It is a gloomy evening in the town of Port Talbot, south Wales, as a barrage of rain and thunder echoes around the well-known steel making town. It is here that a group of local councillors and residents have gathered in the Princess Royal theatre for a public meeting tonight, to discuss the current financial and economic conditions across the UK, outlining what they could mean for council services moving forward.
It is just one of a string of events to be held across the borough in the coming weeks, arranged by Neath Port Talbot's council with the aim of getting feedback from residents as well as addressing any fears they may have over the current financial crisis.
And it's clear there are fears from everyone at the moment, with the council having previously announced that with inflation reaching levels not seen since the 80s, their estimated energy costs alone will rise by £8m in 2023-24. This is part of an overall deficit of around £30m the council will need to meet over the next few years, and as council tax only makes up 25% of the council’s budget, they say government intervention will be needed.
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Council Leader, councillor Steve Hunt said: "Without extra money from the UK and Welsh Governments, the council, in common with others across the UK is facing a multi-million pound budget gap in the years up to 2025-26. There is no doubt the financial position for many of our residents as well as this council will be one of the most, if not the most challenging we have ever faced.
"No ‘one person’ and no ‘one group of people’ will know all the answers and we really need residents’ input together with help from trade unions and other partners so we can get through this difficult time together. I think this personal touch of giving people the opportunity to have their say in person is important. We can't make people come out but if they do they will have honest and constructive answers to their questions, and we won't hide behind the challenges we face."
Cllr Hunt added that while he was confident in delivering a balanced budget for this year, it was in the coming years where most difficulties would be felt for people not only in Neath Port Talbot, but right across Wales. He added: "This year we will set a balanced budget, and we will do our best without putting a figure on council tax which is always the most emotive part of any budget.
"We will also protect jobs and services, so this year we will do what we promised to do, though future years are going to be a lot more challenging. We will stick together and work with our staff, directors, and heads of services to make sure what we do is best for those that we represent."
Councillor Alun Llewellyn said that when it came to cutting costs nothing was off the table in the middle of such a fast-moving financial crisis. He said: "Everything is on the table as we mentioned in the meeting. The situation has been so fast moving that any options and assumptions made back in the summer about taking the budget forward have been overtaken by the previous chancellor's mini budget and the disastrous situation under Liz Truss.
"It's then been further overtaken by the current chancellor's statement on November 17, so what we are trying to do is analyse what all that means for the settlement for Wales as a whole, and in turn the settlement for councils in Wales, and we have to look at every possibility. We're not underestimating the challenges and that's one reason why we're coming out to 12 different meetings that cover each of the towns and all of the valleys in the area, so we can share our concerns and views but also hear directly from people. We also have a dialogue with opposition councillors as well, and we will include the whole council in this process of setting the best budget that we can to protect services, jobs, and work for the communities."
Councillor Simon Knoyle said: "At the moment pretty much everything is on the table. We've already found quite a lot of savings, as the heads of service have been challenged with doing that. We've found about £13m already, with the gap being around £30m."
Labour Party leader for Neath Port Talbot Rob Jones added: "Neath Port Talbot Council face severe cost cutting and financial and budgeting over the next few years in this current financial crisis. As Labour Party representatives we will do all we can to make sure that we are supporting our staff, the services we run, and the people in the communities we represent." You can read more of our stories from Neath Port Talbot here, or subscribe to our newsletter here.
Further meetings are open to the public across Neath Port Talbot in the coming weeks and will take place as follows:
Mon 28 Nov (6.00pm start) – Neath Town Hall
Wed 30 Nov (6.30pm start) – Glynneath Town Hall
Thurs 1 Dec (6.00pm start) – Cwmgors Community Centre
Mon 5 Dec (5.00pm start) – Seven Sisters Community
Centre
Tues 6 Dec (6.00pm start) – Cwmafan Library
Wed 7 Dec (6.00pm start) – Ystalyfera Community Hall
Tues 13 Dec (6.00pm start) – Hengwrt Sports Centre, Briton
Ferry
Wed 14 Dec (6.00pm start) – Carnegie Hall, Skewen
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