Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have managed the 'challenging task' of closing a £32m budget gap but this year's success comes with stark warnings for the future of local services.

The majority of GMP's budget for the 2026/27 financial year was approved in January. This included a £15 rise in the police precept for Band D properties – £285.30 a year up from the current £270.30.

But a £32m spending gap persisted after GMP received the second lowest funding settlement from the Government of all police forces in the country. Bosses had to go away and look again at their financial plans in order to balance the books.

They have now managed to do this, largely through efficiency savings. These include 'significant reductions' in staff roles at the force, taking position numbers from 3,965 to around 3,800 when reductions are implemented. 

These will not include police officers, documents state. New technology systems are also expected to deliver savings, while road safety initiative Operation Wolverine is seeing more money come in through increased seized vehicle sales.

The force has gone to 'great lengths' to balance the budget through efficiency savings for the 2026/27 financial year, deputy mayor Kate Green told the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Police, Fire and Crime Panel yesterday (Monday, March 16). 

However, she went on to warn the identified savings would 'probably' take GMP to the point where further reductions are not possible 'without impacting on the quality of services'.

She told the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Police, Fire and Crime Panel yesterday (Monday, March 16): "It was challenging work to close what was a £32m gap only five to six weeks ago. We wouldn't want to downplay the risks, but it's not a wing and a prayer [….] I'm not disguising that this is not a budget that gives us much wiggle room."

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She added: "We are probably at the limit now of what we can do in terms of [making] efficiency savings without impacting on the quality of services."

A number of key spending pressures have been identified by the force, including some which have been described as 'unavoidable'. Nationally awarded pay increases for staff 'alone' are expected to cost more for the coming years than has been made available by additional funding, documents show.

As more officers are promoted into higher ranks, this further adds to salary levels for GMP. 

Clean air zone cameras are also being repurposed for GMP to use for community policing, at a cost of £1.1m. Meanwhile, the force is getting less income from traffic offence ticks as fewer people are getting fined.

GMP Chief constable Stephen Watson added: "Setting a budget is one thing, living within that constraint is another […] but it's all to play for."

He continued: "Our settlement was so bad we thought they had made a mistake. We have a very, very strong cas to make [to Government] and we will continue to make that case strongly. Hopefully some concerns will be allayed in the future."

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