Cheshire council tax payers pick up bill for policing Duke’s wedding

Cllr Norman Plumpton Walsh (Halton Borough Council, Lab) asked in a pre-submitted question to Cheshire Police, how much it had cost to police the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster at Chester last month.

He also asked whether the Grosvenor family had been approached and asked to make a contribution to the cost ‘to reduce the burden to the Cheshire community’.

Cllr Norman Plumpton Walsh (Image: Halton Borough Council)

In a written response, handed out at Friday’s meeting of the police and crime panel at Crewe Municipal Buildings, Cheshire Police said the full cost is not yet known but that it had taken nine months to plan for the event.

The statement said: “There has been no formal approach to the Duke of Westminster regarding contributions made, following legal advice concerning NPCC Guidance for Special Policing Services.

“The central principle is that the police cannot charge for services which fall within their ordinary public duty.”

It continued: “The policing response was to protect the public in a crowded space, that was Chester City centre, and to complete our obligations with regards to protected persons – ie HRH the Prince of Wales – and those who were believed to be attending in the initial planning phase.”

It had initially been understood King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales would also be attending.

Evan Morris (Image: Cheshire West & Chester Council)

Evan Morris, chair of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, was not satisfied with the response.

And he took the new police and crime commissioner, Dan Price, to task over it at Friday’s meeting.

“We’re looking at very, very substantial costs for policing that wedding,” said Mr Morris.

“It took nine months to plan, they haven’t managed to put a price on the cost.”

He added: “It is the responsibility for the PCC to establish a charging policy and, if you look at that [guidance document], I can see clearly how that wedding could be defined within this judgement of what is a special policing service, as chargeable.

“It’s not an operational issue because we sign off your budget.”

Police and crime commissioner Dan Price (Image: PCC office)

Mr Price told the panel the vast majority of policing on that day was outside the cathedral because members of the public were wanting to welcome members of the Royal family and the Duke’s family.

“It wasn’t a closed event, it was an open, public event and the police in our county have got a duty to police public events,” he said.

The commissioner compared it to policing football matches.

“There are very clear fees and charges on what happens inside the stadium, but outside the stadium policing has a duty to police,” he said.

“I’m sure Cheshire’s chief constable would be thrilled to be able to charge for that but it’s not something we can do…

“The public are paying for that, for instance, on a weekly basis all over the country.”

He added: “We’re not able to request a payment. I don’t believe the Duke is going to get married many times so hopefully this is a one-off event, but I appreciate that with that there will be a cost to the public which may feel unfair. I do understand that.”