Council considers budget proposals
The Vale of Glamorgan Council is set to ask residents about its budget proposals
A draft budget is being considered by the Authority’s Cabinet next week and if approved will then be subject to a public consultation exercise.
That will run for four weeks from January 16 and offer people the opportunity to share their views on Council spending over the next financial year.
In total, the Council’s draft budget for 2026/27 is £354 million, most of which is made up of a financial settlement from Welsh Government, along with council tax contributions and a share of business rates from across Wales.
That is used to fund the full range of council provision, including schools, a range of educational support for children, adult and children’s social care, housing and homelessness support, highway work, waste and recycling services, maintaining outdoor spaces and more.
Around 70 per cent of the budget is spent on social care and education, two of the many service areas that the Council is legally required to fund and deliver.
Costs associated with these areas have climbed sharply in recent years due to increased demand for social care and a growing number of children with Additional Learning Needs (ALNs) requiring specialist provision that is expensive.
Balancing the different demands to allocate money appropriately across the Council is a complicated matter that has been made more difficult in recent years by reduced real terms funding, rising inflation and interest rates and increased demand for bespoke support.
However, a better-than-expected settlement from Welsh Government, coupled with new innovative approaches to delivering services, means the picture in the Vale is brighter than it has been for some time.
Plans are already in place to make improvements, including the upgrading of buildings and public facilities such as Penarth Pier and Barry Library and Town Hall, and to enhance street lighting.
Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “I’m pleased to say that for the first time in a long while our funding has increased in real teams compared to last year.
“That is not to say that recent financial challenges are behind us. The Council still has significant costs to meet brought on by more than 10 years of below inflation funding.
“However, a welcome funding announcement from Welsh Government and hard work from staff to transform the way services are delivered in many areas means we are in a healthier position than we might have been.
“This Council does not want to make cuts, there are services in the Vale that urgently need more investment. After an extended period of significant savings and cutbacks, I’m optimistic we can now provide that and start moving forwards.
“That means focusing on the priorities set out in our five-year-plan. We want to create great places to live work and visit, protect our natural environment and give our children the best start by supporting their health, social and educational development.
“We want to provide the best possible care to vulnerable residents and perform to our maximum by constantly reviewing and improving how services operate.
“I know that these ambitions are shared by our residents because they have told us so.
“The draft budget contains a council tax increase that is modest by national standards and will help address these priorities.
“Of course, a greater rise would help achieve more as money gathered from council tax directly affects what we are able to do.
“One of the questions within the consultation asks whether residents would be willing to pay more council tax to see improvements to the likes of rural transport links, youth provision and open spaces. I’m very interested to hear feedback on that.”
Last year the Council made around £7 million worth of savings to stay within budget.
Rather than traditional cuts, more than two thirds of these were achieved through the reshaping programme, a strand of work that reduces spending by operating services differently.
The draft budget, which has been informed by residents’ views, includes a proposed Council Tax increase of 5.5 per cent.
That equates to an extra £1.75 a week for a property halfway along the banding scale in category D.It is also less than the projected average increase in Wales, meaning bills in the Vale will remain cheaper than 75 per cent of the country.
Residents can share their opinions on this and other aspects of budget proposals by taking part in the upcoming consultation either online, by telephone, post or at an in-person event.
The draft budget will also be considered by a joint scrutiny committee and again by Cabinet before being agreed at a meeting of all Councillors in March.