The Cheshire Fire Authority (CFA) has finished gathering public feedback on its 2026/27 budget precept after a consultation that closed on 26 January 2026. The consultation proposes an increase in the fire authority’s share of council tax — the ‘precept’ — to help cover rising costs including firefighter pay, equipment and other operational pressures.
A final decision on the CFA’s share of the council tax bill will be taken at the Authority’s budget meeting on 11 February 2026. The consultation sets out the impact of a government-allowed £5 increase for a Band D property, which would raise the CFA precept from £95.09 to £100.09; if approved, the change would take effect from 1 April 2026, the start of the 2026/27 billing year.
The funding is particularly relevant to Macclesfield Fire Station on Chester Road, which operates two day watches (7:00–19:00) and also relies on an on-call crew. The station lists 13 on-call/part-time firefighters who carry alerters when available. The CFA’s Community Risk Management Plan highlighted availability issues: on-call engines at Runcorn, Winsford, Northwich and Macclesfield were available for less than 18% of the time during weekdays in 2022/23 — a key reason the authority says additional funding is needed to improve availability and support recruitment.
Cheshire East’s 2025/26 council tax table records the CFA precept for a Band D property at £95.09. If the proposed £5 rise is approved by the Authority on 11 February, that increase would be reflected on residents’ council tax bills from 1 April 2026.
Local councillors and authority members are reviewing whether the extra money would help improve response times and community safety. The CFA says the increase is necessary to maintain current services amid inflationary and pay pressures; any improvement in response times will depend on how the money is allocated (for example, recruitment, crewing changes or equipment replacement) and cannot be guaranteed until operational decisions are made.
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