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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that: • Council approved the proposals outlined in the Medium‑Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2026/27–2028/29 (Appendix 1), as detailed in Section 4, in order to set the budget for 2026/27. • Council approved a Council Tax increase of 4.76% for council services, plus an additional 0.46% to fund the increase in the Fire Authority levy, equating to a total increase of 5.22% (paragraph 4.5). • Council approved the strategy for the use of reserves as set out in paragraph 4.6. • Council confirmed that it had read, understood, and taken account of the Cumulative Well‑being Impact Assessment set out in Section 7.
RESOLVED that • County Council, as the Billing Authority, has considered the precepts received from the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and the Town/Community Councils and declares the Council Tax levels for the 2026/27 financial year. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 32 to 34 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) and Alteration of Requisite Calculations (Wales) Regulations 2008 are as Appendix A section 3. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 34 (2) to 36 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) are as Appendix A section 4. • The amounts of Council Tax for the 2026/27 financial year for each of the categories of dwellings be as shown in Appendix C. • The level of discount for Class A, B, and C as prescribed under the Council Tax (Prescribed Class of Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2004 be set at zero for the financial year 2026/27 with the caveat that this is dependent on no changes to legislation or local conditions.
RESOLVED that the Council forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 12:50pm
Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillors Pauline Edwards, Peter Scott, Gwyneth Ellis, Michelle Blakeley-Walker and Jeanette Chamberlain-Jones. Before proceeding with the meeting the chair and the leader of the Council both wished Councillor Edwards and Chamberlain-Jones well, on behalf of the Council.
There were no declarations of interest.
The Chair agreed to allow the Councillor Alan James the Lead Member for Local Development and Planning to inform members on the latest information pertaining to the National park proposal, however before inviting the lead member to speak the chair informed the committee of the events that he had attended as a chair, which included welcoming people who became UK nationals. The Lead Member for Local Development and Planning thanked the chair for being allowed to speak. He confirmed to members that the position of the Council had not changed since the last statement was sent to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that: • Council approved the proposals outlined in the Medium‑Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2026/27–2028/29 (Appendix 1), as detailed in Section 4, in order to set the budget for 2026/27. • Council approved a Council Tax increase of 4.76% for council services, plus an additional 0.46% to fund the increase in the Fire Authority levy, equating to a total increase of 5.22% (paragraph 4.5). • Council approved the strategy for the use of reserves as set out in paragraph 4.6. • Council confirmed that it had read, understood, and taken account of the Cumulative Well‑being Impact Assessment set out in Section 7.
Councillor Delyth Jones, the Lead Member for Finance, and the Head of Finance and Audit introduced a report (previously circulated) on the Council Budget 2026/2027. Members were advised that the Provisional Settlement for 2026/27 was received by the Council on 24 November 2025. The Council’s provisional AEF (Aggregate External Finance), which consisted of the Revenue Support Grant and the Council’s share of the non‑domestic rates pool (NDR), from Welsh Government (WG) for 2026/27 equated to £226.092m. WG had produced tables to allow funding levels in 2025/26 and 2026/27 to be compared on a like‑for‑like basis across all Welsh councils. The Council’s 2026/27 funding was compared with a restated 2025/26 AEF of £220.048m, representing a headline increase of £6.044m or 2.7%. Over the course of the year, WG had allocated additional in‑year funding to local government for teaching and non‑teaching pay awards and increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions. For Denbighshire, these totalled £4.797m in 2025/26. This in‑year funding was amalgamated into the base budget and therefore had the effect of increasing funding in 2026/27 over and above the 2.7%. The true impact of the provisional settlement was therefore an increase of £10.841m, or 5% (£10.841m / £215.251m). On 9 December 2025, Welsh Government announced that a budget agreement had been reached, allowing its budget for 2026/27 to pass. The agreement allocated an additional £112.8m of funding for local government in 2026/27. This provided an overall 4.5% increase to the local government settlement, with all councils receiving increases of above 4%. In summary, while the increase in the settlement was above the planning assumption used in the Medium‑Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and was positive and welcomed, it did not resolve all of the financial challenges the Council faced in setting a balanced budget. This therefore still required an increase in the level of Council Tax and additional measures to be taken in order to set a balanced budget in 2026/27. Members were shown a presentation by the Lead Member for Finance and the Head of Finance and Audit, which highlighted and contextualised elements of the budget. A breakdown of budget percentages was presented, showing that 35% of the budget was spent on schools, 29% on social care, 22% on other Council Services, 7% on major projects, 4% on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, 2.5% on the Fire Authority, and 0.5% on Councillors. There was an increase of 4.9% to schools compared with the 2025/26 budget. Based on the final additional budget requirement, an annual increase of 4.76% was required for Council Tax relating to council services. In addition, a further 0.46% was required to fund the increase in the levy to the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. The Fire Authority was funded by a population‑based levy charged to all six North Wales councils. The levy was set by the Fire Authority, not by the councils, and therefore had to be paid. Combined, this equated to an overall uplift in Council Tax of 5.22% and provided an additional yield of £3.513m in 2026/27. The Head of Finance and Audit referred members to the Medium‑Term Financial Plan (MTFP) in Appendix One, which contained the proposals for setting a balanced budget and outlined the budgetary pressures that resulted in the level of savings required. The Head of Finance and Audit thanked the Lead Member, officers within the service for their hard work and diligence, and members for engaging in the budget workshops that had been carried out. The Chair opened the debate to group leaders. Councillor Huw Hilditch‑Roberts, Independent Group Leader, expressed his frustration that the figures within the report were not broken down in greater detail. He stated that the budget appeared to be reactive. He challenged the implication of increased funding for childcare and schools, stating that it did not represent investment but merely the minimum required by law. While the investment in planning was acknowledged as positive, he considered that the promised investment would not address the service’s issues. He stated that many services had already been cut and could not be reduced further, with the budget funding core services while others had seen little or no change. He concluded that the public would view the budget primarily as an increase in Council Tax with limited visible benefit. Councillor Brian Jones, Conservative Group Leader, endorsed the points raised by the Independent Group Leader. He acknowledged the negative aspects of the budget but noted that Denbighshire County Council remained solvent and expressed appreciation for the work undertaken by the finance team. He reiterated that many services had already been reduced, with vacancies across others. He stated that residents were concerned about the Council Tax increase and the impact on core services such as road standards and bin collections. He highlighted concerns regarding services being closed or reduced and emphasised the need for improved enforcement and further examination of service costs to identify efficiencies. Councillor Merfyn Parry, Denbighshire Independent Alliance Group Leader, thanked the finance team for bringing the report to members. He stated that Councillors Jones and Hilditch‑Roberts had already covered most of the points he wished to raise. He expressed concerns about the lack of engagement with town councils, particularly Denbigh Town Council, regarding the public toilet situation, and felt that a fair and consistent approach across all town, community, and city councils was required. He expressed reassurance regarding the budget proposals for schools in Denbigh and road maintenance works. Councillor Martyn Hogg, Green Group Leader, acknowledged the extensive work involved in setting a balanced budget and welcomed the absence of proposed service losses. However, he stressed the need to recognise the increased financial burden on residents. He stated that the Council could no longer cut its way out of financial hardship and called for a change in approach to invest its way out. He concluded by stating that while it was easy to criticise the budget, balancing it had been challenging, and he fully supported the proposals. Councillor Elfed Williams, Plaid Cymru Group , thanked officers and the Lead Member for their work. He acknowledged that no one wished to increase costs for residents, particularly in light of broader financial pressures, and stated that the budget was aimed at maintaining services and supporting residents. Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Labour Group Leader, thanked the Lead Member for Finance, the Head of Finance and Audit, and their teams for producing a budget he described as fair and prudent. He stated that it protected services and education and was better than anticipated. He highlighted that concerns raised by members, including planning enforcement and support for vulnerable residents, were being addressed. He also thanked the previous Lead Member for Finance for organising budget workshops and noted that the transformation programme was enabling service change and future efficiencies. The Lead Member for Finance and the Head of Finance and Audit thanked group leaders for their feedback. Officers reiterated that long‑term budget planning was challenging, noting that while medium‑term planning work had been undertaken, the settlement had been received on 27 January 2026, which made the reporting deadline difficult to meet. Regarding schools, officers acknowledged the ongoing need for additional funding but emphasised the requirement to maintain a balanced budget. They stated that additional funding in one area would result in reduced funding elsewhere. In relation to redundancies, members were advised that details were contained in Appendix 7 and were reassured that ongoing dialogue was maintained between finance officers and heads of service. Issues surrounding enforcement were raised, and officers confirmed that work was ongoing with relevant services and that funding had been designated to address concerns. In relation to public toilets, members were informed that a liaison officer was in place to work with town, city, and community councils, and that relationships and communication were improving. Members raised concerns regarding school funding, noting that schools were financially stretched and that the budget would not fully cover wage increases. Officers confirmed that a locally determined funding formula was in place and acknowledged that funding pressures on schools were a Wales‑wide issue. Proposal Councillor Delyth Jones proposed that the budget be approved, seconded by Councillor Jason McLellan. Vote Twenty‑two members voted in favour, and seventeen members voted against. RESOLVED that: • Council approved the proposals outlined in the Medium‑Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2026/27–2028/29 (Appendix 1), as detailed in Section 4, in order to set the budget for 2026/27. • Council approved a Council Tax increase of 4.76% for council services, plus an additional 0.46% to fund the increase in the Fire Authority levy, equating to a total increase of 5.22% (paragraph 4.5). • Council approved the strategy for the use of reserves as set out in paragraph 4.6. • Council confirmed that it had read, understood, and taken account of the Cumulative Well‑being Impact Assessment set out in Section 7.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that • County Council, as the Billing Authority, has considered the precepts received from the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and the Town/Community Councils and declares the Council Tax levels for the 2026/27 financial year. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 32 to 34 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) and Alteration of Requisite Calculations (Wales) Regulations 2008 are as Appendix A section 3. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 34 (2) to 36 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) are as Appendix A section 4. • The amounts of Council Tax for the 2026/27 financial year for each of the categories of dwellings be as shown in Appendix C. • The level of discount for Class A, B, and C as prescribed under the Council Tax (Prescribed Class of Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2004 be set at zero for the financial year 2026/27 with the caveat that this is dependent on no changes to legislation or local conditions.
Councillor Delyth Jones, Lead Member for Finance Head of Finance and Audit presented and introduced a report (previously circulated) to facilitate the Council in passing resolutions to ensure that the Council Tax and its associated matters were legally valid. The Head of Finance and Audit informed the Council that all the precepts had been received, and the updated detail was within the supplementary information that was circulated prior to the meeting. Proposal Councillor Delyth Jones proposed the report be approved in accordance with the recommendations within the report, seconded by Councillor Alan James. A vote took place by show of hands and the report was unanimously approved. RESOLVED that • County Council, as the Billing Authority, has considered the precepts received from the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and the Town/Community Councils and declares the Council Tax levels for the 2026/27 financial year. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 32 to 34 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) and Alteration of Requisite Calculations (Wales) Regulations 2008 are as Appendix A section 3. • The amounts calculated by the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, in accordance with Sections 34 (2) to 36 (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act) are as Appendix A section 4. • The amounts of Council Tax for the 2026/27 financial year for each of the categories of dwellings be as shown in Appendix C. • The level of discount for Class A, B, and C as prescribed under the Council Tax (Prescribed Class of Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2004 be set at zero for the financial year 2026/27 with the caveat that this is dependent on no changes to legislation or local conditions.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the Council forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 12:50pm
The Council forward work programme was presented for consideration. The Monitoring Officer informed Members that the Council Workshop forward work programme had been populated and would be circulated. RESOLVED that the Council forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 12:50pm
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