Council reacts to Welsh Government budget announcement
Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Lis Burnett, has reacted to Welsh Government’s Local Authority budget announcement.
Minister for Finance and Local Government, Rebecca Evans MS, revealed on Tuesday that Local Authorities across Wales would receive an additional £227 million for 2023/24.
Cllr Burnett said: “We welcome this announcement, which recognises the significant financial pressures Local Authorities in Wales are facing.
“The settlement figure is higher than anticipated and I am grateful to Welsh Government for making additional funding available.
“The decision to prioritise funding for Local Government demonstrates a clear recognition of the vital role councils play in supporting communities.
“We will be working over Christmas and the new year to understand what this news means for our financial planning as the Council’s budget-setting process continues.
“While applauding its commitment to local services, I recognise that Welsh Government has finite resources at its disposal to address this issue and unfortunately this will not resolve the £38 million of pressures in our budget.”
Formulated annually, the budget sets out the Authority’s income and expenditure for the next financial year.
Once proposals become clearer, the Council will launch a public consultation in January and February before plans are finalised in March.
A volatile economic environment that has seen energy prices rocket alongside significant rises in inflation and interest rates has had a major effect on the Council’s financial position.
It is working hard to address this issue, which is one facing Authorities, businesses and individuals across the Country.
“We remain in a very challenging financial position and some difficult decisions lie ahead,” added Cllr Burnett.
“However, we will continue to look for new and innovative ways to overcome these challenges and the views of the community will play a key role in deciding the way forward.
“Of paramount importance is protecting the essential services relied upon by our most vulnerable residents.
“Providing social care and free school meals may come at a price, but the cost of removing these services would be catastrophic.”