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Denbighshire County Council has expressed its disappointment at the Welsh Assembly Government budget settlement for the authority, announced earlier today (Wednesday).

The proposed award for 2008/2009 is in line with the Wales average at 2.3%, although this is a large drop from the 3.7% settlement for the current financial year.

Figures for 2009-10 show Denbighshire will receive only 2 % increase in the settlement, compared to the Wales average of 2.6%,  followed by a 2.2 % increase in the year 2010-11 compared to the 2.8% Wales average.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans said: 'The Council has worked tirelessly over recent years to keep council tax increase to an absolute minimum, whilst maintaining the best possible services for the people of Denbighshire.  We believe that is what the people of Denbighshire want.

' There is a great deal of pressure on local authorities to deliver efficient services, but the consequence of this proposed low increase in the settlement can only mean cuts to front line services and even mandatory services. Councillors will not want to raise the levels of Council Tax in order to meet the deficit, but this announcement puts the Council in a difficult position, with difficult decisions to make over the coming months.

'The Council will of course be discussing the proposed settlement in great detail and will be making representations to the Welsh Assembly Government before the January 4th deadline. In the meantime, the Council urges local residents to make representations on today's announcement to the Assembly Government and our AMs direct. '

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, added: “The headlines from the settlement for next year are extremely disappointing in that the increase in Revenue budget at 2.3% represents a reduction in real terms of around 0.6%.

“In addition, the levels of funding transferred from specific grants into the general settlement shows a loss on previous levels.

“When you factor in that there are no additional resources in the settlement for Denbighshire to respond to increased pressures in the areas of Older People and Landfill Taxes, this really is a settlement which will put severe pressures on service delivery and necessitate reviews of the cost effectiveness of many areas of the authority’s work.

 
“The capital settlement also represents an exceptionally poor result for the people of Denbighshire for the fifth year in succession.”