Community

Welsh council chiefs call for minimum funding increase to prevent bankruptcy risk

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2025

COUNCIL chiefs called for a minimum 4% increase in funding for each local authority and three-year settlements to avert the risk of a Welsh council going bust.

Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, warned of “extreme” budget pressures as he appeared before the Senedd’s finance committee on January 15.

He welcomed a £253m uplift in the overall settlement from the Welsh Government but contrasted the increase against a £559m funding gap in the 12 months from April.

He said: “Clearly, the figures show it actually only meets about half of the actual demand for the coming 12 months, so there is going to be significant pressure on local authorities.”

Cllr Morgan, who is leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, the collective voice of Wales’ 22 councils, added: “It is increasingly difficult to be able to explain to the public that we’ve put council tax up while still reducing services.”

He told the committee: “When it comes to council tax, most local authorities are in the range of 5% or upwards for budget planning at least at this stage.

“We are acutely aware of the pressure on local residents in terms of the cost of living, so it is a real dilemma for local authorities.”

Pressed on whether any councils in Wales could issue section 114 (bankruptcy) notices, Cllr Morgan said: “I certainly don’t think there will be any risk of 114 notices in the coming year but that’s not to say that there isn’t a risk there in the medium to long term.”

Asked about Audit Wales’ warning that councils are financially unsustainable, Cllr Morgan called for a three-year settlement to allow planning beyond a 12-month cycle.

He said: “Welsh Government comes out with a provisional settlement in December, that only gives us ten or 12 weeks for us to line up all our ducks in terms of making budgets add up – that’s what’s not sustainable, I would suggest.”

Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen council, described the challenge next year as “orders of magnitude different” due to a better-than-expected settlement from the Welsh Government.

He said: “There will be schools that retain staff, there will be services that can be maintained.”

Cllr Hunt told the committee a flat budget or 1% increase, as first feared, would have had “unthinkable” consequences, with “massive” service cuts and redundancies across Wales.

With councils receiving increases ranging from 2.6% to 5.6%, he made the case for a 4% floor which would be funded from outside the settlement at a cost of about £13m.

He emphasised that the 22 principal councils will never be happy with the wider funding formula because there will always be winners and losers.

Lis Burnett, leader of Vale of Glamorgan council, raised the example of hospital discharges.

She said: “I think we’re probably one of the best in Wales now that we can actually get a care package sorted out for people to go home within approximately three days.

“That has been of great benefit to the health board but it basically means that we’re £10m overspent in our social care.”

Turning to education, Cllr Burnett said: “We’re having to be very, very careful in terms of how we rationalise spending for education. The demands, and the complexity of demand, have gone up exponentially – particularly since the pandemic.”

She said her council was “lowest funded by a long way” in terms of education, adding that there is an appetite for reform of the funding formula.

Nia Jeffreys, leader of Gwynedd council, said her local authority has cut £74m over the past decade, nearly a quarter of its day-to-day revenue budget.

Warning of no easy choices, Cllr Jeffreys told the committee: “The efficiency savings have been made already and we’re in a situation now where we’re looking at real-terms cuts … that means stopping doing things and halting services that people rely upon.”

She said Gwynedd and other councils in north Wales are looking at increasing council tax by 8% to 9%, placing a burden on families already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

Cllr Jeffreys echoed calls for an “absolutely vital” funding floor, pointing to additional costs of delivering public services in more rural areas.

Asked about increases in employer national insurance contributions, she put the cost to Gwynedd council at about £4.5m.

Cllr Hunt said councils have been assured that they will be given money towards the cost of the rise for directly employed staff.

He stressed: “That national insurance rise is one of the reasons why there’s more money now for public service organisations. And I think we need to be a bit careful not to welcome funding but complain about where it’s come from – it needs to come from somewhere.”

Cllr Morgan said the biggest concern is the money to cover the cost being “Barnettised” (i.e. based on spending in England) which could leave Welsh councils short.

He told the committee education and social care now make up about 70% of all council budgets, suggesting only so much “tinkering” can be done within the other 30%.

He raised concerns about the “eye-watering” costs of children’s care to councils, with some specialist placements costing a five-figure sum each week for every child.

Community

Fire service sets out new flood response plan for Mid and West Wales

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

AROUND 31,000 properties across Mid and West Wales are at risk of flooding, according to figures released as part of a new fire service response strategy.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has completed a major engagement process to shape how it deals with future flooding incidents.

The work brought together operational crews, partner agencies and community representatives through a series of “Flooding Balanced Room” workshops.

The service said the aim was to make sure all voices were heard equally while developing practical options for prevention, response and recovery.

Nearly 24,000 properties in the service area are at risk from river flooding, while more than 7,000 are at risk from tidal flooding.

The service attends around 300 water rescue and weather-related flooding incidents each year.

Officials say flooding is becoming more frequent and more serious because of climate change, including heavier rainfall and prolonged weather events.

Recent data also shows a clear seasonal pattern, with the highest number of flooding incidents taking place between October and February.

The third quarter of 2025/26 was the busiest for flooding incidents since 2017/18, while February 2020 and November 2025 recorded the highest monthly levels of flooding activity.

The workshops produced four key priorities: prevention first, collaboration and partnership, enhanced specialist capability, and learning and continuous improvement.

Eleven initial options were narrowed down to five main areas.

These include better public education, community flood groups, improved flood messaging with partner agencies, more staff training, improved welfare and PPE for firefighters, better vehicles and technology, and stronger post-incident support for communities.

Proposals include using flood awareness in home fire safety checks, improving training scenarios, increasing the number of qualified water incident managers, expanding drone use, and using climate data to plan future fleet and equipment needs.

The options have now been assessed, with recommendations presented to the service’s Executive Leadership Team.

The plans will feed into the service’s future flooding strategy and its Community Risk Management Plan 2040.

Iwan Cray, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The Flooding Balanced Room process has highlighted the importance of collaboration.

“By listening to our staff, partners, and communities, we’ve created practical, forward-thinking solutions that will strengthen our ability to prevent and manage flooding in Mid and West Wales.

“Together, we can build a safer, more resilient Wales.”

Community

Vintage tractor tour sets off from Pembroke Dock for Ireland

Published

8 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FIFTY-three vintage tractors left Pembroke Dock Ferry Port on Saturday (May 2) as part of a long-running tractor tour to Ireland.

The group boarded the ferry for the latest stage of an exchange which has been running since 2011, when the National Vintage Tractor Run was held in Pembrokeshire.

Organiser Alun Mason said: “The Tour of Ireland has been ongoing since 2011, when the National Vintage Tractor Run was held in Pembrokeshire.

“A large contingent travelled from Ireland and continue to do so every other year, with our visit this weekend and the Irish tractors due to visit in 2027.”

Some of the tractors taking part travelled from as far as Burry Port, Bridgend, Llandrindod Wells, Llandovery and Ceredigion before gathering at the ferry port.

The event brought together vintage tractor enthusiasts from across Wales ahead of the crossing to Ireland.

Pictured are organisers Jo Richards and Alun Mason, and the group waiting to embark at Pembroke Dock Ferry Port.

Vintage tour: Jo Richards and Alun Mason with tractors at Pembroke Dock Ferry Port (Pic: Martin Cavaney).

Community

Volunteers praised as Rath paddling pool gets summer makeover

Published

8 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Questions raised over new netting as community pitches in to prepare popular spot

VOLUNTEERS have been praised for their efforts to get Milford Haven’s Rath paddling pool ready for summer – but a new addition has sparked debate among locals.

A group of residents, including Caroline Jones, Derek Abbott, Jordy, Tina Hawkins and Isla, were pictured this week installing colourful netting along the fence surrounding the pool.

The work forms part of ongoing efforts by the community to clean, maintain and improve the popular splash area ahead of the warmer months.

Caroline explained the netting had a practical purpose as well as an aesthetic one.

She said: “It’s partly to try and prevent some of the grass cuttings getting into the pool but also to brighten the area up.”

Others suggested it could also help reduce the amount of litter blowing into the water – an issue that has been raised in previous summers.

The efforts were widely welcomed online, with many residents thanking those involved for giving up their time.

One commenter wrote: “A bit of praise for these volunteers who give our little ones a bit of enjoyment at the paddling pool. Well done all.”

Another added: “Well done and thank you everyone.”

Some questioned the need for the netting, with one resident saying: “I don’t understand the netting around the pool. It looked lovely as it was.”

The Rath paddling pool is a well-used facility during the summer months, particularly by families with young children, and relies heavily on volunteer support to keep it clean and operational.

Local groups, including TipTop Wheelies, are understood to be involved in helping prepare the site for the season.

Despite mixed views on the netting, the overwhelming response has been one of appreciation for those working behind the scenes to keep the facility open.