Tax rise likely as extra investment is pledged

PEOPLE in Swansea will benefit from extra investment in council services like education and social care but council tax is still likely to rise and savings will need to be made, leaders have said.

- RICHARD YOULE

A rise in council tax is likely as Swansea plots its spending for the year ahead.

(SWANSEA COUNCIL)

The council’s cabinet has approved a draft set of budget proposals for 2026-27 which will now go out for consultation before the budget is set in early March. A lot of funding for day-to-day services comes from the Welsh Government and the council had been in line for a 3.4% rise in 2026-27 but it's now looking like a 5.2% increase. Council leader Rob Stewart said he welcomed the “significant help that’s available to us” at a cabinet meeting yesterday.

An important element of funding also comes from council tax but it’s not clear yet how much it could go up. Cllr Stewart said the intention was to continue with lower-than-average hikes compared to Wales’s other 21 local authorities and balance the need to invest in services with the pressures faced by residents.

Council tax went up 5.95% at the beginning of the current financial year.