Tax bills set to go up as council to focus on ‘doing the basics right’

Council tax bills are set to go up in Caerphilly County Borough in April, under new draft budget proposals.

But the local authority’s spending and saving plans for 2026/27 will also include extra investment for cleaning and tidying up the borough – an area its leader, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, said many residents wanted to see addressed as a priority.

The proposals also avoid the types of sweeping cuts which proved to be unpopular in last year’s budget, and Cllr Pritchard said the authority would “park the savings element for now” because “the public are sick and tired of spending cuts for key services”.

It does, however, include a 6.25% council tax increase, representing an extra £97 payable next year for residents living in Band D properties.

The council argues most residents will end up paying a smaller increase because the majority of the borough’s homes fall within lower tax bandings.

The 6.25% proposed rise would range from £65 to £86 added to council tax bills for those living in Bands A-C.

A report to cabinet members warns the increase – along with a 3% rise in fees and charges and a series of other savings – is necessary to deliver a balanced budget for the financial year ahead.

“The scale of the financial challenge cannot be underestimated, especially as demand for services is higher than ever and increasingly complex,” said Cllr Eluned Stenner, the cabinet member for finance. “However, we are in a strong position thanks to our prudent approach and the significant savings we are delivering through our ambitious transformation programme.”

The council continues to follow that programme and will this year target nine spending areas to try and trim costs – from school transport to temporary accommodation.

Both of those areas could see significant further investment in the coming year.

Increased demand for temporary accommodation will require an extra £841,000 as the council works to reduce its reliance on expensive B&B and hotel placements.

School transport costs are likely to increase further following the council’s decision to set up specialist resource bases at some borough schools, for pupils who have additional learning needs (ALN). A further £945,000 will need to be found to cover school transport costs from April.

Other investment includes £2.55 million for adult social services – described as a “key priority” for the council, which hopes to explore new “preventative measures to reduce future demand”.

And the council has also proposed making its so-called “cleaning and greening” work permanent, following the initial success this year of the project, aimed at sprucing up the borough’s public spaces.

Cllr Pritchard said this involved “doing the basics right” and “making sure communities are clean and tidy” by “investing in the day-to-day issues”.

“It’s probably the number one issue people want the council to be getting on with”, he said he had learned following doorstep conversations with residents.

Caerphilly is likely to receive an additional 4.3% in funding from the Welsh Government this year – which is slightly lower than the national average, and makes up the majority of the council’s funding.

To balance the books, it has also proposed a series of cuts or savings measures, several of which were approved last year and will come fully into effect in 2026/27.

These include the opening hours reduction at Cefn Fforest Leisure Centre and the mothballing of Llancaiach Fawr, both of which proved controversial at the time.

Other projected savings will come later in the year, when the council anticipates final decisions on library cuts and Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre’s closure will be made, pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

There is, however, the ongoing process of workforce “restructure” across several departments – and the borough’s schools will be asked to reduce their budgets by 1% each.

“It is important that residents now have their say on our budget proposals and help us shape the way we deliver our services in future,” said Cllr Stenner.

Cabinet members are expected to approve the draft budget proposals at a meeting on Monday January 12, ahead of a public consultation on the plans.