All 99 police community support officers (PCSOs) in Essex under the threat of redundancy will keep their jobs after the Home Office said it would approve extra cash for Essex Police.

Last month Nub News reported on Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst's fears that PCSOs in the county would have to be cut because of a shortfall in funding. A couple of days later he reported that the funding offer had been increased.

That has now been confirmed but as many as 65 back-room staff are still facing redundancy - while to get the additional money Essex Police have to commit to switiching nore officers being moved into community policing roles.

The Government has confirmed Essex's share of the additional Neighbourhood Policing Grant will rise from £2.2 million to £4.5 million – enough to save the PCSOs at risk.

But, the cash is contingent on 74 officers being moved from other areas into community policing. The final agreement is not set to be made by the Home Office until April.

Nonetheless, the police precept is set to increase by 5.66 per cent for Essex residents—equivalent to an increase of £13.95 a year for a Band D property (an increase from £246.42 to £260.37 a year).

Essex Police was facing a £5.3 million budget gap which it said could only be filled by cutting all of its 99 PCSOs.

The move sparked outrage – including from UNISON who had argued scrapping PCSOs would undermine government pledges to return to neighbourhood policing, following the Prime Minister's pledge last month to put 13,000 new officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood policing.

PCSOs are paid employees but do not have the same powers of arrest that a police officer has.

Mr Hirst that losing PCSOs would undermine the ability to fight crime in the county.

He said: "I really appreciate the panels decision which was a very difficult decision.This will secure community police resource for the coming year.

"It doesn't leave us without challenges for the future but is good step from where we were a short time ago.

"As PFCC for Essex and the joint national finance lead for the police and crime commissioners in England and Wales, we appreciate the government listened to concerns from the policing sector and we welcomed the extra funding announced on Friday. 

"Details of this funding have been worked through over the weekend and today I can confirm this extra money, alongside the precept increase agreed today, means we have a way to retain PCSO posts in Essex. 

 "The next step is to submit our plan to use the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee funding to the Home Office for approval. Our ability to work within the budget is dependent on the Home Office accepting that plan and providing the additional funding. 

 "The public support for PCSOs was vocal and powerful and I want to thank all Essex MPs and councillors who supported us in helping me persuade the Government to give more funding to help save these posts." 

 However, the additional funding is not enough to cover the whole of the Essex Police budget shortfall and some measures will still have to be taken. These are: 

•  ·       Reducing staff posts by around sixty five, subject to HR processes and a formal consultation 
• ·       Stopping some non-critical building and technology projects 
• ·       Reducing the Southeast Allowance by £250, to £2,750 and removing the Detective targeted variable payment of £1,200. 

Mr Hirst added: "We recognise the impact this has on staff, officers and PCSOs who come to work each day to protect all of us and prevent crime. However hard the decisions, I am committed to working with everybody in Essex and nationally to secure the resources that Essex Police need to get crime down." 

The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Panel today approved a proposal from Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, to raise the Essex Police Precept by £13.95 a year, or 27p a week, a 5.66% increase for a Band D property, taking the yearly total to £260.37p or £5 a week. 

The panel also approved a proposal from the PFCC to raise Essex County Fire and Rescue Service precept by £4.95 a year, or 9p a week, a 5.99% increase for a Band D property taking the yearly total to £87.57, or £1.68p a week.

 Together these precept increases amount to £18.90p each year, or 36p a week for a band D property.