Epsom councillors are furious at the Government’s decision to cap Surrey Police Authority budget and rebill residents at the cost of £1.2m.

At the full Council meeting on Tuesday July 21, councillors reluctantly agreed to the rebilling process, but insisted that it would be to the detriment of residents and the police force.

Councillor Eber Kington, vice-chairman of strategy and resources, said: “It cannot be right that council taxpayers’ money is used on the expensive bureaucratic exercise of re-billing, estimated to be over £1 million. A Band D council taxpayer will get back £3.24 for the year, but the re-billing will cost about £2.80p per council taxpayer.

“It will also mean 50 or so frontline police officers and staff will lose their jobs. There must be a more sensible and less costly way to deal with these issues.”

The action of the Government in requiring Surrey Police Authority to waste council taxpayers’ money on a bureaucratic rebilling exercise will cost over £1 million. It will require financial resources that are better used in employing police officers and fighting and reducing crime.”

As result of the capping decision, Surrey Police Authority will have to hand back £1.6 million to taxpayers using a rebilling process costing £1.2 million.

On Friday July 17 the High Court said the Police Authority had no grounds to appeal against the capping order through a judicial review.

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