, the net total funding for Cambridgeshire for 2026/27 is provisionally £220.6m – an estimate based on the Commissioner increasing the precept by the full £15 on Band D properties.
The report highlights that Cambridgeshire Constabulary is currently the fourth lowest funded force (by total funding) in the country.
The Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Panel will review the proposed precept in the context of “ensuring continued and sustainable effectiveness and efficiency in policing in Cambridgeshire.”
The meeting will be held at 1.30pm on Wednesday January 28.