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Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service is looking to increase its portion of council tax as part of budget proposals.

Chief Fire Officer Craig Parkin said the service is facing a £6 million deficit over the next six years and the first plans, intending to save £2m, are currently out to public consultation.

Every Nottinghamshire taxpayer currently pays £84.57 per year towards the service, but there are plans for this to increase in the next financial year.

Money raised through total annual council tax bills is split out between councils, the fire authority and the police and crime commissioner.

Craig Parkin, Nottinghamshire chief fire officer, says the service is facing a £6m deficit over the next six years

Fire authority papers predict the ‘most likely case’ is a 2.95 per cent council tax increase will be approved, which would create about £826,000 in extra funding and mean the average band D taxpayer would pay £87.06 per year.

However, the fire service say the ‘best case scenario’ would be a £5 increase to £89.57 a year, saving the service £1.695m, while the ‘worst case scenario’ would be a 1.95 per cent increase – the same as was implemented in 2022-23.

Other plans currently out for consultation involve cuts to some services which would see West Bridgford Fire Station have no crew on duty at all at night, and both London Road and Stockhill stations losing one fire engine each, but in Kirkby, the service plans the return of 24-hour cover at Ashfield Fire Station.

Council documents said: “Since the 2022-23 budget was approved there have been significant additional financial pressures on the service.

“Revised inflation and pay award assumptions during the autumn increased amount of required savings from the efficiency strategy.”

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Becky Smeathers, fire authority treasurer, said the service is also expecting to receive its finance settlement from the Government in the coming days.

It comes after Nottingham Council proposed to hike its part of council tax by the highest permitted percentage of just below 5 per cent, although Mansfield Council hopes to freeze its share.

The Conservative-led Nottinghamshire Council has not revealed its plans yet, but needs to find at least £24m in the 2023-24 financial year, with inflationary pressures fuelled by the ongoing energy crisis are being blamed for the gap.

Final budget proposals will be considered by the fire authority in February 2023.

Council tax rise planned to fund Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service