Politics

Councils’ budgets ‘war of attrition’

Published

8 years ago

October 11, 2017

The cost of cuts: Councils will lose 4.5% net

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT settlement announced by Welsh Government continues an eight-year run of real term reductions to local government funding.

That’s according to the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) in response to Tuesday’s (Oct 10) announcement of the provisional budget for local government by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford.

The Welsh Government claims the Budget will ‘protect key services’, as they continue to squeeze councils into devoting an ever-larger slice of an ever-diminishing budget to its core priorities.

‘COUNCILS PROTECTED FROM WORST OF CUTS’

While the Welsh Government claims that no council will have to cut more than 1% off its budget next year and 1.5% off the budget for 2019/20, when other costs are factored in all councils will be faced with a further significant cut above and beyond the headline claims. And taking Welsh government grants out of the final settlement suggests that cuts will be deeper still.

Announcing the provisional settlement, Mark Drakeford said: “Last year I told local authorities to prepare for the tougher times and harder choices that lay ahead as the flawed and failed policy of austerity continues to hit Wales hard.

“My priority, using a formula we have agreed with local government, is to try and protect councils from the worst of the cuts.

“Next year’s settlement might be difficult. We have done all we can to make it manageable. Councils must now use this time to plan ahead and ensure that funding goes to the services and people who need it the most.”

‘SERVICES HAVE BEEN PUMMELLED’

Professor Drakeford’s words got a stony welcome from the WLGA.

A statement from the body said: “In the context of ongoing and prolonged austerity, councils will view this as a very difficult and challenging settlement for supporting vital services that contribute to the education, health and well- being of our communities.

“Leaders across Wales have pushed for parity of funding and particularly sought new investment in a range of services, such as economic development, environmental health and transport, which have been pummelled by cuts.

“The headline reduction of 0.5% fails to recognise the full story; with service pressures that amount to £212m in 2018-19 alone, the sector will have to look for savings of nearly 4.5% of net budgets in the next financial year. This comes on top of cuts of over £1bn that have been made to date and 25,000 job losses across the sector. While the reduction is within the range predicted by the WLGA, local government is still bearing the heaviest burden of austerity.”

‘POSITION IS UNSUSTAINABLE’

Commenting on the draft settlement, Councillor Debbie Wilcox (Newport), WLGA Leader said: “The problem for local government is that we are now in a ‘war of attrition’. Services are wearing down to the point of collapse and the public are rightly growing frustrated in terms of paying council tax and yet seeing key community functions cut or closed.

“The whole position is unsustainable. Local authorities cannot go on to be expected to make the harshest of cuts whilst continuing to provide the same breadth and level of service; in short, something has got to give. “

‘WORKFORCE DESERVES A PAY RISE’

Councillor Emlyn Dole (Carmarthenshire), WLGA Plaid Cymru Group Leader said: “Welsh councils will still face severe financial pressures estimated to be over £200m for the next financial year alone due to demographic factors and workforce related pressures.

“I would urge the UK Government to use its Budget announcement in November to fully fund any relaxation of the pay cap. Every 1% increase in pay costs the public sector around £100m, and £35m of that is attributable to councils.

“Our workforce deserves a pay rise. In this context, local government funding must be more flexible and the transfer of nearly £100m of grants into the settlement is a positive step. I would urge Ministers to think about the other funding flexibilities for the other £700m in grants which put an additional administrative burden on the public services.”

UNDERFUNDED AND UNSUSTAINABLE

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE (Denbighshire), WLGA Independent Group Leader said: “The funding formula delivers a range of increases and decreases across the 22 local authorities. We need to make sure that the system takes account of the additional needs of providing services in communities with diverse needs and especially the additional costs of providing services in rural communities which are dramatically underfunded.”

Councillor Peter Fox OBE (Monmouthshire), WLGA Conservative Group Leader said: “Social services and education should be funded on equal terms with health, which means providing the £160m that both services need to stand still next year. There are also a range of preventative services within councils that will not survive unless the Welsh Government has a long hard look at the way it allocates money across the totality of public services. Ring-fencing small sums in the settlement for those services is like robbing Peter to pay Paul, as other services suffer.”

‘SERIOUS CASH INJECTION REQUIRED’

UNISON has also criticised the Welsh government’s budget for local authority spending as wholly inadequate. The trade union has warned thousands of jobs will be lost and local public services will be reduced or disappear completely because councils are under severe financial pressure.

UNISON also blasted Welsh Government’s failure to fund the implement of the Foundation Living Wage to lift thousands of council workers out of in-work poverty, something it says could have been achieved with a relatively modest injection of cash.

Dominic MacAskill, UNISON head of local government said: “Today’s news is grim indeed. People can’t understand why their library opening hours will have to be reduced or their youth club shut down in the name of austerity. Communities need quality local services otherwise they cease to be healthy and liveable places but councils are struggling to provide these and more – parks and leisure services, food hygiene and environment health services, on the meagre budgets Welsh Government has today granted.

“Savage spending cuts might be directed by Westminster Conservatives but the Welsh Government must see the lack of new money for local authorities in the announcement today will mean thousands more council jobs are lost and services at smaller councils might collapse altogether. Our warning couldn’t be starker: without a serious injection of cash, some councils will become unsustainable.”

Mr MacAskill added: “Public service workers will be incredibly frustrated their concerns are not being listened to. Welsh government has missed an opportunity to lift thousands of hard working council staff out of in-work poverty by failing to fund the Foundation Living Wage for all local government employees. They agreed this was necessary in the NHS and the Civil Service, why can’t they do it for all public service workers?”

Business

Pembrokeshire village shop redevelopment scheme refused

Published

4 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for a bungalow behind a Pembrokeshire village shop have been refused by the county council, in part due to concerns about foul waste disposal and no formal affordable housing financial commitment being offered.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Cathy Williams of Bwlchygroes Shop & Farm Feeds sought outline permission for a dormer bungalow in a garden area to the rear of the shop.

An officer report recommending refusal said: “The proposed development would provide new open market housing within the settlement boundary of Bwlchygroes, which would benefit the economy by providing work within the construction industry and generate income for material suppliers and distributors.

“New housing can have both social and environmental benefits in terms of improving the condition and size of housing stock to meet modern needs and improve living conditions and constructing to modern building standards.

“ However, detailed matters considered in the remainder of the report conclude that environmental impacts have not been adequately addressed by the submission, and as such, the development fails to accord [with policy].”

It adds: “Although the proposed residential development would be located in a sustainable location, the applicant has not submitted a Unilateral Undertaking in order to secure a financial contribution towards affordable housing.

“The settlement of Bwlchygroes currently stands at a 10 per cent affordable housing contribution fee for the area, equating to £5,087.50 per proposed dwelling.”

Officer concerns were also raised about the disposal of foul waste, the site being within the catchment of the Afon Teifi Special Area of Conservation (SAC), with “insufficient information has been provided to reasonably conclude that the proposal would not have an adverse impact on the integrity of the SAC”.

The application states that a cesspool would be used for the disposal of foul waste, but, officers say it “fails to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that a package treatment plant is unable to be accommodated”.

It also says: “The application scale parameters, even at the minimum extent, would not appear to leave sufficient room within the site to accommodate an acceptable foul and surface water disposal system”.

The application was refused by planning officers.

Education

Tenby school in need of £500,000 of urgent repairs

Published

4 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CONTRACT of more than £0.5m has been awarded for urgent repairs to a Pembrokeshire seaside school where more than 700 building defects were found.

A special individual Cabinet member meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council saw leader Cllr Jon Harvey award a contract to Trident Engineering GBR Ltd to carry out urgent Concrete Repair and Protection works at Ysgol Greenhill, Tenby.

A survey report by Trident identified 750 faults at the school following a survey in July 2024, with further inspections this February.

A total of 750 defects were recorded, including spalled concrete, cracks (horizontal and vertical) in concrete slabs, beams, columns and soffits, failed repairs, failed coatings, honeycombing to concrete, damage / cracks in panels, cracking to brickwork, with an increase in defective areas across the structure since the July survey.

“We have observed an alarming acceleration in corrosion-related degradation due to the saline environment, leading to further concrete fracture, spalling, and delamination,” the report said.

It added: “This deterioration poses a significant risk, as sizeable debris has been witnessed falling from the structure, endangering pedestrians and potentially damaging vehicles and surrounding infrastructure.

“Our recent revisit surveys indicate that the cracks are expanding monthly, and the overall degradation is expected to worsen as thermal movement increases in response to climatic changes.

“We recommend undertaking the necessary remedial works with immediate effect. If we delay initiating the works, we will incur additional surveillance costs, which could have been avoided. Moreover, it is of utmost importance to note that some columns have lost enough structural mass to bring their integrity into question.

“Trident cannot endorse the continued use of the structure unless emergency repairs are initiated promptly. We strongly advise that these works be categorised as urgent and immediately necessary to restore safety and suitability for use.

“Should this critical advice not be followed, Trident will not accept liability for any subsequent developments.”

The value of the contract, at £555,946.17, includes the provision of a 15-year manufacturer’s warranty for the works undertaken.

News

First UK broadcasting devolution study gets go ahead

Published

10 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST four-nations study of broadcasting policy in a devolved UK is set to begin following the awarding of a major research grant to a Welsh expert.

Leading the study, Professor Jamie Medhurst from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University will work alongside Dr Phil Ramsey from Ulster University, Dr Inge Sorensen from the University of Glasgow, and Dr Tom Chivers from Goldsmiths, University of London.

***Professor Jamie Medhurst from the Department of Theatre, Film and TV Studies at Aberystwyth University***

Many policy areas, such as health and education, are the responsibility of the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, the legislative and ministerial powers for broadcasting remain in Westminster; held by the Secretary of State for the UK-wide Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

There is growing pressure from political parties in the devolved nations for broadcasting powers to be devolved, most recently in the Plaid Cymru and Scottish National Party manifestos for the 2024 General Election.

Professor Jamie Medhurst from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies has been awarded a £79,600 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Curiosity Grant to conduct the research.

Professor Medhurst said: “The concept of the UK – as a unitary state, made up of four nations – is coming increasingly under pressure, and the issue of how broadcasting both reacts to and shapes these debates is a growing issue on policy, political and academic horizons.

“This two-year project will provide a unique and novel forum for discussion, knowledge exchange and cooperation on current and future broadcasting policy in an evolving UK, with a focus on the devolution of broadcasting powers to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.”

Dr Patrick Finney, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Aberystwyth University said: “This research will make an important and timely contribution by helping to inform future debate and decision-making; benefitting policymakers, researchers, stakeholders and wider public understanding at a critical moment in the future of UK public service broadcasting.”

The research team will hold a workshop in each of the nations, bringing together academics, policymakers, politicians, and broadcasters to consider how broadcasting might operate in a more devolved United Kingdom.

Following each workshop, a briefing paper will be produced, drawing together the main issues discussed, together with policy recommendations.

In April 2027, a UK-wide conference will be held, where the final project report will be published. The report will reflect on the findings of the project and will provide a strong evidence base for decision making and policymaking going forward.