A Welsh council is discussing proposals to raise council tax by 9.5%, reduce bin collections, and cancel respite service for unpaid carers. Newport City Council has announced the proposals, among many others, as it faces what its leader has called an “unprecedented financial challenge”.
Council leader Jane Mudd, who said she “deeply regrets” the report, said difficult decisions will have to be made in the coming days with the council’s forecasted budget for 2023-24 due to be £33 million lower than 2022-23. The total annual budget is £343 million.
At a meeting on Wednesday, December 14, 29 proposals will be considered by cabinet before agreed plans go out for public consultation. You can read the full proposals in detail here.
The saddening report lays bare the financial challenges facing Wales’ local authorities and the desperate situation facing service users during a worsening cost of living crisis. Ahead of the report revealing the proposals, Cllr Mudd said: “In the same way households are struggling with rising prices, so are we. The cost of delivering services is going up. Gas is 300% higher, electricity 150% higher, and this affects everything - from schools to streetlights.
“At the same time, we are seeing an increase in demand for our services. Costs for providing care were £43.5 million in 2019-2020. This year it’s expected to cost £58 million. We’ve around 1,000 more pupils in our schools than we had a year ago. All of this creates a considerable gap in the money we will have to spend.” Below are some of the main points to take from the report.
Raise council tax by 9.5%
The council says it “must consider raising council tax to create more income”.
“This is done with a full appreciation that this is a major bill for households,” the report reads. In reality it means most of Newport would see its council tax rise by between £1.55 and £2.07 per week from next year.
Bin collections less frequent
The council proposes moving to a three-week cycle for collecting general household and garden waste. The bins are currently collected every fortnight. Moving to a three-week cycle will save the council £320,000 over two years, the report explains. Recycling collections would remain unchanged.
Charging at recycling centres
The council is proposing charges for collection of non-household waste at recycling centres. The charge would be implemented for collecting rubble, tyres and plasterboard. The council currently accepts these materials free of charge but incurs costs when processing them for recycling. Plasterboard will be charged at £4 per bag or sheet, tyres will be £2.50 per item and rubble will be £1 per bag.
Charging for replacement wheelie bins
Charges are proposed for replacement black bins. The council receives 1,800 requests per year for new bins. The charge would be set at £22.36.
Pay and display parking at multiple sites
The council plans to progress with the third phase of the roll-out of pay and display car parks at Glebelands, Christchurch viewing point, Morgan’s Pond, and Bettws Lane.
Shorter opening times for libraries
The report states that libraries have experienced a decrease in visitor numbers as well as a reduction in book loans and a rise in demand for digital services. The council is proposing to reduce library opening hours, reduce the amount spent on physical books, and invest in more digital resources. The city’s library service is currently delivered across nine sites. Library opening times would be reduced by 23 hours per week, consisting of one day closure at Rogerstone and Bettws libraries, returning Malpas library to 20 hours opening per week, and reducing Pill library opening hours to nine per week. Staffing levels will also be under review. Over 200 hours of face-to-face library services would continue to be offered every week at locations across the city.
Cancellation of respite service
The council-funded short break service provides support for older adults and their unpaid carers, offering services at one of the council’s residential homes and in-home support. The service helps adults in need of care to socialise and build on independent skills to allow them to live independently in the community. It also helps unpaid carers to have a break. The proposal is to close the short breaks service completely, which will deliver a saving of £613k in 2023-2024 for the council. Around 70 adults who are supported by the service will need to have their care and support needs reviewed and signposted to appropriate services elsewhere.
Reduced care for people with learning disabilities
Commissioned services are provided for residents over the age of 18 who have a learning disability so they can live independent lives or continue living with their families. It is proposed to review all the elements of care in each individual package and restructure the care offered to reduce day care, tailored one-to-one support and care in people’s homes by 10%. The commissioned specialist services currently provide a range of tailored care and support to 277 vulnerable residents. The council report states that a care plan review will take place for each individual or family affected by the proposals.
Reduced community care packages
The council also proposes to reduce packages of domiciliary care. All existing and new packages of support will be reviewed in line with budgetary limits. Assessed needs of residents will still be met, but fewer packages of care support will be offered than before. The council expects to see an impact on delayed hospital discharges and an increase in the instability of the care market. Adult services will still be able to provide support for those who need it. Residential care placements and packages of community care support will remain available, but not as many as before.
Reduction in funding for wheelchairs and scooters
Shop Mobility offers mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, powerchairs and mobility scooters to the public for free. Newport council proposes to reduce the funding provided to Shop Mobility from £17,000 to £10,000. “The reduction in funding may require the current business model and hire facility to be reviewed by the organisation and the council would offer Shop Mobility advice to respond to this reduction in funding,” the report reads.
Support for families and young people in need of help
The council plans to reduce its financial contribution to its strategic partnership with Barnardo’s Cymru. This would be followed by a restructuring and remodelling of the partnership, to focus available resources on the families in greatest need of intensive support, the report states.
The rapid response service, which provides intensive support for families following referral, would be restructured leading to 42 young people receiving support and 30 families no longer able to access the service. Thirty children would continue to be supported within the foster placement support scheme, while the other 30 usually supported by the service would access other routes of support.
'This situation has not been created by us'
Defending her council’s need to make these calls, Cllr Mudd added: “This comes after more than a decade of austerity measures when we were forced to make year after year of budget cuts. Since 2011 this council has made more than £90 million in savings and has greatly reduced its workforce.
“Our staff have done an amazing job delivering services with less resources but this means there are very limited choices. Two-thirds of our budget is spent on schools, education and social care. They are essential services. So there are very few options to make savings in these areas.
"Our priority in setting next year's budget will be to maintain essential services for residents while trying to support those who need a helping hand at this most difficult time. However, with the grim economic forecast we now face, our options will be extremely limited. I deeply regret this. This situation has not been created by us or the people we serve."
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