Council approves tax freeze draft budget and recovery plan for Neath Port Talbot

A meeting of Neath Port Talbot Council on Tuesday, (March 1) agreed a Council Tax freeze together with a number of other proposals designed to help address the cost of living crisis and help the county borough recover.

It was agreed to freeze council tax in the county so it remains at 2021-22 levels.

While not raising council tax, the authority is planning to spend an extra £6.364m for social care, taking the budget to more than £95.5m.

An increase of £4.2m for education of our children and young people is also planned, taking the budget to more than £125m.

Other investment includes £1.8m extra for Environment, taking overall spending to £43.8m, and a £5m increase to the capital programme to begin making improvements across neighbourhoods.

There is also £2.8m for one off investments to support these priorities and Covid recovery, including £700k for what the council say is “to give children and young people the best start in life”. This includes a “significant expansion” of youth services to directly respond to what children and young people said was important to them in the council’s‘Let’s Talk’ consultation.

It also includes £1.5m to deliver a county borough wide range of projects to ‘catch up, clean up and green up’ our communities; and £200k to develop strategies in relation to culture and environment, and leisure and tourism and additional support for jobs and skills.

A £2m ‘Hardship Relief Scheme’ is also planned to help those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis.