The price of things like school meals, local attractions, theatre tickets and leisure centre membership could increase in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) next year. As part of setting its fees and charges for 2025/2026, the council is considering a standard 5% increase with the council absorbing the impact of not applying the full inflationary increases being felt across services.
But some areas like bereavement services, car parking and meals on wheels would have their own individual fees set. These include:
Bereavement services
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The cremation service time would be extended from 45 minutes to 60 minutes and to reflect this it is proposed the cremation fee is increased from £854 to £1,050. There would be the introduction of new fees to contribute to the cost of administration for transfer of burial rights (£35 per application) and family history search services (£35 per application).
Burial fees would increase by 2% but the direct (unattended) cremation fee would reduce from £672 to £500. The chapel hire for burial charge would increase from £146 to £250. Get the latest Rhondda news first by signing up to our newsletter here
Bulky waste collections
This would increase from £20 to £22 for up to three items
Car parking charges
At short stay car parks in Aberdare and Pontypridd between Monday and Friday, the price for up to one hour would increase from 60p to 70p, for up to two hours from £1.10 to £1.30, for up to three hours from £1.60 to £1.90 and for up to four hours from £2.10 to £2.50, On Saturday the charge for up to one hour would go up from from 60p to 70p and for up to two hours from £1.10 to £1.30.
At long stay car parks in Aberdare and Pontypridd from Monday to Friday the price for up to four hours would go up from £1.10 to £1.50 and for over four hours it would rise from £2.20 to £2.50. On Saturday it would remain at all day parking for £1 if parked before 10am. To get all the latest daily Wales Online news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Annual car park permits would go up from £200 to £225, monthly car park permits would increase from £20 to £22. Residential annual permits would increase from £12 to £15 for the first permit, £17.50 to £20 for a second permit if applicable, it would stay at £60 for subsequent additional permits if capacity allows and replacements for lost, stolen or damaged permits would go up from £12 to £15
Meals on wheels (community meals) and day services meals
There would be an increase of 50p from £4.80 to £5.30 which the report said meant the full inflationary impact of food cost increases would not not passed through to people who use the service
Leisure for Life membership/Pay and Play
Monthly membership would go up by 50p representing a 1.3% increase, taking the adult monthly price (direct debit 12-month commitment) from £38.00 to £38.50. The report said a consistent approach to price uplifts was being applied to other Leisure for Life memberships such as the annual membership which would be increased by £5 per year (covering 10 months with a 50p per month increase)
Pay and play prices would be increased generally in line with the standard 5% increase
National Lido of Wales (Lido) / Rhondda Heritage Park / Ynysangharad War Memorial Park / Dare Valley Country Park / Events
In respect of the Lido in Pontypridd, it is proposed that the cost of adult entry admission is increased from £3 to £3.50 and activities from £2.50 to £3, from April, 2025, with the price frozen for cold water swimming sessions (£3.50) and the continuation of free admission proposed for under 16s. For Boxing Day and New Year’s Day swimming sessions, it is proposed that the admission price increases from £7.50 to £10, reflecting increased operational costs.
The cost of Lido conference room hire would also increase from £30 to £30.60 for a half day and £60 to £61.20 for a full day. For Rhondda Heritage Park, adult prices would go up from £10.95 to £11.50, for children and concessions it would increase from £7.50 to £8.50, for a family of four (two adults and two children) it would go up from £30 to £35 and there would be a new grounds walkabout visitor option costing £2.
There would also be increases for the Black Gold tours for schools, the classic car show, Easter and Halloween (except for an additional adult), Santa’s toy mine, the car boot sale and an additional booking fee of £1. There would be increases in the prices of hiring the football, cricket and bowls pavilions at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd from £30 to £30.60 for a half day and from £60 to £61.20 for a full day.
The cost of hiring a room at Dare Valley Country Park in Aberdare would fall from £56.45 to £50 for a half day and from £108.05 to £100 for a full day. But the price of refreshments tea, coffee and biscuits, the ceremony room for weddings and for caravan/motor caravan/trailer tent pitches would increase.
And the price of market stall hire, gazebos, mobile catering unit pitches, stall hire, food trailers, hand wash units, fridges, electricity hook up, tables, chairs, large, small rides, catering units and sweet units at events like Aberdare Festival, Big Welsh Bite and fun fairs would all go up.
Non-residential care services
The home care hourly rate charge would increase from £21 to £22 per hour, and the day centre services daily rate charge would increase from £21 to £22 per day as the costs of providing such services have increased by between 9% and 10% over the past 12 months due to pay and price inflation and the requirement for care providers to pay a minimum of real living wage to all social care workers. The charge for non-residential care via a direct payment would increase from £11 to £12 per hour.
School meals
These would increase by 10p per meal from £2.85 to £2.95 in part time nursery schools and from £3.10 to £3.20 in secondary schools. The report said the full inflationary impact of food cost increases would not be passed through to families and would be absorbed by the council.
Universal Primary Free School Meals means no charge applies to full time nursery or primary pupils.
Theatres
Pantomime shows would see a £1 increase per ticket (excluding school groups) and there would be a venue levy of £1 per ticket to contribute to the on-going maintenance and improvement of facilities at the Coliseum Theatre in Aberdare and Park and Dare Theatre in Treorchy, but it is proposed not to apply this to pantomime shows, RCT Theatre produced shows and cinema screenings. There would also be a price freeze for cinema entrance.
These fees and charges would bring in £633,000 for the council, the report said. It added that an on-going key objective has been to not pass through to customers the full impact of inflationary pressures being experienced by council services when setting fees and charges levels for the 2025/26 financial year.
It said the objective is to continue to provide a comprehensive range of quality services at affordable and competitive prices. A report to cabinet on Wednesday, January 22 will ask members to agree to consult on the proposals.