Gwynedd Council warns of tough choices due to an £8.3 million budget overspend, driven by rising costs and service demands
Gwynedd: The council is in a bit of a pickle. They’re facing an £8.3 million overspend, and it’s causing some serious headaches. Rising costs and the demand for services are really piling up.
Most of this overspend, about 83%, is linked to adult and children care. During a recent meeting, the council’s chief executive, Dafydd Gibbard, laid out some steps to tackle this issue.
They’re looking at overspending in several departments, including health, highways, and the environment. Councillor Huw Wyn Jones mentioned that the adult care department alone is expected to overspend by £3.3 million.
So, what’s causing all this? Well, there’s a mix of factors. More people need domiciliary care, staffing costs are up, and there are high rates of non-contact hours. Plus, the older people’s service is overspending by £1.5 million.
The children and families department is also struggling, with overspending jumping to £3.7 million. This is mainly due to higher costs for out-of-county placements and more complex care packages.
On the education front, they did get some extra funding to help with school transport costs. But overall, they’re hoping to balance things out with some careful spending.
Covid has hit leisure services hard too. The council has been providing extra financial support to Byw’n Iach, which is more than what was originally agreed.
Other departments like highways and waste collection are also facing overspends. But surprisingly, housing services might underspend by £303k, despite the ongoing pressures.
Gibbard emphasized that these overspends aren’t about reckless spending. It’s more about not having enough budget to meet rising demands. The council has tough choices ahead: either overspend or cut services, which they really don’t want to do.
They’ve also agreed to allow some budget transfers to manage the current pressures better. It’s a challenging time for Gwynedd, and the decisions they make now will have a big impact.
