THE cost of policing in north Wales is going up by 9p a week for the average householder in Gwynedd.

The two per cent increase asked for by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick was agreed on Monday, 25 January by the North Wales Police and Crime Panel.

It amounts to a rise of £4.68 a year for a Band D property, which will now pay £240.12 for annual policing.

It comes despite over £24 million in cuts to the North Wales Police budget over the past five years and with the prospect of £7.3 million in cuts to come over the next four years.

The meeting also heard that planned cutbacks to the number of Police Community Support Officers had been put on hold.

Mr Roddick welcomed the spending review by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne, which ruled out further cuts to the policing budget this year but he added that North Wales Police still faced a very challenging financial climate.

He said: “I believe that our budget once again balances financial prudence and enabling North Wales Police to keep north Wales a safe place to live, work and visit.

“It means that working in effective partnership has become even more important and has a high priority in my revised police and crime plan on which the precept is based.

“That is not only to assist North Wales Police and its partners in overcoming our financial challenges but also in delivering my other three priorities, preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, delivering an effective response and reducing harm and the risk of harm.

“Working in partnership enables responses to be more effective and lasting in their benefit to the community than they otherwise would be.

It also reduces demand and increases the capacity of frontline staff.

“The latest cuts do not include a reduction in Police Community Service Officers as was originally anticipated and this increase of two per cent does give North Wales Police the balance between protecting the service and affordability.

“I have held discussions with the Chief Constable who has confirmed that the increase provides a budget to enable the operational delivery of the policing service in 2016/17.”