Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson will not be able to put up the county forces share of the council tax by an average of £12 for next year.

The government has announced the maximum increase for the standard Band D would be £10 for the year. But a better-than-expected grant from central government, an increase of nearly 10 per cent on last year's grant, means Mr Macpherson is pleased.  

With the settlement and assuming an Band D increase of £10, Wiltshire Police's budget for 2020-21 will rise by £8.8m to £127.8m

“The flexibility to increase the policing precept, alongside today’s announcement from central government, means we can significantly invest in this vital public service.

“The small increase of £10 per year, for an average household, will mean more money to enhancing community policing in our neighbourhood areas. This is in addition to the extra 49 police officers we will deliver in Wiltshire as part of the government’s Uplift Programme to recruit 20,000 new police by March 2023.

“This is a very positive step but I will continue to work with government to reform the unfair police funding formula, which leaves our service underfunded, so we can deliver a modern police service fit to serve our communities.”

Swindon's Conservative MPs, Justin Tomlinson of North Swindon and Robert Buckland in South Swindon were fully supportive of the settlement.