AN increase of 5.75% in the amount people pay for fire services in South Wales is being considered for next year.
The fire authority is currently consulting on its budget proposals for 2025/2026 which would see the amount that local councils contribute to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s budget increase by £5.5m from £95.84m in 2024/2025 to £101.34m in 2025/2026.
This would mean a 7.66% (£1.77m) rise for Cardiff from £23.14m to £24.91m and a 5.82% (£584,650) rise for Newport from £10.04m to £10.62m.
Vale up by £449,920
For Vale of Glamorgan this would mean a 5.42% (£449,920) rise from £8.3m to £8.75m and for Rhondda Cynon Taf it would mean a 5.39% (£801,555) increase from £14.86m £15.66m
In Monmouthshire it would see a 5.21% (£304,298) rise from £5.83m to £6.14m while in Torfaen the rise would be 5.08% (£293,210) from £5.77m to £6.06m.
In Blaenau Gwent there would be a 4.98% (£207,610) increase from £4.16m to £4.37m while in Bridgend there would be a rise of 4.88% (£443,715) from £9.08m to £9.53m.
And in Caerphilly it would mean a rise of 4.63% (£507,206) from £10.95m to £11.46m while in Merthyr Tydfil the increase would be 3.93% (£144,061) from £3.66m to £3.8m
NI contributions
Without the increase to national insurance contributions from employers, the fire authority, which is currently being run by commissioners, would be looking for a 4.08% increase rather than 5.75%.
This would have meant the fire authority would’ve asked for a 5.96% increase from Cardiff, 4.15% from Newport, 3.75% from Vale of Glamorgan, 3.73% from Rhondda Cynon Taf, 3.55% from Monmouthshire, 3.42% from Torfaen, 3.32% from Blaenau Gwent, 3.23% from Bridgend, 2.98% from Caerphilly and 2.29% from Merthyr Tydfil.
Increased contributions for 2025/26 are based on updated population data which includes the estimated mid year population for 2023.
Pay inflation
To cover pay inflation the service is looking for £4.3m extra and the remaining £1.2m comes from premises and comms (£300,000), training, ICT and insurance (£300,000) and for capital financing (£600,000).
In a presentation to Merthyr Tydfil full council on 8th January, Lisa Mullan who is the fire service’s treasurer said they’re assuming a cash flat level of grants and that national insurance contributions are to be funded via specific grants to councils, reducing the fire levy for councils.
Consultation letter
Councils have received a formal consultation letter from the treasurer for the fire authority and the consultation period is running from 31st December to 30th January, after which responses will be published with the final budget setting report.
In 2024/2025, £59.4m of the fire service budget went on employee costs, £14.26m on pensions, £1.83m on training, £5.84m on supplies, £1.72m on transport, £5.3m on capital financing, there was income of £1.06m and other costs were worth £1.35m.
By: Anthony Lewis, LDRS
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