3.5% cut to councils' funding

The Welsh Government has revealed how much it is to cut the money it gives to every one of Wales 22 councils, with warnings from many of them tonight of deep cuts in some services.

In total, the councils will lose more than £150m - but some parts of Wales will suffer more than others.

The Welsh Local Government Association, which represents councils here, says today's figures show "local government in Wales is facing unprecedented funding reductions."

It is "urging the public to recognise the difficulties that their local councils face, and to work with them to help prioritise the services that are so vital to community wellbeing."

The Welsh Government says it has had to make "difficult choices" due to pressure on its budget from the UK Government, but has tried to "shield councils from the full force of the cuts" over the last three years.

It calls for local authorities to focus on finding "more efficient, innovative and collaborative ways of working."

All of Wales' 22 councils have had their budgets cut for the next financial year.

Ceredigion, Denbighshire and Powys will see the biggest reductions, at 4.6 per cent.

Newport will only feel a 1.2 per cent cut.

The following figures show cuts in each local authority allocation for 2014-15, compared to this year:

• Anglesey - 4%
• Blaenau Gwent - 3.8%
• Bridgend - 2.8%
• Caerphilly - 3.0%
• Cardiff - 2.9%
• Carmarthenshire - 3.9%
• Ceredigion - 4.6%
• Conwy - 3.6%
• Denbighshire - 4.6%
• Flintshire - 3.6%
• Gwynedd - 4.1%
• Merthyr Tydfil - 2.2%
• Monmouthshire - 4.4%
• Neath Port Talbot - 3.9%
• Newport - 1.2%
• Pembrokeshire - 3.8%

• Powys - 4.6%
• Rhondda Cynon Taf - 3.3%
• Swansea - 3.1%
• Torfaen - 3.5%
• Vale of Glamorgan - 4.5%
• Wrexham - 3.5%

Wales' 22 councils have been told their budgets for next year.

The Welsh Government has announced an overall £4.26bn for local authorities for the next financial year, which it says is a 3.5 per cent reduction from the current settlement, at £4.41bn.

The 3.5 per cent figure is adjusted for transfers - which include £30m moved from specific grants to the Revenue Support Grant, giving councils greater flexibility managing their finances.

It also announced a 'damping mechanism' ensuring no council faces an unmanageable reduction in their funding.

Local Government Minister Lesley Griffiths acknowledged it was "an extremely challenging settlement", but "reflects a balanced outcome given cuts to the Welsh Government budget."

Since the Welsh Government's Draft Budget was published last week, with a 5.81 per cent real terms cut in the money going to local authorities, unions and several councils have already warned of the 'thousands' of jobs which they could be forced to axe.

Read More: Local government cuts in Welsh Government Draft Budget

The leader of Carmarthenshire Council warned "many hundreds of jobs" will have to be lost, and a Cardiff Council cabinet member predicted that half of the authority's workforce would not still be employed by 2017.

Read More: 'Thousands' of jobs to go at Welsh councils

Councils will find out this afternoon how much they have been allocated in the Local Government Settlement - and must then work out how they can balance their books.

With schools and social services protected, councils are likely to have to make cuts to their services in things like leisure facilities, libraries, and work on roads.

Dominic MacAskill from Unison says more people need to speak to their local Councillors, MPs and AMs and express their "concerns" over funding cuts.

He says that with the help of "ordinary people and communities" getting involved, people can make a "stand against austerity", which will hopefully stop the cuts from happening "year on year".

Today every council in Wales will find out how much money they will receive from the Welsh Government.

In last week's Draft Budget an overall cut of 5.81 per cent in funding for local government was announced.

Over the coming weeks all 22 local authorities in Wales will have to decide if they will need to make cuts to services, or if savings can be achieved through further efficiencies.