It is the time of year when Wales’ 22 councils are planning their budgets for next year. The financial year, which starts in April, will include whether they each need to up the council tax paid by residents.
Councils get their money from three main places; a grant from the Welsh Government; council tax; and business rates and use it to fund a range of services including things like bin collections, road repairs, but also education and social care.
The Welsh Government has published the amount it plans to give councils for the next year. Wales’ councils will get £6.1bn, up 4.3% on the previous year. Cardiff gets the most in terms of value (£674m) but Newport gets the largest percentage increase on last year. Merthyr Tydfil, Wales’ smallest authority gets the least amount in financial terms (£133m) but the third highest percentage increase compared to last year.
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However, authorities have since warned it is not enough. In a recent committee session at the Senedd, four council leaders explained that even with a higher-than-expected settlement, many authorities will still have to look at council tax hikes for residents. You can read their bleak assessment here.
Each council will meet in February to pass a budget with a final council tax figure in it, for now, many are still consulting or discussing the figure with residents. Here is the list, which will be updated as more information is available and finalised. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Blaenau Gwent
Update to come
Bridgend
The potential council tax increase for Bridgend is of 4.5%. In its budget plans, the council has said there are a number of “existing and new” cost pressures, alongside limited council resources.
Caerphilly
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s draft budget proposals also include a range of cuts and savings measures, including axing a Community Safety Warden scheme and several school crossing patrols. It also suggests an increase in council tax by 7.9%.
The local authority has long warned it must make “difficult decisions” on spending, in the face of an estimated £45 million budget gap over the next two years.
Cardiff
The council has a £23.4m budget gap to fill for 2025-26 however has warned that several factors mean it will have to make savings, change services, increase fees and put council tax up. The authority says it is a combination of inflation and rising demand for services, mean the cost of delivering education, social care and housing services which have led to that.
Council tax accounts for around 26% of the council’s budget with each 1% generating approximately £1.9 million. No figure has yet been set for council tax increases.
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire council will meet for its budget meeting due on February 26. The planned council tax rise for now is 9.75%. As things currently stand the authority is line to receive an extra £25.1 million from the Welsh Government, which funds the majority of a council’s budget, to cover pay rises and teacher pension costs among other things. It’s a rise of 4.1% compared to this year.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on January 13, Cllr Alun Lenny, cabinet member for resources, said: “Although this is a large sum, it’s nowhere near enough to meet the increased costs we must fund just to keep services at the same level.” You can read more here.
Ceredigion
Ceredigion council’s cabinet will look at its draft budget on January 21. The final budget and any council tax changes will be looked at on March 3.
Conwy
There is no figure at present, but the full council will meet on February 27 to finalise and agree the council’s budget and council tax for 2025-26.
Denbighshire
Update to come
Flintshire
Update to come
Gwynedd
Update to come
Isle of Anglesey
Anglesey council is looking at increasing council tax by 9.5%, including 0.65% to cover the increase in the North Wales Fire Authority levy. It will be discussed on January 21 by the executive group before public consultation. The full council will meet to finalise it on March 6, 2025.
Merthyr Tydfil
After the Welsh Government settlement announcement, the council said it has a budget gap of £5.98m. The council tax increase is currently modelled at 5% but no decision has yet been made for 2025-26.
Monmouthshire
Update to come
Neath Port Talbot
This authority’s plans include almost £15m of savings needing to be found. They currently include a 7% council tax increase for residents across the borough, along with a number of saving and income generation measures including plans to reduce the council revenue spent on local bus support, along with the increases in fees and charges associated with cemeteries, and the dimming of street lighting at certain hours.
It could also see a re-design of homeless services to reduce the number requiring temporary accommodation, as well as a reduction in the day to day works budget for road assets such as markings, signs, speed cushions, safety fences, and cattle grids.
Newport
Newport City Council estimates it will have to save £4.3 million if it is to balance its budget for the next financial year. Meeting that amount includes a proposed 6.7% rise in bills in Newport, something that has been criticised by opposition politicians. The council accepted the proposed increase was a “very substantial bill for residents, despite Newport maintaining one of the lowest rates in Wales for many years”. but Cllr Matthew Evans, who leads the Conservative opposition in the city council chamber, called a proposed 6.7% tax increase “outrageous” and said local authority decision-makers “need to get their priorities right”.
Pembrokeshire
There is currently no figure for council tax rise from Pembrokeshire council. The cabinet will meet to recommend a figure to full council on February 10, there will be a full council meeting on February 20.
Powys
The authority says it needs an 8.9% council tax increase along with savings of £12.3m as part of the council’s draft budget for 2025-26. The draft budget will now go before the full council on February 20.
Rhondda Cynon Taf
No figure has been made public, and the council’s cabinet will meet to discuss on January 22.
Swansea
The Swansea Council budget meeting is due to take place on March 6. The council plans to make savings of £13.9 million in 2025-26 and raise council tax – although it’s not clear how much by – to deal with rising costs and demographic pressures like growing demand for temporary accommodation. In addition schools, despite getting more funding, will be asked to save £4.5 million.
Torfaen
This authority is considering a proposed council tax increase of 4.95%.
Vale of Glamorgan
No final figure has yet been confirmed, but the council is consulting on a 6.9% rise in council tax. The consultation will begin on January 20.
Wrexham
Despite the settlement from the Welsh Government, a council tax rise is on the cards in Wrexham, its leader told a Senedd committee. However, no formal papers have yet been published and the matter is due to be considered as part of a cabinet meeting on February 11, with details likely to be published five days before that.
Additional reporting: Richard Youle, Ted Peskett, Lewis Smith, Nicholas Thomas.