Residents will see their bill for fire and rescue services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent go up by more than five per cent from April.

The increase means residents in Band D properties will pay an extra £5 a year – or 10p a week – in their Fire and Rescue Precept, taking the annual bill to £96.77.

This is just part of the annual council tax bill, which also includes contributions to council and police services.

Last week a 5.22 per cent rise in the police precept was also approved by the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel.

Speaking at Monday's panel meeting (February 9), Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams said the Staffordshire service was facing a cut in Government funding of more than £2m over the next three years.

This follows the Fair Funding Review, which has seen a new methodology introduced for distributing central government funding to local authorities.

Mr Adams said of the proposed fire and rescue precept rise: "I regret to say that's a 5.45 per cent increase, which is over inflation. That is not what I believe is necessary when the shortfall we're trying to fill is due to Government reductions in funding.

"Significant reductions in Staffordshire across the next three years (are) going to put pressure on the organisation of £2.1m. The Fair Funding is unfairer funding for Staffordshire.

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"It's predicated on population numbers, which means that cities have done well. Rural areas, which are not necessarily growing as rapidly in population, have not done well.

"The Home Office have acknowledged, in discussions with commissioners, that by basing it on population they're missing the fundamental about community safety – fire and rescue is principally about vulnerability.

"Vulnerability is about people's capacity to get out of their building if there's a danger, it's related to old-type properties, people with mental health problems, addictions and ageing population.

"They've failed to look at the detail, and they've gone purely on the numbers. Some places which, quite frankly, don't need the extra money have got it, and places like ours where vulnerability is very much a concern, are being cut."

Panel members voted to approve the fire and rescue precept proposals put forward by Mr Adams on Monday.

Speaking after the meeting he said: "Even with council tax increases at the maximum permitted level, reductions in central government funding are only partly offset; this is deeply disappointing as it shifts the burden of funding essential services onto local taxpayers and leaves authorities with little choice but to increase precepts simply to stand still.

"Over the past three years, my office and the service have delivered more than £2.3m in recurring savings through a comprehensive transformation programme. Further work is underway to identify an additional £2.1m of efficiencies to improve productivity and protect frontline services."

Mr Adams warned panel members of the consequences of future funding challenges if they arise in the coming years.

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He said: "If we have increased costs, to make £2.1m we have to look at where service can be reduced. We have things we can reach for if we need to in an emergency situation.

"It would possibly mean losing a couple of on-call stations and almost certainly entering into conversations about some shift patterns for our whole-time fire service.

"That is absolutely my last resort, but it's not something I'm looking to reach for in the next two years.

"Those are not options to be taken lightly, so I will give full consideration to the potential to use £5 (precept increase) again in the future two years, and I will start having the conversation with the public about that right now.

"My worry is, if pay increases, if inflation increases, if the Emergency Services Network (new national critical communications system) costs more than we are anticipating, there is nowhere else to go – this is a really tight situation for us here in Staffordshire."