It would be funded through an increase in the policing element of council tax
Piccadilly Gardens(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Andy Burnham has pledged to open a police hub in city centre crime hotspot Piccadilly Gardens.
The mayor of Greater Manchester set out the commitment as part of a proposed increase to the ‘police precept’ – the policing element of council tax bills. A period of public consultation on those plans has now been launched, with residents and businesses invited to have their say.
Mr Burnham said GMP, like other public organisations, faces financial challenges, but has made ‘significant efficiencies’ while increasing front line officers over the last two years. Police funding traditionally comes from a central government grant together with the police precept as part of residents’ council tax.
Announcing the pledge, the mayor’s office said the latest funding settlement from Government was ‘lower than anticipated’ and leaves Greater Manchester Police with ‘a funding shortfall’.
The grant for the next financial year is set to increase by 2.6 per cent to £666 million. But that’s been described as the second lowest increase of any police force in the country – and ‘well below’ the national average.
Andy Burnham(Image: PA)
The plans would see an increase in the precept of £11.66 a year – less than a £1 a month – for a Band B council tax property. The majority of households in Greater Manchester are bands A to C. For a Band D property, the increase would be £15 per year, or £1.25 a month.
The mayor’s office said GMP, in the past year, has reduced burglary by 21 per cent, robbery by 16 per cent and knife crime by 13 per cent.
He also heralded ‘clear reductions’ in serious violence, vehicle offences and serious and organised crime within prisons, with neighbourhood crime falling by some 15 per cent. By March 2026, GMP will have at least 8,271 police officers, which represents a rise. The figure is 2,000 more than there were in 2017.
Mr Burnham said the precept rise would be used to ‘increase safety and police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens’, including the installation of a new ‘prominent’ police hub.
He said in a statement: “We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester.
GMP(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year. So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack.
“These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
Piccadilly Gardens is set for a multi-million pound revamp, with work progressing this year.
The consultation runs until Wednesday, January 21, and people can submit their responses at www.gmconsult.org.
The final precept proposal is scrutinised by the Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel which is made up of councillors from each of the 10 councils and chaired by a councillor.