How the council raises and spends its money, including council tax and savings.
What councils do
Each council sets a budget every year: how much to spend on each service and how much council tax to charge. Council tax pays for about a third; most of the rest is a grant from the Welsh Government and business rates.
Who decides
The Cabinet proposes the budget, usually in the winter, and the full Council agrees it and sets council tax by early March. Scrutiny committees examine the plans first.
Having a say
Most councils run a budget consultation in the autumn or early winter. Your councillors vote on the final budget, so tell them what matters to you.
In numbers
Council tax collected: 95% across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax unpaid at the end of the year: £119 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax still owed from earlier years: £199.3 million across Wales (2025-26).
Council tax written off: £9 million across Wales (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.
Vale of Glamorgan, Shared Regulatory Services Joint Committee,
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 -
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
RESOLVED: to
(a) Note the current position of the General Reserve balance and the proposed Medium Term Financial Plan.
(b) Note that a potential annual or in year increase to Local Authority contributions may be required moving forward upon approval from S151 Officers.
RESOLVED: that
1) the findings of the review of care home placements for older people be noted.
2) work being done to improve to quality assurance for care homes for older people be noted.
3) the approach to fee setting for older people’s care home placements for 2024-25 and other services commissioned by Adult Services be agreed, subject to further consultation with care providers and confirmation of the financial allocation through the budget setting process. The related decision-making authority in respect of the annual uplifts for care and support and the new standard cost of care rates for placements in care home for older people for 2024/25 be delegated to the Director of Adults, Housing and Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adults) the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer.
4) the approach for the future commissioning of care home placements for older people, including a combination of approved provider and framework arrangements be agreed and the decision-making authority regarding any related procurement of services be delegated to the Director of Adults, Housing and Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adults) the Section 151 Officer and the Director of Law and Governance.
RESOLVED: that
(1) the calculation of the Council’s tax base for the year 2024/25 be approved.
(2) pursuant to this report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995, as amended, the amount calculated by Cardiff Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2024/25 shall be 151,372.
(3) pursuant to this report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995, as amended, the amounts calculated by the Council as the Council Tax Base for the year 2024/25 in the community areas subject to a precept shall be as follows:
Lisvane
3,068
Pentyrch
3,709
Radyr
4,090
St. Fagans
2,006
Old St. Mellons
2,512
Tongwynlais
830
(4) the arrangements for the payment of precepts in 2024/25 to the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales be by equal instalments on the last working day of each month from April 2024 to March 2025; and to the Community Councils, be by one payment on the first working day of April 2024, reflecting the same basis as that used in 2023/24; and the precepting authorities be advised accordingly.
RESOLVED: that
1. a consultation process on the proposed policy changes outlined in paragraphs 34, 39 and 40 of the report, including the consideration of intentionality in making homeless decisions, the removal of areas of choice for homeless applicants on the Common Housing Waiting List and offering private rented accommodation outside the city, in neighbouring local authority areas be undertaken.
2. final approval on implementing the changes under recommendation (i) above be delegated to the Corporate Director People and Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member, Housing and Communities, following a full impact assessment and consultation with stakeholders.
3. in principle the acquisition of the property identified in Appendix 1and the direct award of a new contract for the meanwhile modular delivery of temporary accommodation across the sites identified in Appendix 2 be noted and approved.
4. final approval of the acquisition of properties and direct award of the contract to Wates set out in recommendation (iii) above and any ancillary matters relating to it be delegated to the Corporate Director, People & Communities in consultation with the S.151 Officer, Legal Services and the Cabinet members for Housing & Communities and Finance, Modernisation and Performance subject to:
· Approval of appropriate grant funding being secured from Welsh Government,
· Agreement of Head of Terms for the proposed lease arrangements with Welsh Government and Cardiff & Vale Health Board for the sites identified in Appendix 2 and in relation to the property purchase identified in Appendix 1.
· Confirmation of a suitable financial viability assessment for each of the sites.
· Confirmation that the decision does not result in commitments outside budget framework constraints.
Vale of Glamorgan, Shared Regulatory Services Joint Committee,