Record-breaking budget for the people approved by Swansea Labour cabinet
Swansea Labour’s record-breaking budget is one that will improve the lives of thousands of people in the city and county.
The budget, which boosts families, business and the community, has been approved by the Swansea Labour cabinet and will pump tens of millions of pounds of extra funding into Swansea Council services.
The bold financial plan will see extra funding of £35m spent on schools and social care, while community services like street cleaning and litter removal will get more support too.
Labour Cllr Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: "The budget will see the biggest-ever single round of investment in council services in Swansea. It will be a record-breaker by any measure."
Despite all the problems caused by Copvid-19 the Labour Cabinet is planning for above-inflation investment in council services over the coming year and these proposals will now be submitted to full council on March 3 for its approval.
An impressive plan of investment includes:
An extra £13.6m for education overall, meaning schools will have more than £179m to spend on educating our young people
£16m more for social care, taking overall spending to £144.7m for child and family services and caring for the vulnerable and elderly
More than £10m more for cultural and community services, including roads, littering, and recycling.
Spending power of around £1.8m a day on the people of Swansea
“In next year’s budget there will be room for more support for schools so that young people who have seen so much change and challenge over the last two years will continue to be supported effectively by the brilliant teachers to whom we owe much.”
Cllr Stewart said: "Two years ago few could have predicted the incredible upheaval of the pandemic. Throughout that time the council has been here for our residents, the vulnerable, businesses and our young people.
"Our investment next year in critical day-to-day services like roads, littering, street cleaning and recycling will continue to support them."
Over the past year the Labour-led council has supported businesses with £190m of grant funding channelled from the Welsh Government. It has also supported communities through the £20m Economic Regeneration Fund.
The fund has seen investment targeted to meet community needs. In the coming year planned spending on play area upgrades will double from £2.5m currently to £5m so every council-owned site can get a makeover.
Cllr Stewart added: "In next year's budget there will be room for more support for schools so that young people who have seen so much change and challenge over the last two years will continue to be supported effectively by the brilliant teachers to whom we owe much.
"Next year's planned rise in social care funding will see investment rise to record levels, including a further £1.5m for child and family services. This is about making sure our priorities are where our communities want them to be - safeguarding young people and supporting vulnerable and older people.
"Social care services have been under sustained pressure for two years now and demand will continue to rise as the unpredictable challenges of the pandemic persists into 2022 and 2023."
Cllr Stewart said that thanks to strong financial management by the Swansea Labour administration and despite the pressures of Covid-19, rising inflation and rising demand for services, there would be no need for compulsory job losses this year.
Schools will continue to take the lion's share of the budget with its total budget reaching £202m when central education services are taken into account. Social services, including poverty and prevention, will see its share of the budget rise to £144.7m.
There will be an extra £10.3m allocated to services like waste and recycling, roads and transport, cultural services, libraries and parks, taking spending on these services up to £74.8m.
Cllr Stewart said it is anticipated that the council tax rise next year will be less than average compared to other Welsh local authorities, and he added: "The total amount raised by council tax is significantly less than we spend on education and about the same as we spend on social services - caring for our vulnerable children and the elderly.
He said: "Thanks to a very positive Budget settlement from the Welsh Government, we will have the opportunity to invest millions of pounds more on the priorities of the people of Swansea next year."
