City gets ‘breathing space’ but big cuts ahead, says leader
CARDIFF council leader Phil Bale welcomed the fact that the authority’s funding cut was the least in percentage terms across the whole of Wales.
He said: “Prior to today we were looking at a £45.6m budget shortfall in 2016-17 and a £115m shortfall over the next three years. This is on top of £103m in cuts which we have made over the past three years.
“Cardiff has secured what looks like the best settlement in Wales but it remains the case Cardiff still has the lowest spend per head, bar one, of any council in Wales. This is despite the fact we are the capital city of Wales with all the extra pressures that brings.
“The settlement we have received, and it is a welcome one, is mainly down to the increased demand Cardiff faces. We have one of the fastest-growing populations in the UK and this places exceptionally high demands on our schools and on our social services. Even this extra cash won’t cover the growth demands we are facing but it is a help.
“However it’s important to stress that this budget settlement is just for one year. We mustn’t forget that. We still have a huge financial shortfall to make up over the next three years and we have to think and plan ahead.
“We know our population is going to keep on growing and we have a growing elderly population too. We also know there are more cuts to come across the medium term and we have a clear strategy that takes us through the next few years. It’s important we don’t lose sight of that. We want to safeguard services but we will need to find new ways of delivering them with our citizens, business and other parties.”
But he said it wasn’t the case that everything would be fine now.
“Today’s settlement will give us some breathing space for 2016-17 but there are still huge budget cuts ahead in future years. I would urge everyone to take part in the budget consultation which begins this Friday and runs until January 12. We want our residents’ views and we need their understanding of the pressures we face.
“People appreciate and want good public services: they are the glue that binds our communities and we must do what we can to protect them.”