Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has agreed a council tax rise amid warnings of an ‘impossible’ funding squeeze and mounting operational pressures.
The service will increase the fire precept by £5 for a Band D property in 2026/27 after its authority signed off what has been described as a ‘challenging’ budget.
Members of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority approved the increase on 10th February, as rising costs, growing demand and shrinking national funding continue to bite.
Even with the tax increase, a £2.2million funding gap remains forecast for 2026/27.
To plug the shortfall, temporary measures will be used – including reducing funds earmarked for capital projects and drawing from risk mitigation reserves. However, leaders have warned these are short-term fixes only.
Over the next 3 years, the service’s allocation from central Government is expected to fall by £2.9million in real terms.
At the same time, operational demand is rising sharply. Nationally, fire services in England responded to 20% more incidents last year compared to 2014, despite firefighter numbers falling by 25% since 2008 – the equivalent of around 11,000 wholetime posts.
Closer to home, incidents attended by the local service have increased by 29% between 2015/16 and 2024/25, while firefighter numbers have reduced by 333 since 2002.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer, has said:
“Despite delivering more than £3million in efficiencies – around 3% of our annual budget – we are still forecasting a budget gap for the future.
“We can temporarily balance the 2026/27 budget using one-off measures, but these are not long-term solutions.
“Fair funding from central Government must be delivered going forwards. We know it is a difficult economic climate and that this is presenting challenges for our communities, partners and for Government with many competing demands to balance, but a £2.9million reduction in real-term funding is impossible for us to absorb.
“We have unique challenges, such as providing services to a remote island. The funding formula must be revised to consider this and other factors involved in serving a large and varied area.
“I believe the formula should be completely updated and, until it is, a promise should be made to ensure no fire service sees a reduction in funding. Ultimately, fire and rescue funding needs to come from sustainable, central sources, not be reliant on local taxes.”
Chairman of the Fire Authority, Rhydian Vaughan, added:
“Our Chief Fire Officer is working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure that the challenges fire services are facing are recognised by Government.
“We need to keep the pressure up and present a strong case for increased funding for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We have already called upon our local MPs to add their voices, and representation has been made to the Fire Minister.”
Fire leaders say they will continue lobbying ministers in a bid to secure what they describe as a fairer, more sustainable funding settlement for the years ahead.
This is happening every year and us the island tax payers are expected to foot the shortfall every time it’s about time the FA fire authority managed their funding like we have to do we just can’t afford any more well I for one can’t it’s almost impossible for average working people to make ends meet
Very generous the way our taxes keep being increased.
I WISH THE COUNCIL WOULD START TO RAISE EXTRA REVENUE
FROM ISLANDWIDE PERMIT PARKING CHARGES AND SPEEDING
FINES.
Keep increasing Council taxes is not the answer.
To do what, with the money? and how will it help their budgets?
Over the next 3 years, the service’s allocation from central Government is expected to fall by £2.9million in real terms.
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got money for illegals in hotels though – kick them out and problem solved
You got it in one, sadly politician’s from all parties do not have the intelligence or the balls to do it. It won’t be very long before we are a minority in our own country and we are standing by and letting it happen.