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: that
1) Approval be given to the disposal strategy as set out in this report in line with the independent advice attached at Confidential Appendix 2 and authority be delegated to the Director of Economic Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, the Section 151 Officer and the Legal Officer to develop detailed heads of terms to be approved at a future meeting of Cabinet.
2) Approval be given to the preferred operator for the proposed new Velodrome facility at the International Sports Village as set out in Confidential Appendix 5 subject to the detailed due diligence set out in this report and authority be given to the development of a Full Business Case for the whole leisure destination including associated infrastructure in line with the costs set out in Confidential Appendix 10 and as part of this authority be provided to identify an appropriate operator for the Closed Loop Circuit.
3) Approval be given to the preferred operator for the Ice Arena as set out in Confidential Appendix 5 including the proposal for the family attraction as set out in this report and illustrated in Confidential Appendix 6, and authority be delegated to the Director of Economic Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, the Section 151 Officer and the Legal Officer to conclude suitable legal and commercial terms in line with the criteria set out in this report.
4) the Strategic Outline Case for the Energy Strategy for the International Sports Village attached as Confidential Appendix 12 be noted and approval be given to the development of an Outline Business Case to be presented back to a future meeting of Cabinet.
5) Approval in principle be given to the proposal to establish a single management organisation for the leisure destination at the International Sports Village and authority be given to the preparation of an Outline Business Case in line with the strategy set out in this report and Confidential Appendices 5, 7 and 8.
6) Approval be given to the development of an Outline Business Case to consider the options for delivery of the proposed Multi Storey Car Park including an agreement in principle to the introduction of an appropriate charging regime to be approved as part of a Full Business Case to be presented to a future meeting of Cabinet.
7) Approval be given to the budgetary spend set out at Confidential Appendix 13 to enable the development of the various Business Cases proposed in this report and to enable the submission of planning applications as required.
Cardiff, Policy Review and Performance Scrutiny Committee,
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
RESOLVED –
(1) T H A T the final Housing Revenue Account budget proposals for 2023/24 as
set out below be approved:
2023/24
Final Proposed
Budget
£000
Expenditure
Supervision & Management – General 4,366
Supervision & Management – Special 1,604
Repairs & Maintenance 4,681
Capital Financing Costs 5,327
Rent, Rates, Taxes & Other Charges 221
Increase in Provision for Bad Debts 948
Capital Expenditure from Revenue Account (CERA) 17,187
34,334
Income
Dwelling Rents (22,453)
Non Dwelling Rents (173)
Interest (156)
Charges For Services and Facilities (501)
Contribution towards expenditure (74)
Grant Income (205)
(23,662)
(Surplus)/ deficit for the year 10,672
Working Balance Brought Forward as at 1st April, 2023 (11,621)
Working Balance Carried Forward as at 31st March, 2024 (949)
(2) T H A T an average rent increase of 5.5% be, as set out in paragraph 2.17 of
the report, be approved.
(3) T H A T the increase suggested for other services as set out in the table
below and in paragraphs 2.18 to 2.25 of the report, be approved.
2022/23 2023/24
Actual Proposed
50 Week Basis Charges Charges
£ £
Grounds Maintenance 1.35 1.47 per week
Cleaning of communal areas 2.57 2.75 per week
Lighting of communal areas 1.68 1.85 per week
Laundry Facilities 0.38 0.41 per week
Window Cleaning 0.18 0.16 per week
Lift Maintenance 0.53 0.99 per week
Door Entry 0.25 0.50 per week
Intercom 0.84 0.94 per week
CCTV 0.94 0.95 per week
Sewerage Treatment Plants 399.86 426.66 per annum
Cesspools 386.00 411.50 per annum
VCAS:
Alarm Maintenance £2.20 £3.50 per week
Alarm Monitoring (52 weeks £1.24 p/w) £1.29 £1.38 per week
(4) T H A T all changes to rents and service charges be approved and
implemented from 1st April, 2023, 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.
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.
(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.
RESOLVED: that
(1) the updated Budget Position for 2023/24 at Provisional Settlement Stage be noted
(2) the proposed approach to Budget Consultation for 2023/24 be agreed and it be noted that the formal budget consultation will commence on the 23rd December 2022 and run until 29th January 2023. The results of the consultation process will then be considered by Cabinet in preparing their final 2023/24 budget proposal
RESOLVED: to
a) Note the projected full year outturn position for 2022/23 as detailed in this report.
b) Recommend the draft budget proposals for 2023/24 be agreed, as presented in paragraphs 28 to 56 of this report.
RESOLVED: that
(1) the calculation of the Council’s tax base for the year 2023/24 be approved.
(2) that 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 2023/24 shall be 150,482.
(3) that 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 2022/23 in the community areas subject to a precept shall be as follows:
Lisvane
2,866
Pentyrch
3,605
Radyr
4,057
St. Fagans
1,941
Old St. Mellons
2,485
Tongwynlais
826
(4) that the arrangements for the payment of precepts in 2023/24 to the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales be by equal instalments on the last working day of each month from April 2023 to March 2024; and to the Community Councils, be by one payment on 1 April 2023, reflecting the same basis as that used in 2022/23; and the precepting authorities be advised accordingly.
RESOLVED: that
1. the Outline Business Case attached at Confidential Appendix 4 be noted
2. Approval, in principle be given to the offer from AMG (set out as Option 2 in this report) and further described in the Outline Business Case at Confidential Appendix 4, the draft Heads of Terms at Confidential Appendix 5 and authority be delegated to the Director of Economic Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, the Section 151 Officer and the Legal Officer to progress negotiations with AMG and for Legal Services to prepare proposed contractual documentation.
3. It be noted that consultation will be undertaken as follows:
• Public consultation as part of the Council’s budget setting process, and;
• Consultation with affected staff in relation to a potential transfer to AMG under the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”).
4. It be noted that the findings of the consultation, together with an assessment of best value of the AMG offer will be brought back to Cabinet for consideration as part of a final decision on whether to proceed with the offer from AMG.