A PUBLIC consultation on Pembrokeshire’s budget for the next financial year is being launched, with fears of increased council tax levels to balance the books.

Speaking ahead of the consultation launch, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies Cllr Joshua Beynon said: “Like many local authorities across Wales, this council is experiencing increased demand for our vital services, which brings with it significant financial pressures.

“The quarter 2 budget monitoring report has identified a projected £3.9m shortfall in the current financial year (2024-25). While this presents challenges, we remain committed to finding sustainable solutions.

“It’s important to acknowledge the pressures facing key areas such as Social Care and Housing, with a forecasted £8.8m overspend for 2024-25, including £5.68m related to Children’s Services. These services are seeing unprecedented growth in demand, particularly in residential care placements. While this highlights the growing needs of our community, it also underscores the importance of working collaboratively to address them.

“In Adult Care, increasing demand – driven by an ageing population – requires us to explore innovative approaches to meet the needs of our residents while managing resources effectively.

“We recognise that these challenges require thoughtful action. That is why we continue to actively engage with the Welsh Government to advocate for fair funding settlements and long-term solutions for Local Authorities.

“Despite these financial pressures, our commitment remains clear: protecting the services that residents value most.

“The Cabinet is focused on presenting options in February that clearly outline the impact of any necessary changes to services. To put this into context, each one per cent increase in council tax generates approximately £820,000 in additional income – equivalent to just 29p per week for a Band D household. While no decisions have been made, this demonstrates how small contributions can collectively make a big difference.

“Above all, I want to reassure residents that we are approaching this budget process with your needs and priorities at the forefront. The challenges we face are significant, but we are determined to navigate them in a way that safeguards our communities and ensures we continue to deliver for Pembrokeshire.”

Documents ahead of next week’s meeting of the council’s Cabinet illustrate the stark situation faced in the county, with the Outline Draft County Council Budget for 2025-26 “prepared against a backdrop of the most challenging financial situation to face Pembrokeshire County Council since its inception,” with the projected funding gap for 2025-26 currently £34.1m and potential council tax rises of as much as 16 per cent.

The public consultation will run up to January 5; a draft budget eventually considered by Cabinet on February 10 with a final decision by full council on February 20 of next year.

ST DAVID’ recycling centre could close or centres across the county see a reduction in hours to “share the pain” of a £70,000 cost reduction in a decision to be made by senior Pembrokeshire councillors next week.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on December 2, are to consider a range of money-saving options for the provision of recycling centres in the county, against a backdrop of a need to save £70,000 from the service, which includes closing the St Davids centre.

Pembrokeshire currently operates six WRCs across the County; Crane Cross, Hermon, Manorowen, St David’s, Waterloo and Winsel, one of the highest levels of provision in Wales.

The council’s medium term financial plan identifies “a ‘most likely’ projected funding gap of £84.6m over the period 2024-25 to 2027-28,” with the council needing to deliver at least £70,000 of savings from the waste and recycling budget

Four options will be presented to Cabinet: no change, with the £70,000 coming from other areas of the service; the closure of St Davids netting the £70,000; its closure along with reductions in the amount of days at other centres to save £110,000; the final option being a reduction in the number of days all were open, but keeping St Davids running, saving the £70,000.

All four options were considered by the Policy and Pre-Decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee on November 12, where it was “acknowledged that the status quo could not continue and a requirement for change was accepted,” the committee favouring the fourth option, described as “sharing the pain,” which is being recommended to Cabinet.

Members at the November meeting heard many objections to the closure of St Davids had been received, with the city council “unanimously” opposed to it.

Nearby local county councillor, Cllr Mark Carter of Solva said he had never seen as many responses to an issue in his seven-and-a-half years as a councillor, proposing the fourth option, later described as “a sharing of pain across all sites” be submitted to Cabinet, which was backed by fellow members.

The report to Cabinet adds: “It was outlined to the committee that, for this option to be recommended, there is also a Capital Investment requirement of £775,000 to undertake the required compliance and infrastructure works across the WRC network in Pembrokeshire.”

Cabinet members are recommended that option one is “not an option which can be selected as this does not provide a service in line with the budgetary requirements,” with the other three options, which all meet the £70,000 savings target on the table for decision next week.

SENEDD Members warned Wales failed to learn lessons from devastating floods in 2020, with serious shortcomings repeated as Storm Bert wrought havoc over the weekend.

Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow climate change secretary, told the Senedd that hundreds of homes were again hit by flooding, leaving communities in crisis.

She said: “Alongside feelings of anger and fear, there is one of disbelief and horror that this could happen again because so many of the streets and houses affected by this flood were devastated by Storm Dennis just four years ago.

“We were assured then that lessons would be learned but here we are hearing the same accounts of delayed flood warnings, inadequate preparation and preventable damage.”

Ms Jewell, who represents South Wales East, raised concerns about some people receiving flood warnings after water was already in their homes.

“Something surely has gone seriously wrong,” she said. “Flood defences and warning systems clearly didn’t work well enough.”

The Plaid Cymru group’s deputy leader suggested the coaltip slipping in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, should send shockwaves to Westminster about the funding needed to address risks.

She said: “We no longer have the luxury of waiting for Westminster to find its conscience with these tips, our communities cannot stand another near miss.”

Ms Jewell compared the £25m announced for coaltip safety in last month’s UK budget with the estimated £20m cost of clearing one tip alone at Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservatives’ shadow climate change secretary, said 80% of the rain normally expected for the whole of November fell in only 48 hours.

Ms Finch-Saunders reiterated her party’s calls for a dedicated flood agency and a comprehensive, independent review of flood management policies in Wales.

The Aberconwy Senedd member warned existing council-led reviews take months to come to fruition as she pointed to “concerning” parallels with Storm Dennis.

Joel James, a fellow Tory, said: “It is now clear the response from the Welsh Government after Storm Dennis was indeed inadequate and there’s been very little learnt.”

Labour’s Mick Antoniw said flooding had a devastating impact in his Pontypridd constituency as he welcomed emergency funding for households and called for support for businesses.

And Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan, who represents South Wales Central, urged ministers to provide funding for floodgates, insurance for businesses, and a national flood forum.

In a statement on November 26, Huw Irranca-Davies told the Senedd that Storm Bert shows the reality of what more frequent extreme weather will mean for communities.

Wales’ climate change secretary said the intensity exceeded Storm Dennis, with the River Taff in the centre of Pontypridd rising by 30cm every 15 minutes at the height of the deluge.

He said at least 433 properties were flooded, including 125 in RCT, 90 in Merthyr Tydfil, 50 in Monmouth, 50 in Caerphilly and 15 in Torfaen, with details of the impact still emerging.

Mr Irranca-Davies argued the Welsh Government learned significantly in the aftermath of Storm Dennis and made a myriad of investments.

Sympathising with families affected by the “frightening” landslip in Cwmtillery, he raised “crucial” forthcoming legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of disused tips.

He urged Senedd Members to encourage constituents affected by flooding and facing a financial crisis to seek help from the Welsh Government’s discretionary assistance fund.

Mr Irranca-Davies confirmed grants of between £500 to £1,000 will be available for people affected depending on whether households are insured.

Dŵr Cymru customers affected by water problems in RCT will be offered £150, he said, with businesses getting £300 and up to £2,500 for loss of goods or profits beyond this.

Mr Irranca-Davies stated the Welsh Government has invested nearly £300m in flood risk management since 2021, benefiting more than 14,000 properties.

He said: “I recognise this is going to be of little comfort to people whose homes and businesses were impacted over this weekend.

“But that impact is exactly why this investment continues to be so important.”