Cheshire West & Chester Council voted to write to the Cheshire Police Chief Constable after plans to reduce the number of local PCSOs from 87 to 27 were recently unveiled, although the ruling Labour group stopped short of criticising the Labour Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (P&CC). The vote took place at a full meeting of the Council held on Thursday 11th December 2025.
Proposed by Councillor Phil Marshall (Marbury, Con), he asked that Council “requests that the Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner reconsider their decision to reduce their PCSO cohort”, based on the proposal announced on 21 November 2025 by Chief Constable Mark Roberts and later confirmed by Dan Price, Cheshire’s Labour P&CC, to axe sixty PCSO jobs by spring 2026.
Referring to this statement, that directly contradicts the Labour Government’s own recommended protocol for the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Problem Statement, Cllr Marshall said: “This is not just a matter of jobs - it’s a matter of community safety, accessibility and accountability.
“So how does slashing Cheshire’s PCSOs from 87 to just 27 support that goal? How does it make us safer? How does it serve rural communities like those in Marbury ward where PCSOs are often the only regular policing presence? The NPG talks of accessible named Officers and PCSOs – how does slashing numbers support accessibility, or a reversal of ‘cuts’. It is counterproductive and contradicts national policy.”
Cllr Dan Marr (Davenham, Moulton and Kingsmead, Con) used his speech to “pay thanks to local PCSO, Lee Robertson. He has served the areas of Davenham, Moulton, Kingsmead and Leftwich with distinction for years. So much so, that this year he won the coveted PCSO of the Year award by Cheshire Police. And yet, a month later, his job is at risk. A job he has been doing for years and years. And many people in my ward know him and respect him for this reason.”
While Council would endorse the majority of the Conservative motion, the ruling Labour group could not resist amending it to remove any reference to the Labour P&CC. So, while Council will write to the Chief Constable, it stopped short of referring this matter to the elected P&CC.
Cllr Adrian Waddelove (Farndon, Con), Cheshire West and Chester Conservative Group Leader, added afterwards that: “We are grateful that Council endorsed our request to write to the Chief Constable. This matter is deeply concerning to all of our residents, especially in rural areas where residents feel safer with officers who integrate into their communities and provide a better local touchpoint for people to deal with day in, day out.
“I am less grateful that Labour could not leave our motion untouched. If Labour refuses to hold its own elected officials to account now, this is a dire sign of things to come should they win the Cheshire and Warrington Mayoralty in 2027. Another day, another lack of transparency.”
Residents can continue to sign a petition to Save Cheshire’s PCSOs here: https://www.saveourpcsos.uk/
