Rob's Weekly Round Up

28 February 2025

Happy St David’s Day everyone - Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus.

I realise I’m a day early with that greeting, but as a proud Welshman I like to make the most of this occasion!

Plenty more on that later, but first I wanted to share some important information on work to set the budget.

As I’m sure many of you are aware, we are nearing the end of this process, with a final budget set to be debated at a meeting of all Councillors on March 10.

Next week, the Council’s Cabinet will consider the latest budget report, which includes a one per cent reduction in the proposed council tax increase consulted on earlier in the process.

Under current plans, council tax would rise by 5.9 per cent, rather than 6.9 per cent.

This is possible because Welsh Government increased its funding floor, meaning all Welsh Local Authorities will receive at least a 3.8 per cent increase on last year’s financial settlement.

That is 0.5 per cent more than we were originally set to receive and equates to an extra £1.1 million for our settlement.

Clearly this is good news for the Council and comes after the submission of a robust response to the draft budget published by Welsh Government earlier in the year.

If agreed by Cabinet and Full Council, the change in council tax will benefit residents and reflect our own budget consultation responses, which indicated the level of council tax was a priority for those living in the Vale.

It is important we listen to that feedback so I’m pleased we have the opportunity to act on it in this way.

That said, what passporting the increased budget settlement through to a reduction in the increase in council tax means is that this money will not be used to reduce the Council’s funding deficit for next year, which remains at nearly £9 million.

Though the situation should not be taken lightly, as I have stressed before, this Council has an excellent track record of overcoming such adversity and I’m sure we will again.

That will be achieved by introducing certain charges, changing the way in which services are delivered and looking for innovative new business models.

We remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities, which is why more than 70 per cent of the budget will go on education and social care.

Spending in these areas will actually increase by around £19 million next year as we look to meet rapidly increasing demand and maintain the high levels of service currently provided.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment throughout tis process. I will of course provide another update once everything is finalised in a couple of weeks’ time.

Going back to St David’s Day, tomorrow has extra significance for the Vale as the man himself was educated in one of our towns.

David studied at Llantwit Major in the sixth century when it was a centre of learning and monastic community.

Today, there is a wonderful connection to those themes of Welshness and education when I look at the work of the Council.

We are one of only two Local Authorities in Wales where the number of Welsh speakers is increasing.

That is down in no small part to the investment we have made in Welsh medium education and promoting the language.

There are currently six Welsh-medium primary schools in the Vale, the newest being St Baruc on Barry Island, which opened a couple of years ago.

Ysgol Bro Morgannwg, our welsh medium secondary school  underwent extensive redevelopment in 2020 to upgrade facilities and increase its capacity.

This was part of our Sustainable Communities for Learning programme which has seen educational facilities transformed across the county.

Well done to Natasha Burton, Kelly Williams, Alison Maher and everyone else involved in this fantastic work.

Growing the Welsh language among staff and in our communities is very important to me and the organisation.

A range of Welsh courses are available to residents and regular classes organised for staff. These are free and can be taken as part of the working day with manager approval.

Short taster courses that are industry specific can also be accessed online through Learn Welsh.

These introduce everyday words and phrases, with some tailored for colleagues working in specific areas such as Health and Social Care.

A Welsh Awareness course can be found on IDev, focusing on what the law says as far as Welsh standards are concerned, what we must do and why.

It also looks at the practicalities of working bilingually and what this means for people who use our services. There are a number of other steps that can be taken to show support for the Welsh language.

Making your email signature bilingual reflects the Council’ commitment in this area and reminds people of their right to access services through this medium.

Completing the Welsh skills assessment will provide an up-to-date record of staff’s Welsh language ability.

This information helps plan and promote Welsh language courses and means services can be delivered in Welsh for those that require them.

Hyb Cymraeg on Staffnet+ contains full details of the Council’s work in relation to the Welsh language for those that want to know more.
There are also several events taking place this weekend to mark Wales’ national day.

The St David’s Day Festival, organised by Barry Town Council, will feature live music, entertainment, market stalls, workshops and more at King Square tomorrow (Saturday) between 10am and 3pm.

Walking with St David is an event that starts at the Three Golden Cups in Southerndown tomorrow and involves a circular walk around local countryside.

Those taking part will learn about St David before enjoying cawl and cheese back at the pub. Blasus iawn!

More information is available on the Visit the Vale website, where tickets can be purchased.

Then, on Sunday, there is a 2k Daffodil Dash taking place around Barry Island.

That departs from the bandstand at 11am with all profits going to the Mayor of Barry's Chosen Charities: Vale Food Bank and Shua.

Lastly, before we focus fully on the weekend, I wanted to quickly update you on the Council’s print strategy.

Now our six-year contract with Xerox has come to an end, the aim is to replace all of those machines with those of our new supplier Aurora by the end of next month.

This process will involve Aurora conducting an audit of existing devices and engaging with service areas to ensure the transition goes smoothly.

Training resources are also being put together to help in this regard.

Thank you to those that had their say in the Print Strategy survey last year, the feedback was very useful in setting our future direction.

There are several key benefits to the new devices, including:

• Increased reliability as they will replace Xerox printers near the end of their lifespan
• Print efficiency: The new machines will offer improved speed and higher capacity
• Environmental impact: The new devices are more environmentally friendly, featuring smart power-saving functions, as well as built-in power and carbon reporting
• Cost efficiency through reduced printer numbers and a reduction in print volumes

While we are moving towards a digital-first policy as part of our Project Zero commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030, printers and hybrid mail facilities will still be available where necessary.

As always, thank you all very much for your efforts this week.

They are very much appreciated.

For those not in work, enjoy a restful and relaxing couple of days off.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,

Rob