News

Council tax to rise 9.75% for residents in Carmarthenshire

Published

10 months ago

February 11, 2025

Plaid Cymru blames Welsh Government funding and NI hike

PLAID CYMRU on Carmarthenshire County Council has blamed inadequate Welsh Government funding and the Labour Chancellor’s National Insurance hike for creating a multi-million-pound shortfall in the council’s budget for 2025/26—forcing an increase in Council Tax of 9.75%.

Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Alun Lenny, said: “In my experience, this year is even worse than all those years of Tory austerity. Due to inflation, pay settlements, and growing demand, we needed an extra £55m to fund essential services like social care and education, but received just £25m in annual grants from the Labour Welsh Government. We’ve had to fill the gap with efficiencies and a far higher Council Tax rise than any of us would like.”

Cllr Lenny said only 16% of the council’s income comes from Council Tax, with each 1% rise generating £1m. He added that the council had initially anticipated a 4-5% rise, but the National Insurance changes introduced by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves would leave the council £4m out of pocket.

**Cllr Alun Lenny: This year is even worse than all those years of Tory austerity** (Pic: Herald)

“The Labour Chancellor’s action has also hit local businesses hard, with lower-paid workers in retail and hospitality particularly worried about their jobs,” he said.

Cllr Lenny also criticised the disparity in UK Government funding, highlighting that councils in England are receiving extra money through the £4.7bn Local Transport Fund. He said Herefordshire—a county with a similar population and highways network to Carmarthenshire—was getting an extra £102m over the next seven years.

“That scale of spending on roads is something we can only dream about, and shows that we in Wales are the poor relatives when it comes to UK Government funding,” he said.

He also slammed Westminster’s refusal to allocate consequential funding from the HS2 railway development in England, stating that Plaid Cymru estimates Carmarthenshire’s share should be around £250m—enough to solve its budget issues overnight.

Why are council tax rises happening across Wales?

Carmarthenshire is not alone in facing a sharp increase in Council Tax, with many Welsh councils struggling to balance their budgets. Several key factors are driving these rises:

Funding shortfalls for local authorities: Despite an additional £253m allocated to local councils in the Welsh Government’s draft budget, the Welsh Local Government Association has identified a shortfall of £560m. This leaves councils unable to meet rising demands without increasing taxes, cutting services, or making job reductions. For example, Wrexham Council is considering tax hikes of up to 15% to address these challenges.
Inflation and service pressures: Councils are dealing with significant inflationary pressures and increased demand for public services, particularly in social care and education. These factors have exacerbated financial strains, forcing councils to consider tax increases to maintain service levels.
Outdated tax system: Council tax in Wales is based on property values from 2003, making it increasingly outdated and regressive. This system creates disparities between councils and households, as property values and local needs have changed significantly over the last two decades.
Delays in tax reforms: The Welsh Government had planned to reform council tax by revaluing properties and introducing new tax bands to make the system fairer. However, this has now been postponed until 2028, meaning councils must continue relying on an outdated system to generate revenue.
Limited fiscal devolution: Welsh councils rely heavily on central government grants, restricting their ability to raise local revenue and adapt taxation to local needs. This dependency leaves them vulnerable to funding shortfalls when government grants fall short of rising costs.

Public concerns and Welsh Government response

Public opposition to rising Council Tax bills has been growing. A petition has been launched calling for Welsh councils to be limited to a maximum annual increase of 2% from April 2025. Meanwhile, Labour’s stance on Council Tax has shifted, with UK Labour ruling out changes to Council Tax bands. This contradicts the Welsh Labour government’s previous plans, creating a potential policy divide between Cardiff and Westminster.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said local authorities in Wales receive significantly more funding per capita than those in England and that difficult financial choices stem from wider economic factors, not just Labour policy.

A Welsh Labour source added: “We are committed to supporting councils, but the economic reality is that years of Tory austerity, inflationary pressures, and high interest rates have made local government funding more challenging.”

Carmarthenshire Council’s position

Despite financial pressures, Carmarthenshire County Council has committed to continued investment in education, housing, and adult and children’s services. Following public consultation, the council has scrapped plans to close public toilets unless asset transferred, will only increase car parking charges in line with inflation, and will invest more in highways, gully cleaning, and flood prevention.

As the Welsh Government finalises its budget, Plaid Cymru has pledged to lobby for fairer funding up until the last moment.

Farming

Basic Payment Scheme 2025 balance paid to 95% of Welsh farmers

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final year of BPS as transition to Sustainable Farming Scheme begins

The WELSH Government says more than ninety-five per cent of farm businesses have now received their full or balance payment under the final year of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), ahead of the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026.

Announcing the update on Friday (Dec 12), Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that over 15,400 Welsh farm businesses have been paid £68.7m. This comes on top of the £160m issued in BPS advance payments since 14 October.

Final round of BPS payments

The Basic Payment Scheme, which has been the backbone of farm support in Wales for a decade, provides direct income support to help farmers plan and manage their businesses. BPS 2025 marks the last year in which full BPS payments will be made before the scheme begins to be phased out.

The Cabinet Secretary said officials would “continue to process the outstanding BPS 2025 claims as soon as possible,” adding that all but the most complex cases should be completed by 30 June 2026.

Payments issued today represent the main balance due to farmers following earlier advances, giving many businesses the cash flow they need during the quieter winter period—traditionally a challenging time in the agricultural calendar.

Shift to Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the Welsh Government will begin rolling out the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a major reform to how agricultural support is delivered. The SFS will reward farmers for environmental outcomes such as habitat management, carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements, alongside continued food production.

The government has argued that the new scheme is essential to meeting Wales’ climate and nature targets while ensuring long-term resilience in the sector. However, the transition has been closely watched by farming unions, who have raised concerns about the administrative burden, income stability, and the speed at which BPS is being phased out.

Mr Irranca-Davies reaffirmed the government’s stance, saying: “This government is steadfastly committed to supporting Welsh farmers to sustainably produce quality food. This is demonstrated today in our payment of the BPS 2025 balance payments and will continue throughout the transition period.”

Sector reaction

Farming unions are expected to scrutinise the detail of today’s announcement, particularly around remaining unpaid cases. Last year, late payments led to frustration in parts of the sector, with unions calling for greater certainty as the industry faces rising input costs, supply chain pressures and continued market volatility.

The move to the SFS remains one of the most significant agricultural policy changes in Wales since devolution. Ministers insist the shift is designed to support both food production and environmental stewardship, while critics warn the transition must not undermine farm viability—especially for family-run livestock farms that dominate rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

What happens next

Farmers still awaiting their BPS 2025 balance will continue to be processed “as soon as possible”, the Welsh Government said. Officials will also publish updated guidance on the Sustainable Farming Scheme ahead of its launch.

The coming year will therefore become a pivotal moment for Welsh agriculture, as the long-standing BPS framework—which provided over £200m annually to Welsh farmers—makes way for a new results-based model that will shape the industry for decades to come.

News

Improved train timetable launches across Wales

Published

2 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Extra services, later trains and boosted Sunday routes as £800m rail investment takes effect

An improved train timetable has come into force across Wales today (Sunday, 14 December), with Transport for Wales (TfW) introducing more frequent services, stronger connections and additional late-night trains on key routes.

The winter timetable update brings one of the most substantial uplifts in recent years on the Wales and Borders network, forming part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing £800 million investment in brand-new rolling stock and reliability improvements.

More trains and later journeys

Among the upgrades, passengers will see:

A new hourly additional service between Chester and Wrexham, effectively doubling the frequency on one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors.
An extra train in each direction every day on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Three later last trains from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, supporting shift workers and the night-time economy.
A new hourly Sunday service on the Coryton line in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said improved connectivity was “absolutely vital” for economic growth and passenger confidence.

“These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services and greater connectivity,” he said. “This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.

“We will see the doubling of trains between Wrexham and Chester and a later service from the capital to valley communities. In South Wales, people will continue to benefit from simpler, fairer fares through TfW’s Pay As You Go service, and its forthcoming introduction in North Wales will help even more passengers access easy, transparent pricing.”

Full details of the updated timetable are available at: tfw.wales/service-status/timetables

News

Wrecked guard boat still under watch off north Pembrokeshire coast

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tidal changes monitored after dramatic early-morning rescue

A GUARD VESSEL that ran aground off the north Pembrokeshire coast in the early hours of Thursday morning (Dec 11) remains under close observation as tides continue to shift.

The Resolute, a 24-metre guard boat understood to be working for an offshore wind project off the Irish coast, had been sheltering in worsening weather when she was pushed onto rocks near Aber Hywel, Dinas, shortly after 3:25am.

Four crew members were onboard when the vessel grounded in rough seas and a strong southerly wind.

Major rescue effort launched

The crew issued an emergency alert, prompting a full multi-agency response.
A coastguard rescue helicopter, both Fishguard RNLI lifeboats, and coastguard teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene.

Turbulent air made a winch rescue impossible and Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close due to cliffs and submerged hazards. The inshore lifeboat was instead deployed to attempt a transfer in extremely challenging conditions.

During the evacuation, the third crew member descending to the vessel’s life raft slipped, fell into the water and was swept away. Speaking afterwards, RNLI crew member Cedwyn Rogers said the team immediately switched into “hyper-focused” mode as training took over.

Despite the casualty drifting, helm Warren Bean — a volunteer with more than 30 years’ RNLI experience — manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside, allowing crew to haul the man to safety. The remaining crew member was then retrieved, and all four were taken aboard the all-weather lifeboat and brought ashore to Fishguard.

All rescue units were later stood down.

Vessel still stranded and taking on water

The Herald understands that the Resolute remained aground on the rocks yesterday and was taking on water. The crew were later assisted back onboard by a local fisherman to assess damage on behalf of the vessel’s operators.

Management representatives from Ireland were due to arrive to draw up a recovery plan, including arrangements to remove fuel to prevent any potential environmental impact.

Further inspections have been taking place today as the team evaluates the next steps.

Coastguard statement

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.28am on Thursday morning, HM Coastguard was made aware of a vessel with four persons onboard aground on rocks at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. RNLI lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene. The four people aboard were rescued by lifeboat, and the helicopter was stood down. The vessel, which is still aground, is being monitored as tidal conditions change.”