Council Budget 2017-18 Approved

Councillors yesterday (1 February) approved Neath Port Talbot Council’s budget plans for the next financial year ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following a better than anticipated Local Government Settlement of 0.8%, which was announced by the Welsh Government before Christmas, the Council must still make savings of £5.7 million for the next financial year. This is due to a number of factors including the cost of inflation, the new UK Government apprenticeship levy and the growing demand for social care. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council initially anticipated the need to make savings of £11.2 million and consulted on that basis. The settlement means that the Council has therefore been able to revise some of the original proposals, and this has been done in light of feedback from more than 600 people during the three month public consultation which ran from September until December 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Many of the consultation responses received concerned proposals to transfer the library provision in Baglan and Skewen to the community. This has been amended and the Council will now continue to run both these libraries, but to work with the community to help reduce the running costs. Other proposals relating to the lifeguard service at Aberavon Beach and Margam Park have been removed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Investment in schools has also been prioritised with a £336,000 increase in the delegated budget, taking this to around £80 million for the year. The proposed savings from the Special Education Needs budget will now made from management cost savings rather than from provision to pupils. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The original proposal to increase Council Tax by 3% has been changed to 2.5%, making Band D equivalent to £1443.30. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

£22.8 million will be invested in Children and Young People social services, but the Council will continue its work to safely reduce the number of Looked After Children with an anticipated saving of £614,000. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There will be an investment of £48.9 million in Adult Social Care, with £1.7 million of new monies from the Welsh Government to be invested in homelessness, Domiciliary Care and other service provision. The Council will also be investing £827,000 to help deal with increased demand and the costs attached to paying the living wage. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council will invest £32.7 million in Environment spend, with £2.5 million to support the street scene, planning, travel and waste and recycling. There is still a target of £1.1 million of savings from procurement of waste services and around £460,000 of transport savings linked to the recent day services review. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr. Ali Thomas, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Council has a legal duty to set a balanced budget and since 2010 this has required savings of more than £72 million. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Faced with additional savings of more than £5 million in the next financial year, it has been more important than ever to ask people living in the county borough where they think money should be saved. I give my thanks to all those who participated in the consultation process. Residents, service users, community groups, Councillors, Officers, Council staff and Trade Unions have all played their part in delivering this budget.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​