Y Cabinet yn argymell cynigion y gyllideb ar gyfer 2023-24 a Rhaglen Gyfalaf 5 mlynedd

Mae Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin wedi diwygio strategaeth y gyllideb ar gyfer 2023-24 mewn ymateb i’w ymgynghoriad helaeth â’r cyhoedd. Mae toriadau arfaethedig i gyllid ysgolion a chynnydd mewn prydau ysgol a thaliadau am barcio wedi cael eu lleihau, ond ar yr un pryd bydd cynnydd is na’r disgwyl yn y dreth gyngor o 6.8% yn galluogi’r Cyngor i osgoi torri gwasanaethau cyhoeddus hanfodol.

Wrth baratoi’r gyllideb fwyaf heriol ers blynyddoedd lawer, gwahoddodd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin y cyhoedd a phartïon eraill â diddordeb i roi eu barn, eu hawgrymiadau a’u dewisiadau ar gyfanswm o 17 o gynigion ar gyfer y gyllideb. Ymatebodd dros 2,000 o bobl i’r ymgynghoriad ar-lein, ac fe ddaeth 80 o bobl ifanc o ysgolion uwchradd y sir i ddigwyddiad wyneb yn wyneb yn Neuadd y Sir i drafod ag aelodau’r Cabinet a mynegi eu blaenoriaethau.

Ymhlith y prif newidiadau i gynigion cyllideb y Cyngor mae:

Cynnydd arfaethedig o 6.8% yn y dreth gyngor, sy’n llawer is na’r gyfradd chwyddiant gyfredol. Dim ond 25% o Gyllideb Refeniw Net y Cyngor gwerth £450m sy’n dod o’r Dreth Gyngor. Daw’r balans sy’n weddill o’r grant Cymorth Refeniw blynyddol gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’r Ardrethi Annomestig Cenedlaethol.
Mae’r gostyngiad arfaethedig o £2.7m yn y Gyllideb a Ddirprwyir i’r Ysgolion wedi cael ei thorri i £2m, er mewn termau arian parod go iawn, bydd ysgolion Sir Gaerfyrddin yn cael £8m yn ychwanegol i dalu am chwyddiant, ynni a chostau staffio.

Y bwriad gwreiddiol oedd codi pris prydau ysgol 10% yn unol â chwyddiant, ond mae hyn wedi ei haneru i 5%.

I gydnabod y cyfnod anodd hwn i fasnachwyr canol trefi, mae’r cynnydd arfaethedig o 10% yn gysylltiedig â chwyddiant mewn taliadau am barcio hefyd wedi’i gwtogi i 5%. Yn y cyfamser, mae adolygiad o gyfnodau parcio am ddim yn cael ei gynnal. Mae’n werth nodi bod yn rhaid i’r Cyngor dalu Trethi Annomestig ar feysydd parcio, sydd ar hyn o bryd yn gyfystyr â ymhell dros £300,000 yn Nhref Caerfyrddin yn unig.

Mae £262,000 ychwanegol wedi’i glustnodi ar gyfer Priffyrdd a Chanol Trefi, er mwyn helpu i leddfu’r gostyngiad blaenorol mewn cyllid oherwydd mesurau ariannol llym.

Mae toriadau arfaethedig i’r Gwasanaeth Cymorth Ieuenctid a Grantiau Gwasanaethau Plant wedi cael eu gollwng yn llwyr.

Mae Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin, fel pob awdurdod lleol, yn wynebu pwysau ariannol digynsail gan fod costau cynyddol chwyddiant, prisiau bwyd ac ynni ynghyd â mwy o alwadau byd-eang am nwyddau a gwasanaethau, yn golygu bod diffyg sylweddol yn ei gyllideb ar gyfer 2023/24.

Mae costau ynni’r Cyngor wedi treblu bron ac mae’r codiad cyflog i staff, y cytunwyd arno’n genedlaethol, yn llawer uwch na’r hyn y cyllidebwyd ar ei gyfer 12 mis yn ôl, oherwydd y cynnydd sylweddol mewn chwyddiant.

Yn dilyn setliad cyllido Llywodraeth Cymru, a gyhoeddwyd ar 14 Rhagfyr, nododd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin fod angen pontio diffyg yn y gyllideb o dros £20 miliwn yn ei gyllideb ar gyfer 2023/24.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru’n cydnabod mai hon yw un o’r cyllidebau anoddaf mae wedi’i phennu erioed, ac felly bydd yr arian a ddyrennir i awdurdodau lleol, sydd tua thri chwarter ein cyllid, yn brin iawn o’r hyn sydd ei angen ar y Cyngor i barhau gyda gwasanaethau fel y maent ar hyn o bryd. Mae’r Dreth Gyngor yn codi tua £112 miliwn y flwyddyn ac mae’n cyfrannu tuag at oddeutu chwarter cyfanswm y gyllideb net flynyddol.

Mae gan y Cyngor gyfrifoldeb cyfreithiol i bennu cyllideb gytbwys bob blwyddyn, gan sicrhau bod incwm o ffynonellau megis y Dreth Gyngor, a refeniw o grantiau a gwasanaethau y telir amdanynt yn ddigon i dalu am ei wariant.

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Alun Lenny, yr Aelod Cabinet dros Adnoddau: “Mae pob cyngor yn wynebu pwysau ariannol digynsail, oherwydd prisiau tanwydd cynyddol, cyfraddau llog sy’n parhau i godi a chwyddiant rhemp, sydd, yn ei dro, wedi arwain at setliadau cyflog uwch wrth i bobl sy’n gweithio geisio cael dau ben llinyn ynghyd mewn argyfwng costau byw.

“O ganlyniad i ffactorau byd-eang, mae Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yn gorfod gwneud arbedion o £9.4m eleni. Daw hyn ar ben degawd o gyni cyllidol, gyda thoriadau o flwyddyn i flwyddyn mewn gwariant cyhoeddus sy’n golygu bod y Cyngor eisoes £100m ar ei golled nag yr oeddem ni 10 mlynedd yn ôl.

“Hoffwn ddiolch i’r preswylwyr hynny sydd wedi ymgysylltu â ni yn ystod y cyfnod cynllunio cyllideb yma. Mae wedi bod yn hynod o anodd gosod cyllideb gytbwys ar gyfer 2023-24, ond mae’r adborth cyhoeddus yn dangos bod preswylwyr yn gwerthfawrogi hyn, ac yn fodlon cymryd rhan yn y broses.”

Rhaglen Gyfalaf Bum Mlynedd

Mae Cabinet Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin hefyd wedi argymell ei Rhaglen Gyfalaf Pum Mlynedd, a fydd yn gweld buddsoddiad o £265m o fewn y sir dros y pum mlynedd nesaf.

Bydd £73m o gyllid yn cael ei gyfeirio tuag at ymrwymiad parhaus y Cyngor i wella adeiladau ysgolion, £27m ar gyfer prosiectau Adfywio i hybu gweithgarwch economaidd, £86m i brosiectau sy’n cefnogi’r Fargen Ddinesig sy’n cynnwys canolfan hamdden newydd ar gyfer Llanelli, a £59m i wella seilwaith economaidd lleol Sir Gaerfyrddin a’r amgylchedd ehangach. Cefnogir y pecyn cynhwysfawr ac eang hwn gan gyllid wrth Lywodraeth Cymru, Llywodraeth y DU, ac adnoddau’r Cyngor ei hun.

Aeth y Cynghorydd Alun Lenny ymlaen i ddweud: “Yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf rydym wedi cyflwyno rhaglen enfawr o fuddsoddiadau cyfalaf ar gyfer pobl Sir Gaerfyrddin. Buddsoddiadau yn ein hysgolion, yn ein seilwaith a’n cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth, ac yn ein cyfleusterau diwylliannol a hamdden – ym mhob maes, rydym wedi cyflawni er gwaethaf yr heriau digynsail rydym wedi’u hwynebu yn sgil pandemig a chostau byw cynyddol.

“Wrth i ni flaenoriaethu ein buddsoddiadau cyfalaf ar gyfer 2023/24, rydym yn ymwybodol o’r anawsterau parhaus sy’n wynebu ein preswylwyr. Rwyf, felly, yn falch iawn o geisio cymeradwyaeth gan gydweithwyr yn y Cabinet ar gyfer y Rhaglen Gyfalaf gynhwysfawr hon a fydd unwaith eto yn rhoi hwb i’r economi leol ac yn darparu cyfleusterau newydd a gwell y gellir eu mwynhau gan breswylwyr ledled y Sir.”

Mae disgwyl i Gyllideb Refeniw 2023-24 a Rhaglen Gyfalaf Pum Mlynedd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin 2023/24 i 2027/28 gael eu cymeradwyo gan y Cyngor llawn yn ystod ei gyfarfod nesaf ar 1 Mawrth.

Cabinet recommends 2023-24 budget proposals & 5-year Capital Programme

Carmarthenshire County Council has amended its 2023-24 budget strategy in response to extensive public consultation. Proposed cuts to school funding and increased school meals and car parking charges have been reduced, and a lower than anticipated council tax increase of 6.8% will enable the Council to avoid cutting essential public services.

In preparing the most challenging budget for many years, Carmarthenshire County Council invited the public and other interested parties to express their opinion, suggestions and preference on a total of 17 budget proposals. Over 2,000 people responded to the online consultation, and 80 young people from the county’s secondary schools attended a face-to-face event at County Hall to discuss with Cabinet members and express their priorities.

Amongst the main changes to the Council’s budget proposals are:

A proposed council tax rise of 6.8%, which is well below the current rate of inflation. Just 25% of the Council’s £450m Net Revenue Budget comes from the Council Tax. The remaining balance comes from the annual Welsh Government Revenue Support grant and the National Non-Domestic Rates.
The proposed reduction of £2.7m in the Schools Delegated Budget has been cut to £2m, although in real cash terms, Carmarthenshire schools will get an extra £8m to cover inflation, energy and staffing costs.

It was originally proposed to raise the price of school meals by 10% in line with inflation, but this has been halved to 5%.

In recognition of this difficult time for town centre traders, the proposed 10% inflation-related increase in car parking charges has also been cut to 5%. Meanwhile, a review of free parking periods is being held. It’s worth noting that the Council has to pay Non-Domestic Rates on car parks, which currently amounts to well over £300,000 in Carmarthen Town alone.

An additional £262,000 has been allocated for Highways and Town Centres, to help alleviate the previous reduction in funding due to austerity measures.

Proposed cuts to the Youth Support Service and Children’s Services Grants have been dropped completely.

Carmarthenshire County Council, like all local authorities, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as the rising cost of inflation, food and energy prices along with increased global demands for goods and services, presents a significant shortfall in its 2023/24 budget.

The Council’s energy costs have nearly trebled and the level of nationally agreed pay awards for staff is far above what was budgeted for 12 months ago, due to the significant rise of inflation.

Following the Welsh Government funding settlement, announced on December 14, Carmarthenshire County Council identified a need to bridge a budget shortfall of over £20million in its 2023/24 budget.

Welsh Government recognise this has been one of the toughest budgets that they have ever set and therefore the money allocated to local authorities, which makes up around three-quarters of our funding, will fall well short of what the Council need to continue with services as they are currently. Council Tax raises around £112 million a year and contributes to around a quarter of the total net annual budget.

The Council has a legal responsibility to set a balanced budget every year, ensuring that income from sources such as Council Tax, revenue from paid-for services and grants is enough to cover its expenditure.

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr. Alun Lenny said: “All councils are facing unprecedented financial pressures, due to soaring fuel prices, ever-rising interest rates and rampant inflation, which has, in turn, led to higher pay settlements as working people try to make ends meet in a cost of living crisis.

“As a result of global factors, Carmarthenshire County Council is having to make savings of £9.4m this year. This comes on top of a decade of austerity, with year-on-year cuts in public spending resulting in the Council already being £100m worse off than we were 10 years ago.

“I would like to thank those residents who have engaged with us during this budget planning period. It has been incredibly difficult to set a balanced budget for 2023-24, but the public feedback indicates that residents appreciate this, and were willing to engage in the process.”

Five-Year Capital Programme

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet has also recommended its Five-Year Capital Programme, which will see £265m of investment within the county over the next five years.

£73m of funding will be directed towards the Council’s continued commitment to improving school buildings, £27m for Regeneration projects to boost economic activity, £86m for City Deal backed projects which include a new leisure centre for Llanelli, and £59m to improve Carmarthenshire’s local economic infrastructure and the wider environment. This comprehensive and wide-ranging package is supported by funding from the Welsh Government, the UK Government, and the Council’s own resources.

Cllr. Alun Lenny continued: “In recent years we have delivered a huge programme of capital investments for the people of Carmarthenshire. Investments in our schools, in our transport links and infrastructure, and in our cultural and leisure facilities – across the board, we have delivered despite the unprecedented challenges we have faced from a pandemic and the rising cost of living.

“As we prioritise our capital investments for 2023/24, we are mindful of the ongoing difficulties faced by our residents. I am, therefore, delighted to be seeking approval from Cabinet colleagues for this comprehensive Capital Programme which will again boost the local economy and deliver new and improved facilities that can be enjoyed by residents across the County.”

Carmarthenshire County Council’s 2023-24 Revenue Budget and Five-Year Capital Programme 2023/24 to 2027/28 are due to be approved by the full Council at its next meeting on March 1.