Stark choices for people of Wrexham as inevitable council cuts could be deeper if no ‘fair funding’ from Welsh Government

Members of the public are being warned of some “bleak choices” ahead due to looming budget cuts – with a forthcoming consultation being pitched as ‘pulling together to support Wrexham’s essential services’.

In a few days time the provisional settlement to Wrexham Council from Welsh Government will be known, with the Council Leader Mark Pritchard and new Chief Executive Ian Bancroft jointly asking for ‘fair funding’ – and preparing the people of Wrexham for some stark choices.

Over the last few years the Council have asked for feedback on their yearly budgets via the ‘Difficult Decisions’ consultations, usually given as a list of possible ‘savings’ or ‘reshaping’ processes and you being asked to give your thoughts.

It is also looking likely that council tax payers will be asked to “help do their bit” to protect front line services.

Over the years the language has changed, and now the council is referencing ‘cuts, cuts and more cuts’, when previously we had been effectively told off for using such blunt terms to describe what has been warmly branded as ‘reshaping’.

Part of the money flow into Wrexham Council comes via the Welsh Government ‘settlement’, that starts off as a provisional sum and then firms up in the new year.

However Wrexham Council is preparing a budget based off what they think they will get, but the new Chief Executive is making it clear that even in a best case scenario there will be an impact, and if there is not what he describes as a ‘fair settlement’ the cuts ‘will go further’.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Bancroft said: “At the moment we’re planning for what we think would be a fair settlement and if we can do that we think we can support our key frontline services like schools, children’s social care and adult social care.

“If we don’t get a fair settlement then we’re going to have to go further than that.

“It’s really important that everyone understands locally that depending on the settlement we’ll have to make some difficult choices if that isn’t fair.

“In past years, we have made significant savings and cuts to services while minimising the impact on front-line essential services. If we don’t get a fair settlement from Welsh Government we will not be able to manage this for 2019/20. These essential services could be put at risk.”

Cllr Pritchard added: “Being at the cliff edge is how I have to describe it. If we don’t get a fair settlement we will have to stop services. We have had to take substantial money out, and we simply can’t continue to do that, it is unsustainable.”

Wrexham Council has made £33.8m of cuts in the last five years and nearly £60m since 2007.

Previously ‘Difficult Decisions’ consultations have included a lengthy online web form, however indications are that this year the requested feedback could be much shorter – perhaps even seeing the people of Wrexham being asked if they would support paying more council tax to support front line services, or even bin collections changing.

Mr Bancroft went on to say: “This is an important democratic process, the budget is one of the big decisions the council makes. The plea I would make is there is a real conversation.

“We need to recognise there will be different views, and the difficulty we have as a council is trying to balance those perspectives in coming to final decisions.

“These choices are really important this year, having a proper debate on how important children, adult social care, schools are and how that relates to council tax.

“Also discussion on services we have choices about, in terms of things like library services and how we do waste collections. I think that is the important frame of the debate.

“It is critical we listen, but also we recognise we will not get agreement from everyone on all of it.”

He added: “For me, it is the conversation that is really really important on it, this is a two way thing.”

Cllr Pritchard said austerity measures being passed down the chain to local authorities were ‘endless’, and warned of ‘smoke and mirrors’ spin around the forthcoming budget announcement.

“People still think the council has lots of money, them days are gone. Now it is cuts, cuts and more cuts,” said Cllr Pritchard.

With the council leader putting the blame at the door of Number 10 in London as well as Welsh Government in Cardiff, we enquired if his fellow executive board councillors attending the Conservative conference this week had been passing on the message of woe from Wrexham and Wales, he told us “They better had be!”

This video of Liz Truss MP (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) speaking to Newsnight about the funding situation of local authorities in England, indicates dipping into reserves and raising council tax is something that is seen as welcome options.

Mr Bancroft spoke of how he hoped ‘Welsh Government will play their part’, saying Wrexham Council themselves are ‘playing our part’ via senior management changes.

The detail is not yet public, as various meetings on the topic have been held in Part 2 secrecy due to it including information about the futures of peoples jobs. Information on what that has entailed will come out later in the year when it is due for approval, but has been described as making ‘significant savings’.

Cllr Mark Prichard added: “None of us as politicians or senior officers came into public service wanting to have to deal with these types of issues, but until austerity and poor budget settlements stop, we will as leaders of the council do the best we can on behalf of residents.”

The Welsh Local Government Association has also issued a statement after the draft budget being circulated by Welsh Government, Councillor Anthony Hunt (Torfaen), WLGA Spokesperson for Finance and Resource said: “The publication of the Welsh Government’s outline draft budget marks the ninth year in a row that councils have been left with significant budget shortfalls during the era of austerity.

“The scale of the financial challenge facing local services in 2019-20 is enormous, at £264m or around 5% of net spend.

“This includes the challenge of finding £159m for much needed pay rises for hard working staff, and many other pressures on local services. The challenge facing councils to keep vital local services like schools and social care running cannot be overstated. If austerity doesn’t end soon, public services as we know them will be a thing of the past.

“We are grateful for the extensive engagement of Cabinet Secretary for Finance and for his openness in recognising that this outcome does not meet the pressures faced by councils. I hope that dialogue continues as we move towards a final budget.

“However, we await the publication of the provisional settlement next week with trepidation. We recognise that things are tough for the Welsh Government thanks to austerity, but we want to work together with them to achieve a far better outcome for local services. This could be achieved with a more equitable distribution of any Barnett consequentials.”

Also, in what is a first for a Chief Executive that we can remember, a video has been published from Mr Bancroft entitled “Hello from Ian!”: