Budget time for Powys County Council
“By the time residents read this column the county council will have received its annual budget settlement from the Welsh Government. The funding announcement was delayed this year because of the General Election.
Some residents ask why the annual budget allocation is so important to county council’s operations.
The answer is very simple the Welsh Government grant makes up around 70% of our annual funding so any change either up or down has huge implications.
Our budgets have been under huge pressures for more than a decade since the bank crash forced a change in national spending priorities and funding moved away from public services. As a consequence, all local authorities received less resources and were forced to cut their spending.
Powys was no exception and in fact suffered the lowest funding allocation in nine out of 10 years.
We have done a great deal in response, reducing spending by more than £100 million in recent years through changes in service delivery, reductions in provision and by shedding more than 1,800 jobs.
We have had to increase charges, council tax went up by 9.5% this year alone, to generate more income to support valuable local services in face of reduced funding from Government.
The financial outlook for the Council will remain difficult over the coming years as increasing costs and demand for services continue to outstrip the funding we receive.
As part of the budget process this year we asked residents for their views on how we bridge the gap between available funding and the cost of local services. We are grateful to those who responded, we will be taking those views into consideration when set the budget in the New Year.
We have also lobbied Welsh Government for additional resources, we are not asking for special treatment but for an allocation that reflects the cost of delivering services in a large rural county that covers a quarter of Wales but a small population. Providing important services like refuse collection, social care, street cleaning and education across Powys is difficult and expensive.
That work has already brought some success with a near £1 million grant to support our Digital Powys strategy. The funding allocation will allow us to accelerate our exciting digital transformation programme over the next two years.
The strategy is a hugely important step forward in the transformation of the council. It outlines our vision for digital transformation in Powys, both within the council and across the county, working with our partners and residents to make the most of new technology and the opportunities it provides for the economy, education, health and care and of course our communities.
The grant from the Welsh Government will allow the county council to accelerate its exciting digital transformation programme to improve customer experiences through the more online services and improve the council’s data capabilities. It will also help us work with other authorities, share experiences and expertise boosting the take-up of new technologies.
Another area highlighted as a priority for improvement is education. The service is facing major challenges which were identified by Estyn in their inspection. We are committed to improving the education outcomes for all our learners, but we can’t do it on our own. We have started that process with an education conference and a series of events across the county talking to headteachers, governors and school staff, explaining the county’s position.
Those who attended were presented with key education data for the county and took part in group discussions answering questions including what actions are needed to improve education in Powys.
It is the start of an improvement journey that we know we complete if we are to improve our schools and delivering outstanding opportunities for learners and young people.
We have a great deal to do in 2020 as a Council. In the meantime, I wish everyone in Powys a wonderful seasonal break and good health and happiness in 2020.”
Councillor Rosemarie Harris
Leader Powys County Council
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