Our budget
The Fire Authority has proposed a budget requirement of £27.960m for 2008/09. The Band D council tax for the Fire and Rescue Service has been set at £54.45 per year. The increase is £2.07 over that set for 2007/08, equivalent to 4p a week. The proposed budget will ensure that all of the Authority's responsibilities can continue to be satisfied. A medium term financial plan has been prepared for 2008/09 to 2011/12
These increases will address inflation costs but will also allow the Authority to deliver an even better fire and rescue service to the communities it serves by:
- Continuing to improve fire prevention activity, especially in areas where higher numbers of fires occur or in areas with a higher proportion of people who are most at risk of fire such as the elderly and vulnerable
- Improving the service's information technology to ensure that its systems can cope with the increasing utilisation of IT in a modern fire and rescue service
- Increasing the service's training capability to ensure that it is best positioned to respond safely and effectively to a major incident like those that have been experienced across the country in recent years.
More detail on the Fire Authority's budget can be found in the council tax leaflets.
Consultation
Every year in January the Authority consults with its taxpayers on proposals for future year budgets. For more information on this, please see the Fire Authority: Consultations section of this website.
Our funding and spending explained
How we are financed
Below is a chart showing where the monies we receive come from, with a key below it (amounts shown are in millions of pounds):
= Council tax: £14.575m or 52%.
= Revenue support grant: £1.629m or 6%.
= Business rates: £11.705m or 41%.
= Other income: £0.337m or 1%.
How we spend
Below is a chart showing how we use the monies we receive, with a key below it (amounts shown are in millions of pounds):
= Employees: £20.816m or 74%.
= Premises: £1.014m or 4%.
= Supplies and services: £4.605m or 16%.
= Transport: £0.590m or 2%.
= Other expenses: £1.224m or 4%.
Capital Spending
The Fire Authority's Capital Programme includes:
- The purchase of fire appliances and other operational vehicles
- Property maintenance and improvements
- Operational equipment
- Information technology and communications equipment.
Related documents
Budget Books
The Budget Book provides a detailed break-down of the budget for the current financial year and shows how it will be funded.
- Budget Book 2008-2009 - Microsoft Word document, 196 KB
- Budget Book 2007-2008 - Microsoft Word document, 159 KB
- Budget Book 2006-2007 - Microsoft Word document, 4.7 MB
Financial Strategy
The Financial Strategy provides a summary of what The Authority expects to spend over the next five years, based upon current funding estimates.
- Medium-term financial strategy 2007-2012 - Microsoft Word document, 54 KB
The Capital Strategy
The Capital Strategy provides an insight into the process of defining and agreeing capital expenditure. It dovetails with the Procurement Strategy and Asset Management Plan.
- Capital Strategy 2006-2011 - Microsoft Word document, 42 KB
- Procurement Strategy 2006-2009 - PDF document, 51 KB
- Asset Management Plan 2007-2012 - Microsoft Word document, 925 KB
Contacting us
If you need more information about the Fire Authority budget, please contact the Fire Authority Treasurer at:
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Headquarters
Hinchingbrooke Cottage
Brampton Road
Huntingdon
PE29 2NA
Telephone: 01480 444619.
Email: budget@cambsfire.gov.uk
