Purpose

Norfolk Police and Crime Panel Funding

Decision

To approve Breckland
Council’s contribution towards any Police and Crime Panel
costs which exceed the Home Office grant for 2025–28. The
total overall additional contribution is to be capped at 20%
of the grant allocation and apportioned between local authorities
as set out in the Panel Arrangements.

Reasons for the decision

The Norfolk Police and Crime Panel is a joint
committee hosted by Norfolk County Council. The Home Office
provides a grant to host authorities to maintain the Panel, and
this allocation has remained unchanged since its establishment in
2012.
 
The grant is now issued under a three-year
agreement, reflecting the government’s plan to end the Police
and Crime Commissioner model in 2028. At that point, governance
functions will transfer to Mayors or local council leaders, and
Police and Crime Panels will be replaced.
 
For the first time, forecast expenditure for
2025–26 is expected to exceed the Home Office grant due to
inflation and pay awards.
 
At its meeting on 28 October 2025, the Panel
considered several savings proposals, but not all were accepted,
resulting in an anticipated overspend.
Norfolk Leaders have agreed in principle that
their councils will contribute towards costs above the Home Office
grant for the current three-year period. They specified that the
total overall additional contribution is to be capped at 20% of the
grant allocation and apportioned between local authorities as set
out in the Panel Arrangements. This decision effects Breckland
Council’s contribution.
 
See attached report
for further details.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 – (RECOMMENDED)To approve Breckland
Council’s contribution towards any Police and Crime Panel
costs which exceed the Home Office grant for 2025–28. The
total overall additional contribution is to be capped at 20%
of the grant allocation and apportioned between local authorities
as set out in the Panel Arrangements.
Norfolk Leaders considered and rejected the
following alternative options:
 
Option 2 – Do nothing –
Norfolk County Council, as host authority, would need to consider
what steps were required to fund any variance.
 
Option 3 – Consider an
alternative proposal – for example making a smaller reduction
in the Scrutiny Support Officer’s time supporting the Panel
Reducing from the current 3-days to 2.5 days per week (0.5fte)
would still generate savings of approximately £4,139.16 in
2025-26.  Combined with the savings
already agree, this should bring the overall expenditure within the
available grant (an approximate total of £62,969.48) in
2025-26.  Support for Police, Crime and
Fire Panels varies across the country; however, 0.5fte is broadly
comparable as many support officers also undertake other Democratic
Services responsibilities.