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The leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council has pledged to protect key services in the proposed budget for 2025/26, which includes an increase in council tax.

Cllr Sean Morgan said the budget “has been designed to ensure we continue to deliver a wide range of key services with our residents at the heart of everything we do”. 

“We are also placing a strong emphasis on getting the basics right to ensure we meet the needs of our communities,” he added.

The local authority recently carried out a public consultation on its draft proposals, and has decided to continue with a planned 7.9% increase in council tax bills.

Cllr Morgan defended the rise as “modest” and said “we still have one of the lowest council tax rates in Wales”.

He reiterated the council is facing “inescapable financial pressures” and anticipated a funding shortfall of £45 million over the next three years.

The council has proposed using reserves as a one-off measure to balance this year’s budget, and now expects to use £4.9 million of that money – up from £4.3 million in the initial draft proposals.

It was also confirmed the Welsh Government’s final funding settlement for Caerphilly would be £81,000 less than originally planned

The council’s budget for 2025/26 includes spending on statutory services – those which councils have to provide – and will include £7.9 million for social care, £12.1 million for schools, £11.2 million for infrastructure, and £25.1 million on a new waste strategy.

The final budget proposals are scheduled for approval by the council’s cabinet at lunchtime on Thursday February 27.

The budget will then go before all councillors at another meeting later that day, for a debate and final vote on its contents.