Revealed: Plans to spend £700m on capital over next five years
NEW schools, buying up land for affordable housing, a new bus station, cycling routes and even a new cemetery – that’s how Cardiff council plans to spend £700m during the next five years.
The city has released details of a huge spending programme funded from both its own budget and Welsh Government grants in the coming years.
The capital spending programme is contained in the authority’s budget for 2018-19 – which also outlines the cuts, financial pressures and the extra money being provided to schemes.
Many of the cuts, which total £14m in the coming year, are as were consulted on last year.
Savings will be made by changes to social care provision; reviewing costs at St David’s Hall, New Theatre and Cardiff Castle; removing a £973,000 subsidy to the International Pool; reducing IT costs; making council-wide efficiencies; reducing funding given to marketing events and an increase in fees in planning, bereavement services and the Dogs Home. Bus passes will also go up for school transport.
The final figure for a planned rise in council tax has not been made public yet – but the council has said that an extra £6.4m will need to be raised by council tax.
Cardiff council has also added an extra £1.4m to areas where it expects more financial help is needed, including recycling and school transport.
The council will now take the proposals to scrutiny committee next week before the whole council will vote on the budget on February 22.
The capital programme lays out what will be spent and how the money is generated.
Some will be paid for through grants from Welsh Government, Heritage Lottery Fund or developers.
The authority will also borrow money, for schemes where it would expect to make a profit and recoup costs, if the business case is approved.
Cabinet member Chris Weaver said: “We need to make over £14m of savings to meet the growing costs and demands of our services. However, we can’t ignore the urgent need to develop our city and deliver on our manifesto, and so our capital programme sets out where we will be investing over the next five years.
“That’s why there’s an extra £25m for school maintenance, £6m for cycling infrastructure, and money set aside for a new household waste recycling centre in the north of the city.” Spending plans include: Schools – £360m The city’s long-term project to improve its schools is set to accelerate with a £360m building bonanza in the coming five years.
The Welsh Government is giving the city £142m towards the next phase of the city’s schools programme that will see Willows, Cathays and Cantonian high schools rebuilt and expanded, Fitzalan rebuilt and Cardiff High expanded, as well as work to several primary schools.
Just under £14m of Welsh Government cash is also still to be spent on the final work to Cardiff’s new Eastern High and Cardiff West Community High schools. Affordable homes – £120m There is almost £120m put aside to develop or buy land for new homes to increase the amount of affordable housing the city has. That money is from the Public Housing Capital Programme. Another £1.2m is earmarked from council funds to improve the city’s oldest and worstcondition homes, including improving energy efficiency. Roads and street lighting There is £11m put to one side to resurface roads, based on annual inspections.
Substandard bridges will get £4.5m. There is also £1.35m for new street-light columns and £237,000 for a pilot of LED lighting in residential areas.
An additional £2m and £2.05m are being respectively spent on repairing roads and pavements. The A48 safety fence will be replaced and there will be preventative road resurfacing.
Bus station and transport improvements – £16.5m
The authority has put aside £14.8m to complete the long-awaited bus station, and improvements to Dumballs Road.
Creating a transport interchange in west Cardiff at the former Waungron tip will cost £1.4m.
There is also £300,000 to design transport schemes in the east of the city, Adamsdown and Cardiff Bay to “improve connectivity”. Cycling – £10m A total of £4m is set aside for the council’s current cycling plan. An additional £6m is being suggested to create a safe network for cyclists and encourage people to leave their cars at home.
The authority has earmarked £10m which will be invested in the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal over the next five years as part of its larger, longer-term funding commitment. Crematoriums – £4m There will be £1m spent on improving facilities at Thornhill Crematorium and an additional £3m to increase burial provision in north Cardiff, subject to buying land or finding suitable council-owned sites. Recycling – £3.6m A new estimate of £3.3m has been included to buy land for a new household waste recycling centre in the north of the city. That is expected to lead to the closure of Wedal Road.
Residents will be given separate containers for glass at a cost of £300,000. Butetown Tunnel – £1m There will be a £980,000 investment on improvements. Parks – £1.6m Infrastructure so Pontcanna and Llandaff Fields can hold events will cost £250,000.