Annual report provides mixed information on council progress

Powys County Council has admitted it is struggling to meet legal targets for Freedom of Information requests and improve educational outcomes, despite claiming significant progress in other key services over the past year.

The issues are revealed in the council's Annual Corporate Self Assessment Report, approved by Cabinet, which assesses the authority's performance between April 2025 and March 2026.

While the council highlights improvements including a 60% reduction in domiciliary care waiting lists and almost £3 million secured for residents through its Money Advice Team, the report also identifies several areas where performance continues to fall short.

Among the most significant concerns is the council's failure to meet statutory deadlines for Freedom of Information requests. The report says performance remains below target across several departments, including finance, children's services, housing, education, planning, and legal services, raising concerns about transparency and compliance.

The authority also admits that only around half of Subject Access Requests were completed within the required timescale, blaming increasing workloads and the complexity of data protection requests.

Education is identified as another area requiring improvement, with the council acknowledging weaknesses in business planning that affected the delivery of priorities. Although changes have since been introduced, the report accepts further work is needed to improve outcomes.

Despite the challenges, the council says it has made progress in several areas affecting residents across Powys.

The report confirms work has continued on the CymruTech project in Newtown as part of the £110 million Mid Wales Growth Deal, while the new GROW Powys Economic Strategy has been launched to drive investment and economic growth across the county, including Newtown and Welshpool.

The council also reports that:

- Nearly 1,500 residents received money advice, securing almost £3 million in additional income.
- Waiting lists for domiciliary care reduced by 60%.
- More than 1,000 homes benefited from energy efficiency improvements.
- More than 240 businesses received support to grow.
- More than 93,000 residents are now registered for My Powys Account.
- Solar panels were installed at 17 council sites.

The report also warns that the authority continues to face significant financial pressures, increasing demand for services, recruitment challenges and ongoing difficulties providing temporary accommodation for homeless households.

Council Leader Cllr Jake Berriman said the report provided "an honest and transparent picture" of the authority's performance.

"It highlights the positive impact our services are having on residents' lives while also being clear about the challenges we face and where we need to improve," he said.

The report will now be used to help shape the council's improvement priorities for the coming year.

The report can be found here: https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/13136/Vision-2025-Annual-Corporate-Self-Assessment-Report