The Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel met on Monday 9 February 2026 to discuss the proposed Fire and Rescue budget and precept for 2026/27, and to hold a confirmation hearing for the proposed appointment of the new Chief Fire Officer. The Panel supported the proposed budget and precept increase, and recommended the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner proceed with the appointment of Glynn Luznyj as Chief Fire Officer.

Proposed Fire and Rescue Budget and Precept 2026/27

The Panel considered the proposed Fire and Rescue budget and precept for 2026/27, which included a total budget requirement of £57.348m. This comprises a council tax funding requirement of £36.046m, with a proposed increase of 5.45% (£5 per annum) for a Band D property, bringing the annual council tax to £96.77. The Panel noted the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which indicated a £0.4m reduction in allocation for 2026/27 compared to the rebased settlement funding, and a net reduction of £2.134m by 2028/29. This shortfall is to be mitigated by assuming the full council tax increase each year for the next three years.

Concerns were raised about the impact of national pay and pension settlements, with inflation currently exceeding assumed rates. The Commissioner stated that if unexpected cost increases occurred, he might have little alternative but to consider options such as reduced shift patterns or the number of on-call stations. The Panel also noted the potential implications of the recent Police Reform White Paper on the Fire and Rescue service, particularly regarding shared corporate services.

Despite these challenges, the Panel resolved to support the proposed budget and precept increase. They also supported the three-year capital investment programme and the Capital Strategy. The delegation to the S151 Officer¹ for the Staffordshire Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority to make any necessary adjustments to the budget due to late changes in central government funding was also noted.

Confirmation Hearing for Chief Fire Officer Appointment

The Panel held a confirmation hearing for the proposed appointment of Glynn Luznyj as the Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire. The Secretary to the Panel explained that the Panel's role was to consider the 'professional competence' and 'personal independence' of the candidate.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams, presented his preferred candidate, Glynn Luznyj, who has served with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue since 1996 and has held various national and regional duties. Mr Luznyj outlined his career, his understanding of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's communities and risk profile, and his commitment to the service. He identified public sector reform, the potential abolition of the Commissioner's role, and funding uncertainty as key challenges. He stressed the importance of staff safety and wellbeing, fire prevention, incident response, and the built environment. Mr Luznyj also highlighted the opportunity to improve diversity within the service as approximately 50% of the workforce would be retiring within ten years.

Following questioning and deliberation, the Panel resolved to recommend that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner proceed with the appointment of Glynn Luznyj as the Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire.