Budget given green light by cabinet
A COUNCIL’S cabinet has agreed on budget proposals that, if approved, would mean council tax being frozen and an increase in spending in a number of areas.
The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council met on Tuesday, January 18 to discuss its budget proposals for 2022-23 after an 9.2 per cent increase in funding from the Welsh Government.
With an additional £19.6m to support the medium-term financial strategy for next year, the proposals will now be placed before overview and scrutiny committees for consultation before being discussed and voted upon by full Council.
If approved, the proposed budget will also mean no significant cuts to frontline services. This would mean an extra £2.5 million to ensure that all care workers receive a pay rise which reflects the real living wage, and an additional £1.5m a year for local primary, secondary and special schools.
The next step will be for the budget to go before overview and scrutiny committees before being voted on at a full council meeting in February.
Deputy leader Hywel Williams added: “Today’s report marks the first step in taking the medium-term financial strategy towards full Council where all members will have an opportunity to cast their vote on its proposals.
“In developing it, we have worked hard to reflect the views of the crossparty budget review and evaluation panel, and of local residents who provided important feedback through the budget consultation process.
“Setting a multi-million pound budget like this is not an easy task, and while we have a statutory obligation to ensure that it remains balanced at all stages of the process, it is also necessary to adapt to changing circumstances.
“The additional funding provided by Welsh Government has enabled us to propose a budget which avoids the council tax increase that we previously thought would be necessary, and I would like to offer thanks to everyone who fought for this at all levels.”
Children’s social services, safeguarding and foster care would receive an extra £1.2m a year, while an additional £650,000 a year would be directed towards supported living services aimed at people with learning disabilities.
Children with additional learning needs would receive specialist support worth an extra £465,000 a year, and mental health services would receive an extra £147,000 a year.
Last year’s £2.1m support for people who have been made homeless since the start of the pandemic would remain in place for 2022-23.
Funding for education and family support services would total £131m, social care and well-being services would receive £78m, and public realm works such as parks, street cleansing and the collection and disposal of waste would receive £22m.
Council leader Huw David said: “The record funding from Welsh Government has made a big difference to our budget proposals for 2022-23.
“While it was not something that we had anticipated, it has enabled us to develop a medium-term financial strategy that is far more comprehensive than we had hoped for while also remaining fair, generous and balanced.”