Difficult decisions still to make, says council leader

THE leader of a South Wales council has welcomed a 3.1% increase in its funding from the Welsh Government, but says difficult decisions still have to be made to deliver a balanced budget.

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Responding to the Welsh Government's provisional local government settlement, Councillor Brent Carter, pictured, the Labour leader of Merthyr Tydfil council, said he welcomed the Welsh Government's commitment to supporting local government with a provisional settlement of £6.4bn for 2026-27, which equates to an average increase of 2.7%.

For Merthyr Tydfil, this means £140m for 2026-27, or a 3.1% increase in funding.

He said the announcement also confirmed £1.3bn in revenue grants and more than £1.08bn in capital investment for local government.