Council to set budget for the year ahead/Y cyngor i osodcyllideb am y flwyddyn i ddod

Neath Port Talbot Council will meet next week to set its budget for 2018/19.

 

If the proposals are approved,a total of £424 million including grants and other income will be spent next year on essential services that affect the lives of around 140,000 residents.

 

Following a better than expected Local Government Settlement of 0.2%from the Welsh Government in December, the savings needed for next year are£8.9million, instead of the £10.2 million originally anticipated.

 

As a result, Councillors will now be asked to consider a revised set of proposalsto achieve a balanced budget. These have beenshaped by feedback received from more than 300 members of the public, as well as partners, council staff and trade unions, during a nine week consultation which ran from November 2017 until January 2018.

 

Cllr. Carol Clement-Williams, Cabinet Member for Finance said:

 

“The Council has a legal duty to set a balanced budget, but any decisions on cuts to services are always extremely difficult.  Whatever is decided next week, the fact that the proposals have been revised in light of feedback from the recent consultation shows how important it is for people to have their say and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation.”

 

If the proposals are approved the net Revenue budget will be £282.855 million, and £424 million gross including grants and other income.

 

In next week’s budget report, the original proposal to increase Council Tax by 4.5% has been reduced to 3.7%, making Band D equivalent to £1496.71. If approved this would mean that Council Tax payers would fund 25% of the Council’s Net expenditure in 2018/19, with the majority of the funding,75% or £212million, coming from Government Grant or a share of the Non Domestic Rates Pool.

 

Council Leader Cllr. Rob Jonesadded:

 

“Despite having to make cuts of £77 million since 2010, the Council still provides essential services that affect the lives of around 140,000 residents living in more than 65,000 households, so it is critical that we make the best possible use of the resources available to us. We must strike the right balance between increasing Council Tax to sustain Council services without placing undue pressure on households. ”

 

Other amendments made following the consultation feedback include:

 

• Savings of £76,000 for Tir Morfa education Centre has been withdrawn
• The draft savings linked to the Celtic Leisure contract have been reduced from £100,000 to £50,000
• the reduction in the Council’s subsidy to CefnCoed Colliery Museum has been spread £5,000 per year for the next two years, instead of £10,000 in 2018/19
• the original savings proposals linked to car parking have been reduced from £200,000 to £175,000, with free parking at Christmas and the first hour free parking in Pontardawe to be retained

 

Following the withdrawal of the specific Welsh Government Grant for School Uniforms, the report also proposes that the Council provides £35,000 to continue with the school uniform grant scheme for the benefit of pupils when they transfer from primary to secondary school.

 

The report also recommends prioritising investment in schools, with aproposed£1.756 million cash increase in the budget, taking this to around £81.7 million for the year.A £23.8 million investment in other Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning Services is also proposed, representing an increase of £246,000 on last year.

 

A further proposal is that a significant investment of £21.5 million be made in Children and Young People social services, but that the work to safely reduce the number of Looked After Children should continue with an anticipated saving of £500,000.

 

If approved, there will be an investment of £46.6 million in Adult Social Care. This will include £285,000 outlined in the settlement for homeless prevention and will offset the reduced income resulting from the Welsh Government policy to increase the amount of capital that individuals can have before they have to pay the full cost of residential care.

 

EnvironmentServiceswould also see an increase of £1.497 million, taking the budget to £34.755 million.

 

Cllr. Cllr. Clement-Williams added:

 

“In addition to the revenue budget, the Council will also be spending £44 million on capital projects, which will increase to £120 million plus over the next three years when 21^st century Schools, City Deal and other projects are finalised.” The main capital projects for delivery next year are the completion of Ysgol CarregHir in Briton Ferry, Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Dur in Sandfields and Ysgol Cwm Brombil in Margam, together with major regeneration schemes in Neath Town Centre and Harbourside in Port Talbot. The Council will continue to invest£3 million each year in Disabled Facilities Grants to enable people to live independently in their own homes;more than £50 million has been spent on this service over the last fifteen years. Other capital projects include various highways infrastructure and bridge improvements.

The report will be presented to Council on Wednesday 21^st February and can be found on the Council’s website at www.npt.gov.uk/budget.

Y cyngor i osodcyllideb am y flwyddyn i ddod

 

ByddCyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot yncwrddyrwythnosnesaf i osodeigyllidebargyfer 2018/19.

 

Osbydd y cynigionyn cael eucymeradwyo, byddcyfanswm o £424 miliwn, sy’ncynnwysgrantiau ac incwmarall, yn cael eiwario’rflwyddynnesafarwasanaethauhanfodolsy’neffeithioarfywydautua 140,000 o breswylwyr.

 

Yndilynsetliadgwellna’rdisgwyl o 0.2% ganLywodraeth Cymru ymmisRhagfyr, mae’rarbediadausyddeuhangenargyfer y flwyddynnesafyn £8.9 miliwnynlle’r £10.2 miliwn a ddisgwyliwydynwreiddiol.

 

O ganlyniad, gofynnirnawri’rcynghorwyrystyried set o gynigiondiwygiedig i gyflawnicyllidebgytbwys. Cafodd y rhaineullunioyndilynadborthganfwyna 300 o aelodau’rcyhoedd, ynogystal â phartneriaid, staff y cyngor ac undebaullafur, ynystodymgynghoriadnawwythnos a gynhaliwydrhwngmisTachwedd 2017 a misIonawr 2018.

 

Meddai’rCynghorydd Carol Clement-Williams, Aelod y Cabinet drosGyllid,

 

“Mae dyletswyddgyfreithiolar y cyngor i osodcyllidebgytbwys, ondmaepobpenderfyniad i dorrigwasanaethau’nanoddiawn.  Pa benderfyniadaubynnag a wneiryrwythnosnesaf, mae’rffaith bod y cynigionwedi cael eudiwygioynsgîladborthyrymgynghoriaddiweddaryndangos pa morbwysigydyw i boblfynegieu barn a hoffwnddiolch i bawb a gymeroddyramser i ymatebi’rymgynghoriad.”

 

Osbydd y cynigionyn cael eucymeradwyobydd y gyllidebRefeniw net yn £282.855 miliwn, a £424 miliwngrossy’ncynnwysgrantiau ac incwmarall.

 

Ynadroddiad y gyllidebyrwythnosnesaf, mae’rcynniggwreiddiol i gynydduTreth y Cyngor 4.5% wedi cael eiostwng i 3.7%, sy’ngwneud Band D gyfwerth â £1496.71.Osbyddhynyn cael eigymeradwyobyddai’ngolygu y byddaitalwyrtreth y cyngorynariannu 25% owariant net y cyngoryn 2018/19, gydamwyafrifyrarian, 75% neu £212 miliwn, yndod o Grantiaugan y Llywodraethneu’nrhan o gronfaArdrethiAnnomestig.

 

Meddai’rCynghorydd Rob Jones, ArweinyddCyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot,

 

“Ergwaethafyrangen i arbed £77 miliwners 2010, mae’rcyngorynparhau i ddarparugwasanaethauhanfodolsy’neffeithioarfywydautua 140,000 o beswylwyrsy’nbywmewnmwyna 65,000 o gartrefi, felly mae’nallweddolein bod yngwneud y defnyddgorauo’radnoddausyddargael i ni.  Mae rhaid i nisicrhau’rcydbwyseddcywirrhwngcynydduTreth y Cyngor i gynnalgwasanaethau’rcyngorhebroigormod o bwysauaraelwydydd.”

 

Newidiadaueraill a wnaedoherwyddadborthyrymgynghoriadyw,

• Mae arbediadaugwerth £76,000 i GanolfanAddysgTir Morfa wedi cael eutynnuynôl
• Mae’rarbediadaudrafftsy’ngysylltiedig â chytundeb Celtic Leisure wedi cael eugostwng o £100,000 i £50,000
• Mae’rgostyngiadyngnghymhorthdal y cyngor i AmgueddfaGlofaCefnCoedwedi cael eiostwng i £5,000 bob blwyddyn am y ddwyflyneddnesaf, ynlle’r £10,000 yn 2018/19
• Mae’rcynigionarbediadaugwreiddiolsy’ngysylltiedig â pharcioceirwedigostwng o £200,000 i £175,000, gydapharcio am ddimadeg y Nadolig, a byddyrawrgyntaf am ddimymMhontardaweynparhau.

 

Yndilyndileu’r grant penodolganLywodraeth Cymru argyfergwisgysgol, mae’radroddiadhefydyncynnig bod y cyngoryndarparu £35,000 i barhauâ’rcynllungwisgysgolerllesdisgyblionsy’nsymud o ysgolioncynradd i ysgolioncyfun.

 

Mae’radroddiadhefydynawgrymublaenoriaethubuddsoddimewnysgolion, gydachynnyddarfaethedigyn y gyllidebgwerth £1.756 miliwn, gangynydduhyn i tua £81.7 miliwn am y flwyddyn.  Cynigirhefydfuddsoddiadgwerth £23.8 miliwnyngngwasanaethaueraill y GyfarwyddiaethAddysg, Hamdden a DysguGydolOes ,sy’ngynnydd o £246,000 o’igymharuâ’rllynedd.

 

Un cynnigarallywrhoibuddsoddiadsylweddoli’rgwasanaethaucymdeithasolargyfer Plant a PhoblIfanc, onddylai’rgwaith i leihaunifer y plant sy’nderbyngofalbarhaugydagarbediaddisgwyliediggwerth £500,000.

 

Osyw’n cael eidderbyn, byddbuddsoddiadgwerth £46.6 miliwnmewnGofalCymdeithasol i Oedolion.Byddhynyncynnwys £285,000 syddwedi’iglustnodiyn y setliadargyferataldigartrefedd, byddhynhefydyngwneudiawn am y gostyngiadsy’ndeillio o bolisiLlywodraeth Cymru i gynyddu swm y cyfalaf y gall unigolioneigaelcyn bod ynrhaididdyntdalu cost lawn gofalpreswyl.

 

Byddai’rGwasanaethauAmgylcheddolhefydyngweldcynnyddgwerth £1.497 miliwn, gangynyddu’rgyllideb i £34.755 miliwn.

 

Meddai’rCynghorydd Carol Clement-Williams hefyd,

 

“Ynogystalâ’rgyllidebrefeniw, bydd y cyngorhefydyngwario £44 miliwnarbrosiectaucyfalaf, a fyddyncynyddu i dros £120 miliwndros y tairblyneddnesaf pan fyddysgolionyr 21ain ganrif, y FargenDdinesig a phrosiectauarallyn cael eucwblhau.”

 

Y prifbrosiectaucyfalafargyfer y flwyddynnesafyw, cwblhau Ysgol newyddCarregHirynLlansawel, Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Duryn Sandfields ac Ysgol Cwm Brombilym Margam, ynogystal â chynlluniauadnewyddumawryngnghanoltref Castell-nedd a Glannau’rHarbwrymMhort Talbot.  Bydd y cyngorynparhau i fuddsoddi £3 miliwn bob blwyddynmewnGrantiauCyfleusteraui’rAnabl i alluogipobl i fywynannibynnolyneucartrefieuhunain. Mae mwyna £50 miliwnwedi cael eiwarioar y gwasanaethhwndros y pymthegmlynedddiwethaf.  Mae prosiectaucyfalaferaillyncynnwysgwelliannau i rwydwaith y priffyrdd a phontydd.

 

Byddyradroddiadyn cael eigyflwynoi’rcyngorddyddMercher 21 Chwefror ac maecopiargaelarwefan y cyngorynwww.npt.gov.uk/budget?lang=cy-gb