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Charity representatives have urged Caerphilly County Borough Council to protect the third sector, youth services and community centres in its budget plans.

Members of various voluntary organisations met on Wednesday January 29 to discuss the council’s proposals for 2025/26.

Head of finance Stephen Harris told the meeting the council’s budget outlook was “extremely challenging despite the better-than-expected financial settlement” from the Welsh Government – which accounts for around three-quarters of the local authority’s income.

Alison Palmer and Judith Pritchard, of GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations), sought assurances the council was not seeking to cut funding in its service level agreements with volunteer groups.

Mr Harris said those agreements “will remain as they are” in the coming year, but added a senior council officer would be working with charities to identify where further savings could be made in future.

Cllr Pritchard, speaking in her role as a charity representative, asked whether it was appropriate this work was being done by an officer responsible for a council service which provides support similar to that of GAVO.

Mr Harris said any proposals would require cabinet approval, and stressed “no decisions have been made” regarding the councils’ support to charities.

The officer’s role in the work was “not to make decisions, it is to carry out the consultation process”, he added.

Cllr Pritchard noted several budget proposals affecting youth services, including a £125,000 reduction of the general budget.

She said young people “have had a raw deal” because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and noted the council was trying to “cut down on antisocial behaviour”.

The draft budget proposal to “do away” with a team of Community Safety Wardens was “very undesirable”, she told the meeting.

Cllr Walter Williams raised the proposal to hike charges for the Caerphilly Adventures and Positive Futures service by 20%.

Mr Harris said this was an outdoor activity organisation “provided largely to schools” but said any price increases “wouldn’t directly impact on children”.

But Cllr Teresa Parry said schools were already struggling with their budgets, with many in, or at risk of, a deficit financial position.

Further costs “are going to negatively affect them”, she told the meeting.

Committee member Roger Evans questioned several aspects of the council’s spending or policies, including the hiring of hundreds of extra staff since 2022, its use of “gagging orders” to “keep staff silent about any embarrassment”, and its hiring of consultants.

He also claimed the local authority should give more support to community centres, but accepted recent discussions around council departments making more use of those buildings had been “positive”.

Mr Harris said the committee members’ comments would all be noted and presented to the cabinet, as part of the budget consultation process, but told Mr Evans that “in most cases budgets will already have existed” for recent hires.

He also disputed the claim around non-disclosure agreements being used to silence “embarrassment to the council”.