Council to set budget for next financial year/Cyngor i osod cyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf

Neath Port Talbot Council has published a report setting out its revised revenue budget proposals for the financial year 2020/21.

The headlines include:

• A 4.5% increase in funding to our schools taking total investment in school budgets to £90.1m
• A reduction in the proposed increase in Council Tax from 5% to 3.79%, one of the lowest increases in Wales
• Annual investment in day to day services of £442m across the County Borough

Council Leader, Councillor Rob Jones said:

“Setting a balanced budget has become increasingly difficult year on year. At the forefront of our considerations is how we can deliver our statutory services, along with other services that our communities value and have come to expect. We aim to do this whilst trying to minimise the financial burden to our residents as far as is possible.

“We have listened to the concerns people raised about Council Tax and have acted accordingly working hard to keep the Council Tax increase as low as possible. The original budget proposals included a 5% increase, but we have been able to limit this to 3.79%.

“We will continue to prioritise new income generation strategies in order to reduce further budgetary pressures.”

“In line with our corporate goal of ensuring our children and young people get the best start in life, we will be increasing funding for our schools by 4.5% which is in line with the Council’s settlement from the Welsh Government.”

We have also listened to feedback received in relation to some of our other draft savings proposals and have made the following amendments:

• Postponing until 2021/22 the reduction in subsidy to Pontardawe Arts Centre, pending increased income from the opening of the new cinema;
• Re-profiling the recovery of cleaning service charges to schools over the next 3 years;
• Removing the proposed £100,000 cut to the Celtic Leisure subsidy; and
• Reducing the in-built pressure relating to the Fire Authority Levy and cut in Housing Benefit Admin Subsidy Grant.

Councillor Carol Clement Williams, Cabinet Member for Finance added:

“At 4.5%, the Local Government Settlement was the best in more than a decade but this doesn’t make up for ten years of Austerity.  Even with this increase we will still need to make cuts to cover rising costs such as utilities, inflation, the move towards the higher minimum wage and the teachers’ pay and pensions. We also pay a number of precepts, levies and contributions to external bodies.

“We are working hard to try and mitigate the impact on our communities. That’s why it is planned that the council will use £1.650m from our General Reserves to fund the 2020/21 Budget.

“This council will invest more than £500 million in services and capital projects across the county borough in 2020/21.”

The Council’s Cabinet will consider the revised revenue budget on Thursday 5^th March.

Cyngor i osod cyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn ariannol nesaf

Mae Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedi cyhoeddi adroddiad yn amlinellu cynigion ar gyfer cyllideb refeniw adolygedig ar gyfer blwyddyn ariannol 2020/21.

Ymhlith y penawdau mae:

• Cynnydd o 4.5% mewn cyllid i’n hysgolion gan fynd â’r buddsoddiad cyfan mewn cyllidebau ysgolion i £90.1m
• Lleihad yn y cynnydd arfaethedig i Dreth y Cyngor o 5% to 3.79%, un o’r codiadau lleiaf yng Nghymru
• Buddsoddiad o £442m yn flynyddol mewn gwasanaethau beunyddiol ar draws y Fwrdeistref Sirol

Dyma oedd gan Arweinydd y Cyngor, y Cynghorydd Rob Jones, i’w dweud:

“Mae hi wedi dod yn gynyddol anodd gosod cyllideb gytbwys o flwyddyn i flwyddyn. Yn flaenaf o ran ein hystyriaethau mae sut y gallwn ni ddarparu ein gwasanaethau statudol, ynghyd â gwasanaethau eraill sy’n werthfawr i’n cymunedau, ac y maen nhw’n disgwyl eu cael. Ein nod yw gwneud hyn oll ac ar yr un pryd geisio lleihau’r baich ariannol i’n trigolion gymaint ag y gallwn ni.

“Rydyn ni wedi gwrando ar ofidiau pobl am Dreth y Cyngor ac rydym wedi gweithredu’n unol â hynny, gan weithio’n galed i gadw Treth y Cyngor mor isel â phosib. Roedd cynigion gwreiddiol y gyllideb yn cynnwys cynnydd o 5%, ond rydym wedi gallu llwyddo i gyfyngu hyn i 3.79%.

“Byddwn ni’n parhau i flaenoriaethu strategaethau cynhyrchu incwm newydd er mwyn lleihau ymhellach y gwasgfeydd ar y gyllideb.

“Yn unol â’n nod corfforaethol o sicrhau bod ein plant a’n pobl ifanc yn cael y dechreuad gorau posib mewn bywyd, byddwn ni’n cynyddu’r cyllid sydd ar gael i’n hysgolion gan 4.5%, sy’n unol â setliad y Cyngor gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

“Rydym ni hefyd wedi gwrando ar adborth a dderbyniwyd o ran rhai o’n cynigion cynilo arfaethedig eraill, ac rydym wedi gwneud y newidiadau canlynol:

• Gohirio tan 2021/22 y lleihad mewn nawdd a roddir i Ganolfan Gelfyddydau Pontardawe, hyd nes y gwelir faint o gynnydd incwm ddaw o agor y sinema newydd;
• Ail-broffilio adfer y costau gwasanaeth glanhau i ysgolion dros y 3 blynedd nesaf;
• Dileu’r toriad arfaethedig o £100,000 i gymhorthdal Celtic Leisure; a
• Lleihau’r wasgfa fewnol sy’n ymwneud â’r Dreth Awdurdod Tân a’r toriad yn y Grant Cymhorthdal Gweinyddol Budd-dal Tai.

Ychwanegodd y Cynghorydd Carol Clement Williams, Aelod Cabinet dros Gyllid:

“Ar raddfa o 4.5%, dyma’r Setliad Llywodraeth Leol orau mewn mwy na degawd, ond dyw hyn ddim yn gwneud yn iawn am ddeng mlynedd o Gyni. Hyd yn oed gyda’r cynnydd hwn, bydd angen i ni barhau i wneud toriadau i gwrdd â’r costau cynyddol mewn pethau fel cyfleustodau, chwyddiant, y symudiad tuag at leiafswm cyflog uwch a chyflog a phensiynau athrawon. Rydym ni hefyd yn talu nifer o drethi, tollau a chyfraniadau i gyrff allanol.

“Rydyn ni’n gweithio’n galed i geisio lleihau’r effaith ar ein cymunedau. Dyna pa y cynllunnir y bydd y cyngor yn defnyddio £1.650m o’n Cronfa Gyffredinol Arian Wrth Gefn i ariannu Cyllideb 2020/21.

“Bydd y cyngor hwn yn buddsoddi dros £500 miliwn mewn gwasanaethau a phrosiectau cyfalaf ar draws y fwrdeistref sirol yn ystod 2020/21.”

Bydd Cabinet y Cyngor yn ystyried y gyllideb refeniw adolygedig ar ddydd Iau 5 Mawrth.