Council Tax Information
How Council Tax is Spent
Information to Council Taxpayers on planned expenditure and Council Tax level in 2023-24
Expenditure and Council Tax Level in 2023-24
The costs of the services administered by the County Council are shown below. The Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the Town and Community Councils independently determine their own expenditure levels and resultant levies and precepts.
Local Government Finance Settlement:
The Standard Spending Assessment (the need to spend), calculated by the Welsh Government, is £296.1m which compares to the net Council expenditure of £287.6m shown below.
Capital Investment:
A programme of capital investment totalling £138.5m is planned for 2023-24, including slippage from previous years. This may be added to if additional funding approvals are received in the year.
Financial Reserves:
Revenue reserves – It is estimated that the Housing Revenue Account working balance (£0.7m) and the General Fund working balance (£8.0m) will remain unchanged during 2023-24. Included in the net expenditure of the County Council Services set out below are the planned net appropriations from reserves of £5.9m earmarked for specific purposes (including £3.8m from the Second Homes Council Tax Premium)
Planned Revenue Expenditure:
The revenue budget as summarised below may be added to if additional funding approvals are received in the year.
Copies of the integrated budget reports can be obtained from the Director of Resources, County Hall, Haverfordwest SA61 1TP or by searching meetings and agendas
County Council Services |
Gross Expenditure 2023-24 (£’000) |
Income 2023-24 (£’000) |
Reserves 2023-24 (£’000) |
Net Estimated Expenditure 2023-24 (£’000) |
Net Estimated Expenditure 2022-23 (£’000) |
|
Education Services |
139,674 |
(22,147) |
(5,472) |
112,055 |
104,678 |
|
Children Services |
25,839 |
(6,010) |
36 |
19,865 |
17,083 |
|
Adult Social Services |
107,954 |
(33,533) |
(2,312) |
72,109 |
65,200 |
|
Housing Services |
26,859 |
(24,667) |
27 |
2,219 |
1,191 |
|
Council Housing |
22,337 |
(28,970) |
6,633 |
0 |
0 |
|
Highways and Transportation |
26,495 |
(15,002) |
328 |
11,821 |
9,966 |
|
Culture Related Services |
13,862 |
(5,779) |
(343) |
7,740 |
6,417 |
|
Planning Services |
8,230 |
(5,373) |
188 |
3,045 |
2,530 |
|
Environmental Services |
23,301 |
(6,641) |
748 |
17,408 |
16,930 |
|
Council Tax Reduction Scheme |
13,022 |
(2,136) |
(1,930) |
8,956 |
10,800 |
|
Central, Corporate and Democratic Services |
9,939 |
0 |
0 |
9,939 |
10,080 |
|
Court Services |
443 |
(111) |
0 |
332 |
326 |
|
Corporate Restructure |
0 |
0 |
(3,765) |
(3,765) |
0 |
|
Vacancy Management |
(995) |
0 |
0 |
(995) |
(1,000) |
|
Contingency |
940 |
0 |
0 |
940 |
0 |
|
Support Service and Operational Holding Accounts to be reallocated across all service areas |
2,510 |
0 |
0 |
2,510 |
0 |
|
Capital Financing and Investment Income |
14,712 |
(1,419) |
3 |
13,296 |
12,992 |
|
Cost of County Council Services |
435,122 |
(151,788) |
(5,859) |
277,475 |
257,193 |
Levies and Community Precepts |
Net Estimated Expenditure 2023-24 (£’000) |
Net Estimated Expenditure 2022-23 (£’000) |
|
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park |
1,084 |
1,134 |
|
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service |
8,749 |
7,439 |
|
Town and Community Council precepts |
2,428 |
2,366 |
|
Budget requirement |
289,736 |
268,132 |
|
Add: Discretionary rate relief |
290 |
290 |
|
Less: Town and Community Council Precepts |
(2,428) |
(2,366) |
|
Net County Council Expenditure and Levies |
287,598 |
266,056 |
|
Less: Revenue Support Grant |
(171,737) |
(150,387) |
|
Non-Domestic Rates Share |
(40,938) |
(45,870) |
|
Total Charge to taxpayers for County Council Services and Levies |
74,923 |
69,799 |