DOUBT has been cast over the future of the PCSO role in Middlewich, after a significant rise in cost left the town council sceptical of its true value for money.

In the past, Cheshire Police has heavily subsidised the funding of a PCSO in Middlewich, but from 2018 will set out a £34,000 per year, three-year contract for the service.

The cost left Middlewich town councillors debating whether the service offers value for money, given the town was left without a PCSO after Dave Jinks vacated the role in November.

Middlewich Town Council clerk Jonathan Williams explained: “Normally we would enter into a three-year contract, but when the officer came down and said we could have a year’s grace to continue so we have done we decided to that that.

“We don’t want to commit to anything at this stage but use this period for monitoring and evaluating and making sure whatever we spend on the PCSO is worth it.”

Council members, many of whom have called for more than one PCSO in the town, decided to take this final discounted year as a trial period to scrutinise the service and evaluate it against its cost.

Cllr Samantha Moss, chairman of the finance committee, said: “From what we understand we can still have a PCSO from this budget for one year, but on the three-year contract, without adding anything else, it would bring the precept up past £90.

“Based on that, we can have it for a year but we would want month-by-month reports. We need to know step-by-step what the PCSO is doing for our town to see if we are going to go ahead with it.”

The increased cost will affect councils across Cheshire, although the PCSO for Middlewich – part of the Sandbach Local Policing Unit (LPU) splits their time between a number of smaller rural areas.

Previously, the council received monthly breakdowns from the PCSO at meetings, but members say the service will need to be more closely monitored from now on.

Cllr Mike Hunter suggested a regular liaison panel, while Cllr Bernice Walmlsley added: “I would favour us using that year to check the value for money. We are talking a lot of money and the agreement with the police has got some way to go.”

On top of the £12,000 allocated for the PCSO role, the budget for 2017/18 includes a new £10,000 pot entitled ‘community safety – including CCTV’.