Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider plan to strengthen policing and improve safety across the city region.
Residents and businesses are invited to have their say on proposals for a police precept increase for 2026/27, which helps fund Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
GMP faces financial challenges despite making efficiencies and increasing frontline officers. The latest government funding settlement for GMP is below the national average, with a 2.6% increase to £666 million, compared to 4% for London and 4.2% for Kent. Unlike the Metropolitan Police, GMP does not receive a Capital Cities Grant, despite the cost of policing major incidents.
To maintain investment in policing, the Mayor has proposed an £11.66 per year increase for a Band B property (around £0.97 per month), and a £15 per year increase for a Band D property (around £1.25 per month).
By March 2026, GMP will have 8,271 officers, 2,000 more than in 2017, plus 120 additional officers under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
The proposed precept increase will fund:
- A new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens to boost visibility and safety.
- More neighbourhood officers to reduce crime across Greater Manchester.
- Transfer of Clean Air Zone ANPR cameras to GMP for crime prevention.
- Expansion of hotspot policing in town centres.
- Extension of Operation Vulcan to three more sites.
- A new Hate Crime Standard to encourage reporting.
- Stronger action against sex offenders and domestic abuse perpetrators.
- Continued high performance in answering 999 and 101 calls.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham commented:
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester.
“The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year. So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
Residents can share their views on the proposals before they are presented to the Police and Crime Panel in February 2026.
Image credit: iStock
