A full summary of recommendations from Bridgend Council’s scrutiny committees has been published, ahead of the 2024-25 budget being finalised over the next few weeks (pdf).
Here’s a summary of the committees’ main observations and areas of concern:
- The proposed 5% cut to the school budget is unsustainable and would likely lead to 80% of the county’s schools running a deficit.
- There’s a risk the council would be unable to meet its legal obligations towards special needs students.
- There were strong concerns about the impact the proposed closure of Bridgend bus station (included as a draft proposal for the 2025-26 budget) would have on Bridgend town centre.
- A proposal for the council to undertake a review of home-school transport – before the Welsh Government finishes theirs – was welcomed.
- There was particular concern around a proposal to remove support for charities involved in hospital discharges.
- Out-of-county residential placements for looked-after children are too expensive.
- The Welsh Government was criticised for not fully covering the costs of new legal requirements, such as universal free school meals for primary school pupils. The council should also lobby the Welsh Government to set multi-year local government funding settlements, not year-to-year.
- There was support for charging full cost for Porthcawl Marina, though there was disappointment that many councillors were not aware that BCBC subsidised the fees in the first place.
Here’s what the scrutiny committee put forward as recommendations:
- BCBC should do whatever it can to reduce the proposed council tax increase from 9.5%.
- Cuts to the school budgets should be spread across the next four financial years, meaning a maximum 2% cut a year until 2028.
- Given current overspending in children’s social services, reforms should be accelerated wherever possible to avoid higher costs further down the line.
- BCBC should reconsider the closure of Bridgend bus station in the 2025-26 budget. Additional income could be brought in through advertising space (and other commercial opportunities) while installing solar panels could reduce the station’s running costs.
- The council should consider sharing services where it can prove to be cost-effective or generate extra income.
- Additional funds allocated for teachers’ pensions should be redirected towards preventing cuts to street cleaning services.
- The council should enter discussions with town and community councils over what support they can provide to maintain cemeteries. There was also a recommendation that the Bridgend shopmobility scheme is community asset transferred to Bridgend Town Council.
- One-day tip closures at the weekends could be removed from the budget, covered by commercially letting Pandy Depot. Or, as an alternative, opening hours could be cut instead of all-day closures. If BCBC has no option than rolling closures, it should be for a second weekday each (as the public is more likely to use tips at the weekend).
- Capital spending should be considered as part of the budget-setting process by councillors in the future.
- Communication needs to be clearer about where the council’s money comes from and how it’s spent.
- BCBC should draft a list of every single service they provide to residents and whether they are legally obligated to provide it or not.
