Bridgend Council has published its draft budget proposals for 2025-26 (pdf).
BCBC expects to find just over £9.1million in cuts and savings in the coming financial year. This is despite the Welsh Government increasing the council’s local government settlement funding by 4% (though this is below the Welsh average of 4.3%).
After long projecting an overspend due to various budget pressures – particularly social services demand and home-school transport – the council is now expecting a £6.7million underspend.
However, this underspend is down to additional funding grants (i.e. for teachers’ pay) included in recent national budgets – which have to be spent on specific things. Also, there’s been a big cut in fees the council is paying to cover the cost of capital projects funded through borrowing.
The provisional council tax increase is 4.5%.
Further cuts expected to school budgets; meals on wheels, school orchestras and blue bags set to end or see big budget cuts
This is a draft budget, so the proposals aren’t final (pdf). You may remember from last year that the draft budget included a proposal to close Bridgend Bus Station; in the end, it didn’t happen.
There’s no proposal relating to the bus station this year, but certain proposals could be called controversial.
Firstly, schools will be expected to find £1.2million in cuts and savings.
Additionally, the draft budget proposes withdrawal of the “Meals on Wheels” service, saving £56,000. Other councils in south Wales have proposed it in the last year or so – namely Caerphilly – prompting a public backlash and eventual u-turn.
Thirdly, there’s a proposal to cut all funding (£644,000) to the music element of the Bridgend Music Service – though the budget for staffing (i.e. music teachers) would remain, albeit with a 13% cut.
It’s likely that if this proposal is followed through, schools will have to find new ways to support orchestras/ensembles and arrange public performances.
Another proposal that will likely be seen as an inconvenience is the withdrawal of free blue household rubbish bags, saving £220,000 a year. This has already been agreed and deliveries are set to stop at some point after April 2025. It will mean residents will need to buy their own general waste bags.
One future proposal (for 2026-27) is the closure of the CCTV service, which the council is not legally obligated to provide even if it plays a big part in public safety.
Other proposals of note include:
- Savings relating to changes to home-school transport.
- Transferring control of shared council-school facilities (i.e. Brackla Sports Centre, Pencoed Sports Centre) to their respective schools.
- Compulsory redundancies and cuts to safeguarding, children’s services, waste enforcement and health & safety.
- A 20% increase to bereavement services/burial fees.
