Swansea Council’s approved budget plans will see £584m of revenue spending on services for residents in the coming financial year.
Education and social services are to get a combined £425m. Around £56m is being set aside to build new homes and improve thousands of others, in addition to supporting people through the homelessness crisis.
More than £20m is being allocated to fix roads and potholes, with around £2.6m for skate parks and more cash for new accessible paths in parks and modernised changing rooms to promote sport for young boys and girls.
The council is also bring back it’s free bus scheme for the Easter holidays.
Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “We are doing all this and much more over the coming months and all for a council tax rise of £1.46 a week for an average band B home – that’s much less than the cost of a cup of coffee.”
He said: “In the last 12 months we fixed more than 5,500 potholes and the people of Swansea told us they want more. So we are increasing our highways budget to £24m this year.
“They’ve told us they love the 60 new play areas we’ve built, but they want the paths to reach them to be more accessible. So we will be investing around £1m doing that this year on top of the money we’re setting aside for skate parks and pump tracks for every community.”
Cllr Stewart said: “”Thanks to prudent management of our resources and despite the financial challenges we face we’ve not had to consider harsh measures like other councils have.
“Our council tax rise has been pegged back to be among the lowest of any council in Wales of 5.95% or £1.46 a week for Band B homes, all which will be used to fund services.”
He added: “Free school meals for 20,000 primary school youngsters, cheap city centre car parking frozen for the third year running and free bus rides saving a family £20 a day really do matter when money is tight.
“These are the things people have told us they want and that’s what council has agreed we will deliver. We will be there when the people of Swansea need us.”
(Lead image: Swansea Council)
