Cardiff Council is considering increases in council tax, parking permits, and burial fees as part of its budget consultation for 2025/26
Cardiff: The council is thinking about raising council tax, parking permit fees, and burial service charges to save some serious cash. They just kicked off their budget consultation for 2025/26, giving us a sneak peek at what’s on the table.
Originally, they were facing a budget gap of over £60 million for the next year. But thanks to a better-than-expected deal from the Welsh Government, that number has dropped to £23.4 million. A lot of the savings will come from cutting back on administrative costs and reducing staff through voluntary severance.
They’re also planning to invest more in schools and services. For instance, they’re looking at adding nearly £20 million for schools and over £12 million for adult services. The council leader, Cllr Huw Thomas, called the recent funding from the Welsh Government the most generous since 2010, excluding the pandemic years.
However, he pointed out that after years of budget cuts, it’s not easy to rebuild public services overnight. They still need to tackle that £23.4 million shortfall, which means some services might see increased charges.
While they haven’t set a specific number for the council tax increase yet, they’re proposing to raise the cost of residential parking permits. The first permit could go from £30 to £35, and the second from £80 to £120.
Burial and cremation fees might also go up. They’re considering raising the burial service charge by £100 and the cremation service charge by £40. Plus, the cost of buying a grave could increase by £65.
Cllr Chris Weaver, who handles finance for the council, mentioned that the demand for services is rising due to the cost of living crisis and an aging population. He emphasized that education and social care take up over 70% of the council’s budget.
In recent years, they’ve opened new schools and built hundreds of new homes. They’re also working on community hubs and libraries to help residents access benefits and support.
In 2023/24, they faced a budget gap of £24 million, which grew to about £30 million for 2024/25. They’ve made some unpopular decisions in the past to save money, like changing how often they collect rubbish.
Details about the budget consultation will be available on the council’s website starting January 9, with printed copies in libraries and council buildings from January 13. The final budget will be discussed on February 5.
