Cheltenham residents will soon hear how Gloucestershire Constabulary intends to balance its finances as the Police and Crime Panel prepares to scrutinise the revised Medium-Term Financial Plan. The panel meets on Friday 10 July 2026 at Shire Hall in Gloucester, starting at 10am, with the public welcome to attend or follow proceedings.
The agenda also includes Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson’s annual report and the Police and Crime Prevention Plan update. Panel members, drawn from seven Gloucestershire councils and two independent appointees, will question the financial roadmap as the force faces a projected £2.4 million savings requirement for this financial year.
Budget reports show the constabulary set a 2025/26 budget of £168,387,279, identifying £22.38 million in cost pressures against £12.33 million of savings. A Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme—where 40 police staff and PCSOs left between December 2024 and February 2025—delivered £1.5 million of those savings, and stricter overtime controls were also introduced. Chris Nelson won a second four-year term in May 2024 by a margin of 1,486 votes.
Looking further ahead, the Medium-Term Financial Plan suggests the savings gap will widen considerably. Projections show a need for £4.4 million of savings in 2027/28, rising to £9.1 million by 2028/29, driven partly by borrowing costs and capital spending. Cheltenham Borough Council’s share of the police precept for 2025/26 was set at £14,316,520, based on a tax base of 44,450.
Budgeted staffing levels for 31 March 2026 show 1,286 full-time equivalent police officers and 1,012 full-time equivalent police staff and PCSOs. A new records management system, Niche, is being introduced in 2025/26 to improve efficiency. Anyone seeking further details can contact democratic services officer Sophie Benfield by email.
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