18 December 2007
Representatives of the six councils in North Wales have united in challenging the local government settlement for the next three years.
At a meeting of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board in Llangefni on 13th December 2007, all the councils agreed that it was a completely inadequate settlement for local government generally, and that the funding for North Wales over the next three years fall far short of the levels needed for public services. An analysis of grant funding covering the six years from 2005/06 shows that only one council in North Wales has enjoyed a grant increase in line with the Welsh average : the other five councils have received increases below the average and three of them (Conwy, Ynys Môn and Gwynedd) have received the lowest increases in Wales.
Leaders of the six councils called on the Welsh Assembly Government to look at the priority it is giving to local government services, such as schools, housing, support for the elderly, waste management and road maintenance. “The Assembly’s budget treats the important services that councils provide as a much lower priority than the Assembly Government’s projects and building up its reserves”, according to Councillor Gareth Winston Roberts OBE (Leader, Ynys Môn) who chaired the meeting.
“It is time for the Assembly Government to be realistic about its ambitions and what councils can achieve.”
Councillor Hugh Evans (Leader, Denbighshire) said: “Public expectations for service delivery are growing higher when the Assembly’s resources for councils in North Wales are not even growing in line with inflation for 2008-09 – as a result, councils across the region will have to reduce services, put up council tax faster than inflation or both.”
Councillor Goronwy Edwards (Leader, Conwy) added “The level of grant increases for many councils, including my own, is unrealistic. All North Wales councils support a minimum grant increase “floor” of 1.5% in 2008-09, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, and growing to higher levels in later years.”
Councillor Aaron Shotton (Leader, Flintshire) commented “We had a good discussion with Jane Davidson, the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, about waste management. However the aspirations we share for increasing recycling and reducing landfill will not be met unless the Assembly Government provides adequate funding, particularly for increases in landfill tax.”
Councillor Aled Roberts (Leader, Wrexham) added “Local government has shown the way to the rest of the public sector in Wales on achieving efficiency savings. It is time for the Assembly Government to account for its own track record in delivering efficiency savings and to demonstrate its plans for savings over the next three years.”
Councillor Richard Parry Hughes (Leader, Gwynedd) concluded: “There is time for the Assembly Government to change its mind before the final settlement is announced in January. We call upon all North Wales Assembly Members to press Ministers to revise their unrealistic proposals.”
Note for editors
• The Regional Partnership Board is a committee of the Welsh Local Government Association.
• It consists of the Leaders and Chief Executives of the six councils, with the police and fire authorities having observer status.
• It promotes joint working within local government and acts as a “voice for North Wales”.
For more information contact: Suzanne Lewis