Decision Maker: Council

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: March 3, 2026

Purpose: Approval of the Budget 2026/27 & Medium Term Financial Plan

Content: A recorded vote was taken, with members voting as shown in the table below, with 30 members voting in favour of the recommendations, and eight members voting against the recommendations:   COUNCILLOR FOR AGAINST Stuart Ashley P   Alfie Best P   Ron Burnett P   Nick Byrne P   Richard Clark P   Lynda Clarkson P   Liam Cowles P   David Daniels P   Giles Davies   P Steven Evans P   Joanne Gauden P   Karl Gauden P   Elizabeth Haynes   P Nick Horlor P   Jon Horlor P   Anthony Hunt P   Gaynor James P   Jon James P   Janet Jones P   Mark Jones   P Peter Jones P   Stuart Keyte   P Rosemary Matthews P   Sue Morgan P   Jason O’Connell   P Mandy Owen P   Norma Parrish P   Caroline Price P   Rose Seabourne P   Nicholas Simons P   Alan Slade   P Chris Tew   P Colette Thomas P   David Thomas   P Jayne Watkins P   David Williams P   Lucy Williams P   Nathan Yeowell P     Council agreed, with the majority voting in favour that:   Part 1 – Revenue Budget 2026/27 and Medium-Term Financial Plan i.              The budget for 2026/27 and the Medium-Term Financial Plan, as set out in Appendices 1-3 and Appendix 7 to the report, are approved.    Part 2 – Statutory Council Tax Resolutions ii.            It is noted that at its December 2025 meeting, Cabinet approved the following amounts for the year 2026/27 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Act 1992 (as amended):                         a) 34,648 being the amount calculated by the Council in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995 (as amended), as its Council Tax base for the year.                         b) The Council Tax base estimate for each Community Council levy for 2026/27 is as follows:   Community Council Area Council Tax Base Cwmbran 14,136 Pontypool 13,190 Blaenavon 1,958 Henllys 1,149 Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon 3,482 Ponthir 733   iii.           That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2026/27 in accordance with Section 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:   a.    £371,219,637 – being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2) (a) to (e) of the Act. b.    £104,734,566 – being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3) (a) to (c) of the Act. c.     £266,485,071– being the amount by which the aggregate at (iii) (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (iii) (b) calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year. d.    £98,431 – being the amount the Authority estimates in relation to Section 37 and 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended), discretionary non-domestic rate relief. e.    £205,875,149 – being the aggregate of the sums the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its Council Fund in respect of the redistribution of Non-Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant.   f.      £1,752.15 - being the amount at (iii)(c) above plus the amount at (iii)(d) and less the amount at (iii)(e) above all divided by the amount at (ii)(a) above calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year. g.    £2,097,796 - being the amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act. h.    £1,691.60 - being the amount at (iii) (f) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (iii) (g) above by the amount at (ii) (a), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates. i.      The County Borough Tax including Community Council Precepts Valuation Bands for 2026/27.       A £ B £ C £ D £ E £ F £ G £ H £ I £ Cwmbran 1,165.58 1,359.84 1,554.10 1,748.37 2,136.90 2,525.42 2,913.95 3,496.74 4,079.53 Pontypool 1,169.18 1,364.04 1,558.90 1,753.77 2,143.50 2,533.22 2,922.95 3,507.54 4,092.13 Blaenavon 1,207.74 1,409.04 1,610.32 1,811.62 2,214.20 2,616.78 3,019.36 3,623.24 4,227.12 Henllys 1,153.54 1,345.81 1,538.06 1,730.32 2,114.83 2,499.35 2,883.86 3,460.64 4,037.42 Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon 1,159.34 1,352.57 1,545.79 1,739.02 2,125.47 2,511.92 2,898.36 3,478.04 4,057.72 Ponthir 1,155.62 1,348.23 1,540.83 1,733.44 2,118.65 2,503.86 2,889.06 3,466.88 4,044.70               Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at (iii)(f) above by the number which in the properties set out in Section 5 (1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which is that proportion applicable to dwellings listed in Valuation band D calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuations bands. j.              The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent proposes the following amounts in precept issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40(2)(b) of the Local Government Act 1992 for each banding of dwellings:   A B C D E F G H I £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 269.02 313.86 358.69 403.53 493.20 582.88 672.55 807.06 941.57   k.     That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts (iii)(j) and (iii)(i) above the Council in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the Council Tax for the year 2026/27 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:     A £ B £ C £ D £ E £ F £ G £ H £ I £ Cwmbran 1,434.60 1,673.70 1,912.79 2,151.90 2,630.10 3,108.30 3,586.50 4,303.80 5,021.10 Pontypool 1,438.20 1,677.90 1,917.59 2,157.30 2,636.70 3,116.10 3,595.50 4,314.60 5,033.70 Blaenavon 1,476.76 1,722.90 1,969.01 2,215.15 2,707.40 3,199.66 3,691.91 4,430.30 5,168.69 Henllys 1,422.56 1,659.67 1,896.75 2,133.85 2,608.03 3,082.23 3,556.41 4,267.70 4,978.99 Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon 1,428.36 1,666.43 1,904.48 2,142.55 2,618.67 3,094.80 3,570.91 4,285.10 4,999.29 Ponthir 1,424.64 1,662.09 1,899.52 2,136.97 2,611.85 3,086.74 3,561.61 4,273.94 4,986.27   Part 3 – Related schemes and policies iv.           The Food & Drink Hospitality Rates Relief Scheme, as set out in Appendix 6, is approved. v.            The Reserves Policy, as set out in Appendix 8, is approved. vi.           The Virement Policy, as set out in Appendix 9, is approved. vii.          The Fees & Charges Policy, as set out in Appendix 10, is approved.    Part 4 – Capital & Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators viii.        The Capital Strategy, Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators, as outlined in Appendix 11, are approved.