FINAL Budget plans worth £27.5bn for 2026-27 have been published by the Welsh Government, with ministers saying the package will deliver £1.2bn more for people, public services and businesses than in the current financial year.

The Welsh Government said the Final Budget includes £400m of new allocations since the Draft Budget was set out in October, including £300m of revenue funding for local government and the NHS, secured through the budget agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru.

A further £100m in revenue and capital funding is earmarked for priorities including bus services, apprenticeships, further education, flood prevention and maintenance of school buildings.

Ministers said every Welsh Government department will receive at least the same level of funding in real terms in 2026-27 as this year, with uplifts for inflation and pay intended to help protect frontline services and safeguard jobs.

Key allocations highlighted in the announcement include an extra £112.8m for local government, with all councils set to receive increases of four per cent or above, and a further £180m for health and social care, bringing the total revenue budget for the sector to more than £12.6bn.

A £116m package of support for businesses over two years has also been announced to help firms manage the impact of the 2026 non-domestic rates revaluation.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said the Final Budget would provide extra resources for the services Wales relies on, while delivering certainty for public services.

He said: “This Final Budget provides extra resources to support the services Wales relies on. Every department has been protected with at least the same funding in real terms as this year, including extra funding for inflation and pay – recognising the vital work of our public service workforce.

“By working across the Senedd, we are providing certainty and stability for public services now, while ensuring the next Welsh Government has the resources it needs to deliver its priorities from day one.”

The Final Budget will be debated and put to a vote in the Senedd on Tuesday, January 27. The timetable published by the Welsh Government shows the Draft Budget was released on Tuesday, October 14, with the detailed Draft Budget published on Monday, November 3, before the budget agreement with Plaid Cymru was reached on Tuesday, December 9.

Responding to the Welsh Government Budget, Aaron Hill, Director of CPT Cymru, said: “We welcome news that the Welsh Government’s Final Budget includes an additional £6 million in revenue and £10 million in capital funding. This is a positive step that responds to CPT’s calls for greater investment to keep pace with the rising cost of running services.

Buses are a vital part of Wales’s economy, carrying nearly 200,000 passengers every day and enabling people to earn, learn and spend in their local communities. They are the most popular form of public transport in Wales, accounting for three quarters of all journeys.

Investment in buses delivers exceptional returns – every pound invested brings £4.55 in benefits to the environment, public health, and local communities. Yet funding for buses in the UK remains far below levels seen across Europe, and in real terms, core support has been eroded over the last decade.

This additional investment is welcome, and we look forward to working with the Welsh Government to ensure this funding delivers maximum benefit for passengers, communities and the economy.”

HAVERFORDWEST councillors have called for a shake-up of the approach to parking in Pembrokeshire’s county town, with free short-term parking to boost business.

At the January 15 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s policy and pre-decision overview and scrutiny committee, Haverfordwest Castle Ward county councillor Tom Tudor requested a public submission of a ‘Strategic Parking Plan to Boost Haverfordwest Town Centre Economy’ be added to the committee agenda.

Cllr Tudor brought forward a proposal made by town councillor Scott Thorley “aiming to increase footfall while maintaining fiscal responsibility,” which includes two hours free parking in Haverfordwest town centre across all car parks to encourage short visits for shopping, dining, and services, Monday-Saturday, 9-5.

It also includes extending the parking duration at the Perrots Road Car Park to a four-hour maximum stay, with the first two hours free, with free parking from 5pm Saturday to 8am Monday to support evening and weekend activities.

He also proposes free parking all day on Sundays “to attract visitors to hospitality businesses, such as cafes, restaurants, and pubs, fostering a vibrant weekend economy”.

His strategy also includes leveraging “increased footfall from free parking to boost local business revenue, offsetting potential losses in parking fees through keeping businesses open and attracting more investment into the town,” adding: “Evidence from similar UK schemes suggests a potential five–15 per cent increase in retail spending with free parking initiatives,” with a call for social media and local press marketing of the proposed changes.

He also proposes staff working in the town centre “adopt alternative transport methods to free up parking spaces for customers,” through such things as the promotion of car-sharing, encouraging the use of public transport, and supporting cycling and walking through investments in secure bike storage and incentives for staff.

He says there would be an economic boost to the town’s businesses through his proposed changes through increased footfall; free Sunday parking also helping the hospitality industry, and encouraging staff to shift to alternative transport reducing congestion and giving environmental benefits.

Members agreed to note the submission by Cllr Tudor on behalf of Cllr Thorley.

PLANS for a mini-golf tourist attraction on part of a Pembrokeshire seaside village family venue are expected to be approved by the national park later this month.

In an application recommended for approval at the January 28 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, Lowri Silver of Kilgetty, seeks permission for a change of use of the ground floor area of Saundersfoot Harbour’s Coastal Schooner to an indoor mini golf tourist attraction.

The schooner – a prominent feature on the village’s National Events Deck – was built to showcase Saundersfoot’s maritime heritage and is part of the £10m Wales Coastal Centre project.

The building is a replica of a traditional coastal schooner vessel which operated from the harbour during the coal mining era to transport coal from Saundersfoot.

The interpretation centre closed in October 2024.

Last July, an application by Jonathan Thomas of ‘Schooner’ for a pirate-themed bar at the site was refused at the national park development management committee.

That rum bar scheme had raised concerns from the community council, saying it was “considered to be at odds with the current family venue and heritage elements”.

An officer report recommending refusal said that scheme was considered to fall outside the seaside village’s defined retail area and the impact on the amenity of the area and especially nearby residential dwellings.

At that meeting, Cllr Alec Cormack, one of the local county councillors, and member of the community council, called for a more family-friendly scheme for the site.

A supporting statement accompanying the new application says: “The maritime theme will be maintained as the attraction will maintain many of the existing interpretation information and the maritime theme.  The Schooner operated as an interpretation centre and high ropes offer for a year from October 2023 to October 2024.

“It has been open through the summer of 2025 on Tuesday and weekends. However, it has proved not to be a viable option to run the Schooner as an interpretation centre alone and an additional use is sought to maintain the interpretation element of the Schooner and to offer an all-weather attraction for local people and residents alike.”

It added: “The proposal will allow for the Schooner to be maintained and be open to the public thus protecting and enhancing the community facilities to meet the needs of local people and visitors alike. The proposal would also sustain the future of the interpretation element of the Schooner which in turn will protect and enhance the harbour, which is one of the key attractions in Pembrokeshire.”

The latest proposal is “strongly supported by Saundersfoot Community Council, particularly regarding the provision of an indoor family attraction; this was a unanimous decision,” a report for committee members recommending approval says.

It adds: “The proposed works will apart from planters, be fully contained within the existing structure and provide an indoor facility for residents and visitors, which is considered to enhance the visitor economy of the area, not just through the tourist season but also outside of the peak season, with the facility being an indoor facility with scope for all year-round operation.”