Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters
From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) could increase the amount of money it takes from council taxpayers in Caerphilly by more than 5%.
Under proposals to be considered by the South Wales Fire Authority on Monday, February 12, next year’s budget (2024/2025) would be £95.8m, a 7.23% rise from this year.
The service covers Caerphilly County Borough as well as nine other local authority areas across south Wales.
Taxpayers in Caerphilly would pay an extra £572,705 between them in the new financial year, if the plans are approved.
The fire authority said it has always been mindful of the resources available to its constituent councils both from Welsh Government and local taxpayers.
The provisional local government funding settlement announced in December included an overall 3.1% increase for Welsh councils.
A report said the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and problems forecasting pay and price inflation has caused significant turbulence in the last two financial years.
It said that cumulative increases in fire budgets remain lower than the comparative levels in constituent councils over the period.
The report said that £2.5m of reserves will be committed in the current year and a further £1.2m in 2024-25.
How much extra would taxpayers from other local authorities be paying?
If approved, each of the ten councils which are covered by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service would see their contributions rise as follows:
Blaenau Gwent – 5.42% (Rising by £214,331 to £4.1m in 2024/25)
Bridgend – 6.64% (Rising £565,942 to £9.08m)
Cardiff – 9.16% (Rising £942,746 to £23.1m)
CAERPHILLY – 5.52% – (Rising £572,705 to £10.9m)
Merthyr Tydfil – 5.36% – (Rising £186,314 to £3.6m)
Monmouthshire – 6.72% (Rising £367,505 to £5.8m)
Newport – 8.68% (Rising £802,209 to £10.04m)
Rhondda Cynon Taf – 6.62% (Rising £922,933 to £14.8m)
Torfaen – 6.77% (Rising £366,268 to £5.7m)
Vale of Glamorgan – 6.73% (Rising £523,809 to £8.3m)
The report said that population changes impact directly on the level of budget contributions from individual councils and that the budget assumes additional grant of £1.266m will transfer into the local government settlement.
Given the current uncertainty of the transfer the authority is being asked to delegate powers to the treasurer to vary the approved budget if for any reason additional grant funding for pensions is paid directly to the fire authority.
The capital budget would add up to £16.3m with £7.6m slippage from this year and £8.7m for next year covering things like property, fleet, and ICT.
Some of the considerations the authority has taken into account include pay inflation, pension costs, setting budgets in the absence of confirmation of central funding for the coming year, the widening of the role of the firefighter, temporary staffing costs, and energy and external contract costs.
It has also considered unavoidable inflationary pressures on budgets like communication systems, ICT, operational equipment and fleet, the capital programme, capital financing costs, and more than £2.05m worth of reductions.
Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters
From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts.
Become a member today