Issue - meetings

1.  It was moved by County Councillor Julie Gibson and seconded by County Councillor Lorraine Beavers that:

This council calls for fair funding for Lancashire Constabulary and the return of the numbers of police officers that Lancashire has lost since 2010.

This council notes that Lancashire Constabulary has seen amongst the highest level of cuts of any police force in the country with a reduction of 753 police officers.

Cuts have consequences - and this has meant that Lancashire has seen an increase in violent crime, knife crime, county lines (drug dealing) and even homicides.

By contrast, many forces in the south of England have seen no impact from austerity. Surrey, for example, has had a reduction of just 8 police officers (government figures) since 2010 and yet will receive 78 back this year. At the same time Lancashire will be allocated additional funding for just 153 police officers. This year Surrey will have 70 more police officers than in 2010 whilst in Lancashire we will still have 600 fewer. This is unfair, unjust and simply unacceptable. Lancashire is not a second class county and we should not be treated as one.

This council wholeheartedly supports the campaign of our Police and Crime Commissioner to get fair funding for Lancashire Police and our Bobbies back on the streets of Lancashire, and resolves that the Chief Executive and Director of Resources writes to the Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service calling on them to establish fair funding for Lancashire Constabulary.

The following friendly amendment was proposed by County Councillor Tim Ashton in accordance with Standing Order B42:

This Council calls for fair funding for Lancashire Constabulary which has been more adversely affected by Government funding policies than many other Police forces.

Council recognises the anomalies in the funding formulae which disproportionately and adversely affect Lancashire Constabulary and resolves to request the Chief Executive and Director of Resources to write to the Home Secretary and the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service requesting that adequate resources are provided for Policing in Lancashire.

The friendly amendment was accepted by County Councillor Gibson and became the substantive motion.

The substantive motion, as amended by County Councillor Ashton's friendly amendment, was then put to the vote and was CARRIED. It was therefore:

Resolved: - That:

This Council calls for fair funding for Lancashire Constabulary which has been more adversely affected by Government funding policies than many other Police forces.

Council recognises the anomalies in the funding formulae which disproportionately and adversely affect Lancashire Constabulary and resolves to request the Chief Executive and Director of Resources to write to the Home Secretary and the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service requesting that adequate resources are provided for Policing in Lancashire.

2.  It was moved by County Councillor Gina Dowding and seconded by County Councillor David Whipp that:

The Greater Lancashire Plan

Lancashire County Council welcomes the statement of intent within the ‘Redefining Lancashire: our approach to recovery’  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19