Sut mae'r cyngor yn codi ac yn gwario ei arian, gan gynnwys y dreth gyngor ac arbedion.
Beth mae cynghorau'n ei wneud
Mae pob cyngor yn pennu cyllideb bob blwyddyn: faint i'w wario ar bob gwasanaeth a faint o dreth gyngor i'w chodi. Mae'r dreth gyngor yn talu am tua thraean; daw'r rhan fwyaf o'r gweddill o grant gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac ardrethi busnes.
Pwy sy'n penderfynu
Mae'r Cabinet yn cynnig y gyllideb, fel arfer yn y gaeaf, ac mae'r Cyngor llawn yn ei chytuno ac yn pennu'r dreth gyngor erbyn dechrau mis Mawrth. Mae pwyllgorau craffu'n archwilio'r cynlluniau yn gyntaf.
Dweud eich dweud
Mae'r rhan fwyaf o gynghorau'n cynnal ymgynghoriad ar y gyllideb yn yr hydref neu ddechrau'r gaeaf. Mae eich cynghorwyr yn pleidleisio ar y gyllideb derfynol, felly dywedwch wrthyn nhw beth sy'n bwysig i chi.
Mewn rhifau
Treth gyngor a gasglwyd: 95% ar draws Cymru (2025-26).
Treth gyngor heb ei thalu ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn: £119 miliwn ar draws Cymru (2025-26).
Treth gyngor sy'n dal yn ddyledus o flynyddoedd cynt: £199.3 miliwn ar draws Cymru (2025-26).
Treth gyngor a ddilëwyd: £9 miliwn ar draws Cymru (2025-26).
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Treasury Management Interim Report for the period 1st April to
31 December, 2023 be noted.
st
Minutes - GD
No.
(2) T H A T the policy for making minimum revenue provision in 2024/25 be
endorsed.
(3) T H A T the proposed 2024/25 Treasury Management and Investment
Strategy including the following specific resolutions as detailed in Appendix 1 to
the report be endorsed:
• The Authorised Limit for External Debt be set at £240.9699m for 2023/24,
£271.200m for 2024/25, £303.939m for 2025/26 and £336.893m for
2026/27.
• The Operational Boundary for External Debt be set at £226.147m for
2023/24, £255.687 for 2024/25, £287.406m for 2025/26 and £320.338m for
2026/27.
• The Section 151 Officer be given delegated authority within the total
Authorised Limit and Operational Boundary as estimated for individual
years to effect movement between the separately agreed limits for
borrowing and other long term liabilities.
• An upper limit of £0m for 2023/24, £10m for 2024/25, £10m in 2025/26 and
£10m in 2026/27 is set for total principal sums invested for over 364 days.
• The amount of projected borrowing that is fixed rate maturing in each
period as a percentage of total projected borrowing that is fixed rate for
2024/25 be set as:
Table 1 – Upper and lower Limits for fixed rate borrowing
Upper Lower
Limit Limit
Under 12 months 20% 0%
12 months and within 24 months 20% 0%
24 months and within 5 years 30% 0%
5 years and within 10 years 40% 0%
10 years and above 100% 0%
• The Prudential Indicators set out in Appendix 1 be approved.
• The Treasury Management Policy Statement set out in Appendix 2 be
approved.
Reason for decisions
(1-3) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements
(Wales) Regulations SI 2013/3029 (“the Prescribed Requirements Regulations”)
and the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements and Default
Scheme) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 SI 2014/66 be adopted.
(2) T H A T any amendments to Regulations made by the Welsh Government
be reflected in the scheme.
(3) T H A T the national scheme be adopted with the following discretions:
- That the Council should continue to allow Extended Payments up to a
maximum of 4 weeks.
- That the Council should continue to disregard War Widow and War
Disablement pensions in assessing income for Council Tax Reduction.
- That the Council should continue to allow Backdated Reductions for a
period up to 26 weeks.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To enable the Council Tax Reduction Scheme to be approved by Council
by 31st January, 2024 and be in place for implementation from 1 st April, 2024.
(2) Extended payments should continue to be for up to 4 weeks as this
provided an incentive for customers to move into work and allow them time to
receive their first pay. The numbers affected by this would also continue to
decline as customers moved onto Universal Credit and extended payments then
did not apply.
(3) War Widow and War Disablement pensions should continue to be
disregarded to allow the Council to continue to support Veterans and their
families. Backdates should continue to be allowed for a maximum of 26 weeks to
allow help to those with genuine cases for not applying sooner and to remove
some of the burden of debt. Those cases would often otherwise be passed for
further recovery action, putting further pressure upon them.
Minutes -
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the final Housing Revenue Account budget proposals for 2024/25
as set out below be approved:
2024/25
Original Change Final
2023/24 Proposed
Budget
£000
Expenditure
Supervision & Management –
General 4,366 329 4,695
Supervision & Management – Special 1,604 345 1,949
Repairs & Maintenance 4,681 319 5,000
Capital Financing Costs 5,327 465 5,792
Rent, Rates, Taxes & Other Charges 221 49 270
Increase in Provision for Bad Debts 948 79 1,027
Capital Expenditure from Revenue 17,187 (8,990)
8,197
Account (CERA)
34,334 (7,404) 26,930
Income
Dwelling Rents (22,453) (3,340) (25,793)
Non Dwelling Rents (173) (13) (186)
Interest (156) 111 (45)
Charges For Services and Facilities (601) (83) (684)
Minutes -
No.
Contribution towards expenditure (74) (20) (94)
Grant Income (205) 0 (205)
(23,662) (3,345) (27,007)
(Surplus)/ deficit for the year 10,672 (10,749) (77)
Working Balance Brought Forward (11,621) 10,672
(949)
as at 1st April 2024
Working Balance Carried Forward (949) (77)
(1,026)
as at 31st March 2025
(2) T H A T an average rent increase of 6.7% as detailed in the Cabinet report
of 11th January, 2024, be approved.
(3) T H A T the increase proposed for other services as set out in the table
below and detailed in the Cabinet report of 11th January, 2024, be approved.
2023/24 2024/25
Actual Proposed
50 Week Basis Charges Charges
£ £
Grounds Maintenance 1.47 1.49 per week
Cleaning of communal areas 2.75 2.92 per week
Lighting of communal areas 1.85 2.51 per week
Laundry Facilities 0.41 0.62 per week
Window Cleaning 0.16 0.18 per week
Lift Maintenance 0.99 1.33 per week
Door Entry 0.50 0.71 per week
Intercom 0.94 0.95 per week
per week -Nil one
0.95
CCTV 0.0 year only
Sewerage Treatment Plants 426.66 455.25 per annum
Cesspools 411.50 439.00 per annum
(4) T H A T all changes to rents and service charges be approved and
implemented from 1st April, 2024, with the first week of April being a non-
chargeable rent week and that increase notices are sent to tenants two months in
advance of the new charges coming into effect as required by the Rented Homes
Wales Act.
(5) T H A T the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2024/25 attached at
Appendix A to the Cabinet report of 11th January, 2024 be approved.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To facilitate budget monitoring and to demonstrate a balanced budget with
a drawdown from HRA reserves to bring the reserve back into balance with the
Housing business Plan 2023/24.
Minutes -
No.
(2) In order that new rent levels are set within the specified Welsh Government
guidelines and to meet the tenant notification deadline as required by statute.
(3) That charges are approved and to meet the tenant notification deadline as
required by statute.
(4) In order that charges are approved, new rent levels are set within the
specified Welsh Government guidelines and to meet the tenant notification
deadline as required by statute.
(5) To approval for the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2023/53.
Minutes -
RESOLVED – T H A T the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report for the period
1st April, 2023 to 30th September, 2023 be noted.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
Minutes - GD
No.
RESOLVED – T H A T the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report 2023/24 as
considered by Cabinet on 16th November, 2023 (Minute No. C152 refers) be
approved.
Reason for decision
Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales’ (IRPW) draft Annual
Report 2024/25 proposals be noted.
No.
(2) T H A T the draft response to the IRPW Determinations as set out below be
forwarded to the IRPW on behalf of the Council:
Determination 1 – Basic Salary in 2023/24 for Elected Members of Principal
Councils shall be £18,666
The basic salary will be aligned with three fifths of the All Wales 2022 ASHE
(Annual Survey for Hours & Earning), the latest figure available at drafting.
This represents a 6.06% increase in the basic salary.
Council’s Response
The Council supports the continued linking of remuneration to Elected
Members’ salaries to ASHE however requests that the IRPW consider a pay
freeze for Principal Council Elected Members’ salaries for 2024/25.
Determination 2 – Senior Salary Levels in 2024/25 for Members of Principal
Councils shall be set out in Table 1 (of the IRPW Annual Report)
The All Wales 2022 ASHE (Annual Survey for Hours & Earnings) applies to
Band 1 (Leader of Council and Deputy Leader of the Council) and Band 2
(Executive Members), Band 3 (Committee Chairs), Band 4 (Leader of the
largest Opposition Group), Band 5 (Leader of other Political Groups) where
pay is frozen and the basic salary increase will apply.
Council’s Response
The Council supports the continued linking of remuneration to Elected
Members’ salaries to ASHE however requests that the IRPW consider a pay
freeze for Principal Council Elected Members’ salaries for 2024/25.
Determination 3 – The Salary Level for a Chair of a Joint Overview and
Scrutiny Committee and Vice-Chair
The proposed amounts are £9,333 and £4,667 respectively.
Council’s Response
The Council supports the continued linking of remuneration to Elected
Members’ salaries to ASHE however requests that the IRPW consider a pay
freeze for Principal Council Elected Members’ salaries for 2024/25.
Determination 4 – Payments to National Park Authorities and Fire and
Rescue Authorities
Payments will be increased as a result of the uplift proposed for Elected
Members of Principal Councils. Therefore, there will also be an uplift of
6.06% in the basic salary element.
No.
The remuneration for Chairs will remain linked to a Band 3 senior salary of
Principal Councils. Therefore, there will be a small increase to the role
element of their pay. Deputy Chairs, Committee Chairs and other senior roles
will remain linked to Band 5. Therefore, their role element of pay will remain
frozen. The increase in basic salary will apply. Full details of the levels of
remuneration for members of National Park Authorities and Fire and Rescue
Authorities, is set out in Table 2.
Council’s Response
The Authority makes no comment on the increase as it is a matter for those
authorities.
Determination 5 – Co-opted Member Payments
The Panel proposes there should be local flexibility for the relevant officer to
decide when it will be appropriate to apply a day or a half day rate or to use an
hourly rate where it is sensible to aggregate a number of short meetings. The
full and half day rates remain unchanged from 2023 to 2024. The only
change is the stipulation of hourly rates.
Council’s Response
The Authority supports the introduction of the flexibility to use an hourly rate
where appropriate.
Determination 6 – Payments towards costs and expenses of Members of
Community and Town Councils / Basic payment for extra costs of working
from home
All Community / Town Councils must pay Members £156 per year (equivalent
to £3 a week) towards extra household expenses (including heating, lighting,
power and broadband) of working from home.
Set Payment for Consumables
These Councils must pay their Members £52 a year for the cost of office
consumables required to carry out their role, or alternatively Councils must
enable Members to claim full reimbursement for the cost of their office
consumables. It is a matter for each Council to make and record a policy
decision in respect of when and how the payments are made and whether
they are paid monthly, yearly, or otherwise. The policy should also state
whether and how to recover any payments made to a Member who leaves or
changes their role during the financial year.
Council’s Response
The Authority makes no comment on the proposal but supports the principle
that Members should be reimbursed.
No.
Determination 7 – Compensation for Financial Loss
This is an optional payment and the amount was not increased last year.
Previously the Panel determined that an appropriate level of payment be set
at the daily rate of ASHE. To maintain this link, the figures for 2024 are now
proposed as £119.62 for a full day and £59.81 for a half day.
Council’s Response
The Authority makes no comment on the increase.
Determination 8 – Returns in Respect of Mandatory Payments
The Panel proposes that from September 2024, the returns need only show
the total amounts aid in respect of the mandatory payments mentioned above.
This is the £156 contribution to the costs of working form home and the £52
set rate consumables allowance and the travel and subsistence expenses
paid. This brings these in line with the reporting of the costs of care and
personal assistance allowances.
Council’s Response
The Authority supports the principle of alignment with reporting of the costs of
care and personal assistance allowance.
(3) T H A T with regard to the Survey at Appendix B to the report, that the
responses to the questions be as follows :
• Question 1 – Uplift of remuneration using the Annual Survey of Hours
and Earnings (ASHE)
The Panel is fully aware of the current constraints on public funding and
the impact its decisions will have on the budgets of Principal
Authorities. The Panel is also mindful of our Aims and Objectives to
provide a fair and reasonable remuneration package to support elected
members and to encourage diversity of representation. We therefore
propose to uplift their remuneration based on the average earnings of
their constituents.
Do you think that the Panel has struck the right balance between
affordability and adequate remuneration for representatives? If
not, do you have other suggestions?
Council’s Response
Yes but would comment that the Council maintains its support for the
continued linking of remuneration for Elected Members’ salaries to
ASHE however, the Panel could consider a freeze in Member
remuneration in exceptional circumstances.
No.
• Question 2 – Local flexibility for payments to co-opted individuals
The Panel has received evidence that it would be more cost effective
and fairer to provide for flexibility in paying those who are co-opted to
serve on committees of Principal Councils, National Park Authorities
and Fire and Rescue Authorities.
The Panel has therefore proposed there should be local flexibility for
the relevant officer to decide when it will be appropriate to apply a day
or half day rate or to use an hourly rate where it is sensible to
aggregate a few short meetings.
Do you agree with this proposal? If not, do you have any
suggested alternatives?
Council’s Response
Yes and the Council accepts the stance taken by the IRPW to review
existing payment methods to reflect agile working arrangements and
changing demands on Co-opted Members.
• Question 3 – Encouraging sustainable travel
The Panel would like to ensure that we support environmental
sustainability in our decisions about remuneration. We are aware that
there are schemes in many bodies in Wales which encourage
sustainable travel and we have advised that, if possible, elected
members should be encouraged to participate in these schemes.
Do you have any examples of good practice or other ideas of ways
in which we might use our powers to encourage more sustainable
travel among members?
Council’s Response
No, the Council however supports the principle of encouraging the use
of sustainable travel. The Council is currently looking to review
information that is provided to its Members to raise awareness of the
initiatives that they may wish to take advantage of.
• Question 4 – Awareness of the entitlements of representatives
The Panel has seen evidence of a lack of awareness amongst local
elected members of the payments to which they are entitled. We would
like to find out if this is a significant issue, and if so, we will aim to raise
awareness further, targeted at areas where this may be a problem.
No.
Please identify which type of body you serve Principal Council
What is your status? Response of the
Committee
Did you know that you may be entitled to some of or all of the
following:
Remuneration for your role Yes
Pension (Principal Councils only) Yes
Reimbursement of expenses Yes
Reimbursement for caring responsibilities Yes
Family absence payments (Principal Councils only) Yes
What steps does your council or authority take to make its elected
members and co-opted members aware of their entitlements?
Council’s Response
Information relating to Member Remuneration is published in the
Elected Member Handbook. Members have also been provided
practical workshops on how to claim expenses via its digital portal.
• Question 5 – Publication of consolidated sums for Community and
Town Councils
Community and Town Councils are required to submit an annual
statement of payments to the Panel by 30 September each year, and
also publish this on their website. The Panel have provided a template
return for clerks to use. The Panel have discussed and considered
changing the requirements for Community and Town Councils when
submitting their statement of payment returns. The Panel’s aim is to
simplify administration and encourage Councils to ensure all mandatory
payments are made to individual members.
The Panel proposes that from September 2024, the returns need only
show the total amounts paid in respect of the mandatory payments
mentioned above. That is the £156 contribution to the costs of working
from home, the £52 set rate consumables allowance and the travel and
subsistence expenses paid.
This brings these in line with the reporting of the costs of care and
personal assistance allowances.
Do you agree that these figures may be published as a global total
rather than individually?
Council’s Response
No View
No.
What are the reasons for your view?
Council’s Response
Whilst this is a matter for Town and Community Councils, the Council
supports the Panel’s proposal to encourage all Members to take
appropriate remuneration for carrying out their duties.
• Question 6 – Publication of consolidated sums for other bodies
In future reports, we are thinking of allowing consolidation of the travel
and subsistence expenses of members of principal councils, National
Park Authorities and Fire and Rescue Authorities and would be
interested in your views.
Do you agree that these figures may be published as a global total
rather than individually?
Council’s Response
No.
What are the reasons for your view?
Council’s Response
The Council supports the principle of publishing travel and subsistence
expenses on an individual basis.
Reason for decisions
(1-3) Having considered Appendices A and B and following discussions at the
meeting.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the contents of the report be noted.
Minutes - GD
No.
(2) T H A T Cabinet be advised of the views of the Governance and Audit
Committee, those being:
• Accessibility – that it be clarified that there was an opposing view that the
document was easily accessible as it was felt that the document may be
difficult to read for some members of the public as there was some
complexities around the way that certain opinions were expressed in the
report, particularly in relation to a rise in Council Tax and a decrease in
services.
• Brexit – for further detail to be included regarding the impact of Brexit or for
Cabinet to consider removing this reference.
• Hybrid meetings – for the self-assessment document to reflect that the
Council has not implemented a hybrid meeting solution and that this was
now an urgent matter to resolve. The second reference in the assessment
was felt to be more accurate than the first.
• Public engagement and communication – for commentary to outline to the
public how the Council spends its money and the priority areas that the
money was allocated to as part of communicating the Assessment and in
particular the Council’s budget. To also clearly highlight that the majority of
the Council’s budget (around 75%) was allocated to education and social
services which meant that along with those departments, all other service
areas were under extreme budget pressures.
• Agency staff – for a detailed in-depth review to be undertaken to
understand the how’s and why’s of the areas that the Council spends on
agency staff. For this to be undertaken as part of the development of the
Council’s budget proposals for 2024/25.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) Having regard to the contents of the report and discussions at the meeting.