Protective services: every unitary authoritie ranked by spend per resident
3 councils · median £68.17/person · mean £167.76/person. From MHCLG Revenue Outturn 2024-25.
| Rank | Council | Control | Seats | Population | Total spend | Per resident | vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isles of Scilly | Ind | 2,366 | £0.9m | £381.66 | +460% | |
| 2 | Northumberland | Con | 331,420 | £22.6m | £68.17 | 0% | |
| 3 | Cornwall | LD | 583,289 | £31.2m | £53.44 | -22% |
What this shows. Net revenue expenditure on the protective services bucket from each council’s 2024-25 Revenue Outturn (RO) submission to MHCLG, divided by ONS mid-year population. Higher per-head doesn’t imply waste — it can reflect demographic need (e.g. more older residents), rurality, or policy choice (e.g. retaining in-house services rather than contracting out). Lower per-head doesn’t imply efficiency — some councils have moved costs to fees, grants, or a ringfenced account.
Caveats. Councils under MHCLG suppression for 2024-25 don’t appear here (Birmingham, Slough, Cumberland and others — see their council card for the reason). Comparisons across the tier line don’t make sense, which is why this table is filtered to one council type at a time. Source: MHCLG Local Authority Revenue Expenditure and Financing.