Full Council

Councillors meeting as the full council approved the 2026/27 budget and a 4.95% council tax rise. An amendment to return any future budget surplus to residents as council tax support was not carried.

1. Budget requirement and council tax for 2026/27

   Decided

   Councillors approved the report's recommendations, including a budget requirement of £183.690 million and a council tax rise of 4.95%. An amendment by Cllr D Hughes, that any budget surplus after the budget is set go back to residents as council tax support, was not carried.

   Why

   The medium-term plan had projected a £9.005 million gap for 2026/27, and the final Welsh Government settlement raised funding by 4.7%, which reduced the remaining gap to £509,000. The report cites rising demand in social care, homelessness and additional learning needs (ALN) as key pressures. In the budget survey, 51.6% of the 938 residents who answered the question favoured cutting services to keep the council tax rise to a minimum.

   Based on the minutes, Report, Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 1

   Apologies for Absence

   Minute

   Apologies received from Cllr J Jenkins, Cllr D Isaac and Cllr K Gibbs

2. 2

   Declarations of Interest

   Minute

   Declarations received from; Cllr L Minnett-Vokes declared a personal interest as an employee of a third sector organisation that may be discussed and as a member of Cyfarthfa Park Forum. Cllr B Carter declared an interest as a member of the Cyfarthfa Foundation Cllr D Hughes declared an interest as an employee of an organisation that receives council funding and an SGO carer.

3. 3

   Exempt

4. 5

   Budget Requirement and Council Tax 2026-27

   Decision as recorded

   Resolved that: Recommendations as contained within the report were approved.

   Minute

   Presented by Cllr A Williams-Price Following questions from members, officers confirmed the following: · ALN uplift is approx. 13.1% increase year?on?year, officers clarified this uplift is not the funding called for by parents recently. · A breakdown of core?funded third sector allocations will be provided post-meeting. · Any pay award above assumptions would create in?year pressures, earmarked reserve for pay pressures exists and remains unused. · Grants increased roughly 2% across Wales Amendments Proposed by Cllr D Hughes: If a surplus occurs after the budget is set, the surplus should be returned to residents as council tax support. Outcome: Amendment not carried. Comments were raised regarding national commitments to protect vulnerable residents, the extensive improvements made to social services, welcomed uplifts to education budgets and an emphasis on transparency throughout the budget process. Resolved that: Recommendations as contained within the report were approved.

   Part of an issue followed across 4 meetings

   Papers: Report, Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3, Appendix 4, Appendix 5, Appendix 6a, Appendix 6b, IIA
5. 6

   To deal with any other urgent business or correspondence

   Minute

   No other business was deemed urgent by the chair

6. 7

   To receive communications from Their Worship the Mayor

   Minute

   The Mayor announced with great sadness the passing of former Cllr. Leon James Stanfield, a community figure and champion sportsman and extended condolences to family and friends

Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.

• L Minnett-Vokes: Personal interest

  Employee of a third sector organisation that may be discussed, and member of Cyfarthfa Park Forum.

• B Carter: Interest

  Member of the Cyfarthfa Foundation. The minute does not say whether the interest is personal or prejudicial.

• D Hughes: Interest

  Employee of an organisation that receives council funding, and an SGO carer (a carer for a child under a special guardianship order).

• David Isaac, Vice-ChairLabourSent apologies
• Paula Layton, ChairDowlais and Pant Community IndependentsPresent
• Andrew Barry, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Anna Williams- Price, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Bill Smith, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Brent Carter, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Claire Jones, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Clive Jones, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Clive Tovey, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Darren Roberts, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• David Jones, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Declan Sammon, Committee MemberDowlais and Pant Community IndependentsPresent
• Ernie Galsworthy, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Gareth Lewis, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Gareth Richards, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Geraint Thomas, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Gillian Preston, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Ian Thomas, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Jamie Scriven, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Jeremy Davies, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• John Thomas, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Julia Jenkins, Committee MemberIndependentSent apologies
• Kevin Gibbs, Committee MemberIndependentSent apologies
• Lee Davies, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Lisa Mytton, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Louise Minett-Vokes, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Michelle Jones, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Michelle Symonds, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Scott Thomas, Committee MemberLabourPresent

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