It is a requirement for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority to set a level of revenue budget and council tax before the start of the forthcoming financial year.
At its budget setting meeting on 8 February 2024, the Authority approved a total net budget requirement of £73.92m to run Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service for the year 2024-25:
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
| Employee costs | £53.85m | £60.22m |
| Premises | £4.39m | £4.59m |
| Transport | £1.66m | £1.55m |
| Supplies and services | £5.90m | £6.18m |
| Agency and contracted out services | £2.93m | £3.11m |
| Capital financing/leasing | £4.31m | £5.11m |
| Spending on services | £73.04m | £80.76m |
| Income/Reserves | -£7.05m | -£6.84m |
| Amount to be financed | £65.99m | £73.92m |
This is funded as shown below:
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
| Fire precepts | £48.35m | £50.00m |
| Revenue Support Grant | £4.40m | £7.40m |
| Business Rates/Top-up Grant | £10.56m | £14.73m |
| Other grants | £2.68m | £1.79m |
| Total financing | £65.99m | £73.92m |
How our budget requirement has changed:
| Budget Requirement in 2023-24 | £65.99m |
| One off items in 2023-24 budget | -£0.29m |
| Pay and price inflation | £4.35m |
| Ill-health pension costs | £0.10m |
| Home Office pension grant moved to Core Funding | £2.70m |
| Business rates revaluation | £0.15m |
| Capital financing costs | £0.92m |
| Budget Requirement in 2024-25 | £73.92m |
Fire precept bands
Residents pay for their Fire & Rescue Service as part of their council tax bill, and the fire precept element of the bill for a Band D property in 2024-25 is as follows:
| Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H |
| £57.97 | £67.63 | £77.29 | £86.95 | £106.27 | £125.59 | £144.92 | £173.90 |
Spending on major capital projects:
The Authority’s capital programme for 2024-25 totals £14m. This includes planned spending of £8m on maintaining our fire stations and other buildings, as well as developing new training facilities in Devizes and Weymouth; £3.6m on replacement vehicles and associated equipment; and £2.4m on new or replacement ICT equipment, information systems and a new mobilising system.
For more information, email [email protected]