Letter to Minister for Local Government: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Finance Settlement 2026/27
Fire and rescue services are essential to public safety. Surrey MPs have jointly written to the Government to raise serious concerns about the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026–27 and its impact on Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
As part of Surrey County Council, SFRS faces a three‑year freeze in Core Spending Power. Without funding that matches real inflation, the service risks losing operational resilience, delaying vital investment, and reducing the support that keeps communities safe.
Nationally, fire and rescue authorities warn they may need to cut services simply to balance budgets. In Surrey, uncertainty over how the funding floor will operate adds further instability at a time when predictable funding is crucial.
We are urging the Government to:
- Set the funding floor at a level that reflects inflation, ideally linked to CPI and earnings growth
- Ensure the final settlement avoids damaging service reductions and supports long‑term resilience
- Provide consistent council tax flexibility across all fire governance models
- Recognise the specific pressures facing SFRS, including those linked to Local Government Reorganisation
The proposed £5 precept flexibility is welcome but increasingly compensates for reductions in central grant—an unsustainable substitute for a fair funding settlement.
SFRS plays a vital role in protecting lives and communities. To continue that mission, it needs funding that reflects real‑world costs and growing pressures. We will keep pressing the Government to deliver a fair and sustainable settlement for Surrey.
Please see the attached letter below.
