Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2025-26

Summary of Progress - Service Delivery

Telephone calls to the main council number (01437 764551)

Calls	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
Number of calls in English	293,829	253,425	229,353	215,949	258,976
Number of calls in Welsh	8,791	7,727	6,764	6,903	7,680

 

• The calls received are split into separate English and Welsh queues. In 2025-26 there were 266,656 in total, 97.12% of these calls were in English and 2.88% were Welsh calls.
• Calls in English increased by 19.92% (43,027 ) from 215,949 in 2024–25 to 258,976 in 2025-26.
• Calls in Welsh increased by 11.26% (777) from 6,903 in 2024–25 to 7,680 in 2025-26.

 

Average queue time for calls on the main Council number (01437 764551)

Average queue time	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
English queue	273 sec	41 sec	45 sec	53 sec	632 sec
Welsh queue	53 sec	26 sec	31 sec	32 sec	110 sec

 

• The time that customers wait for their call to be answered (queue time) when calling the Council’s Contact Centre has increased during 2025-26, due to the reasons discussed below.  The average 2025-26 queue time:
• English language line over 10 times higher than it was in 2024-25.
• Welsh language line about 2.5 times higher than it was in 2024-25.
• The 2025–26 budget included savings for the Contact Centre through voluntary departures and not filling vacant posts. Resignations also added pressure on the capacity of the team. As a result of this call volumes increased compared to 2024–25, partly due to repeat calls, and answering performance declined significantly.
• A number of measures have been put in place to improve answering times, but these will take time to be fully effective.  Data from April 2026-27 suggests queue times are starting to improve.
• Five additional Contact Centre staff (two of whom are fluent Welsh speakers) have been recruited and have started their training. Recruiting Welsh speakers is often a challenge so this is positive to report. It is likely that this additional capacity will start to improve call times from July 2026 onwards. 
• Action has been taken to reduce the need for customers to phone the council such as improving information on our website especially on interruptions to waste collection and introducing on-line housing repair booking.  
• Cabinet is due to consider a proposal at its July 2026 meeting for investing in artificial intelligence software.  If this agreed, it has the potential to reduce demand on the contact centre over the medium term.

 

Council website

Website	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
Number of page views - English webpage	2,237,565	2,609,687	2,368,437	2,200,383	2,300,000
Number of page views - Welsh webpage	4,652	8,225	7,361	5,971	6,700
Number of users - English webpage	446,304	585,664	609,354	462,042	429,000
Number of users - Welsh webpage	1,670	2,903	2,856	1,700	1,900

 

Number of web page views

• The number of page views of the English website has increased by 6.3% (99,671) from 2,200,383 million views in 2024-25 to 2,300,00 million views in 2025-26.
• The number of page views of the Welsh site has increased by 14.1% (729) from 5,971 views in 2024-25 to 6,700 views in 2025-26.
• The authority website is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance.

Number of website users

• The number of users of the English website has decreased by 6.9% (33,042) from 462,042 users in 2024-25 to 429,000 active users in 2025-26.
• The number of users of the Welsh site has increased by 14% (200) from 1,700 users in 2024-25 to 1,900 active users in 2025-26.
• We have updated our Corporate website so that a link to the corresponding Welsh page is now visable at both the top and the bottom of the web page (bottom of page only previously) to better promote the Welsh languge option and improve accessibility.
• Training is provided for staff using the Content Management System, and quality checks are ongoing to identify any issues on English or Welsh webpages.
• We have reviewed specific service web pages following monitoring survey feedback from the Commissioner.

 

My Account users and communication preferences (English or Welsh)

Website	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
My Account - English - total number of users	26,292	42,966	72,795	79,826	83,798
My Account - Welsh - total number of users	197	278	739	792	747

 The figures for number of users also reflect (are the same figures) for the numbers of users wishing to receive communication in English or Welsh.

 

• My Account is an online council account that offers a wide range of online services such as making payments, reporting problems and residents can sign up to receive notifications e.g. bin day, school closures, and bridge closures.
• The number of users of the English account continues to grow with an increase of 4.98% (3.9k) from 79,826 users in 2024-25 to 83,798 active users in 2025-26.
• The number of users of the Welsh account has decreased by 5.68% (45) from 792 users in 2024-25 to 747 active users in 2025-26.
• Overall, there is growth in the number of customers registering for My Account and to receive My Account communication through the medium of English, but a decrease for Welsh. My account continues to be available and promoted for both English and Welsh users.

 

Social media accounts - likes and followers

Type of social media account	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
Facebook - number of likes - English (opens in a new tab)	25,611	27,527	29,720	30,861	34, 697
Facebook - number of likes - Welsh (opens in a new tab)	265	309	400	405	447
X - number of followers - English (opens in a new tab)	15,600	16,000	16,058	15,614	15,220
X - number of followers - Welsh (opens in a new tab)	603	625	653	633	614
Instagram - number of followers - English (opens in a new tab)	2,005	2,379	2,525	2,734	2,974
Instagram - number of followers - Welsh (opens in a new tab)	193	205	210	230	251

 

Number of likes for Facebook

• Interest in the Council’s Facebook pages continues to grow.
• Likes - English account (opens in a new tab) - increased by 12.43% (3,836) from 30,861 in 2024-25 to 34,697 in 2025-26.
• Likes - Welsh account (opens in a new tab) - increased by 10.64% (43) from 405 in 2024-25 to 447 in 2025-26.

Number of X followers

• Interest in the Council's X account has decreased slightly with 3% less followers for both the English and Welsh account.
• Followers - English account (opens in a new tab) - decreased by 3% (394) from 15,614 in 2024-25 to 15,220 in 2025-26.
• Followers - Welsh account (opens in a new tab) - decreased by 3% (19) from 633 in 2024-25 to 614 in 2025-26. 

Number of Instagram followers

• Interest in the Council’s Instagram account has increases with approximately 9% more followers for both the English and Welsh account.
• Followers - English account (opens in a new tab) - increased by 8.78% (240) from 2,734 in 2024-25 to 2,974 in 2025-26.
• Followers - Welsh account (opens in a new tab) - increased by 9.13% (21) from 230 in 2024-25 to 251 in 2025-26.

 

Translation (English to Welsh and Welsh to English)

Written Translation Requests	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
Proofread requests	28	32	35	41	38
Category A – under 200 words	1,666	1,429	1,400	1,436	1,007
Category B – 200 – 1,999 words	1,599	1,571	1,525	1,830	1,522
Category C – 2000+ words	340	304	283	367	312
Category D – urgent, fast turnaround	1,445	1,345	1,433	1,671	1,172
Category E – specialist, technical (legal)	14	13	3	3	11
Category F – specialist, technical (construction, planning, engineering, environmental)	5	2	10	10	10
Total for all categories A - F	5,069	4,664	4,654	5,358	4,072

 

Written translation

• Written translations have decreased by 24% (1,286) from 5,358 in 2024-25 to 4,072 in 2025-26.

Proofread requests

• Proofread requests decreased by 7.32% (3) from 41 in 2024-25 to 38 in 2025-26.

Simultaneous translation

• Requests to the corporate translation service for simultaneous translation increased by 137.5% (22) from 16 in 2024-25 to 38 in 2025-26. 28 of the 38 requests were for translation services for Council Committee meetings.

 

Tenders submitted in Welsh

Tenders	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
Tenders in Welsh	0	0	2	0	0

 

• In the last 5 financial years, two tenders were submitted in Welsh in 2023-24, no tenders were submitted for the other four years.

 

Complaints

Complaint type	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
No. of complaints relating to Welsh language service delivery standards (Standard 158)	0	2	4
No. of complaints relating to Welsh language policy making standards (Standard 164)	0	0	3
No. of complaints relating to Welsh language operational standards (Standard 170)	0	0	0

 

• We have received 7 complaints in 2025-26, two others received were rejected due to one being anonymous and the other being considered as a service request.
• Complaints included road signage that was poorly translated, a planning notice being available in English only, and social media account without a link to promote the corresponding Welsh language page.
• Four complaints received during 2025-26 are still ongoing, and we have not received the final determination from the Commissioner. One related to information on a Welsh webpage that did not function or present the same information as it did on the English page, and no link to the corresponding Welsh page from an English page on a webpage. Three complaints relate to whether sufficient consideration or “conscientious consideration” was given to the Welsh language when making a decision or consulting on a decision.