Vital Swansea services get £9m funding boost

Swansea Council’s Cabinet intends to invest £9.7 million including £6 million for social services which is under increasing pressure from rising demand and costs.

A further seven projects could also receive the one-off funding to boost roads, travel and leisure facilities with further cabinet reports to follow.

The proposed package of funding is:

• £6m for social care pressures.
• Doubling the community investment fund from £1m to £2m to support more projects.
• £1m to improve road surfaces to take total investment to £8.1m
• Doubling investment in skate parks from £1m to £2m
• £200,000 on top of £400,000 already committed to free bus travel during the summer holidays.
• £200,000 for accessible paths in parks.
• £150,000 for summer holiday food support schemes.
• £60,000 for new equipment to maintain active travel routes.

Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: “Every council is facing growing financial pressures due to rising costs and demand from service users at a time when government funding for councils is very tight.

“In Swansea we have a track record of strong financial management and using our resources wisely.

“We’ve been prudent and put money aside to deal with some financial pressures we knew were coming, including increasing demand and costs in social services.

“We also want to continue supporting vulnerable families through the cost of living crisis by providing food support and free bus travel during the school holidays.

“And we’re listening to residents who tell us they want further improvements to our roads, which is why we’re planning on putting in an extra £1 million resurfacing and pothole repairs.

“We’ll continue to keep a tight grip on our finances and do all we can to support the people of Swansea through these tough financial times.”

The planned support is being made available from the council’s contingency funds which were boosted by strong financial management in the last financial year.

A report to the Council’s Cabinet today showed that lower than expected planned spending of reserves (last year’s contingency fund and the council’s economic recovery fund) alongside a number of departmental underspends and exceptional Treasury Management (investment income) performance allowed for one-off funding for other projects this year.

Apart from the £9.7m earmarked for social services and other priorities, £600,000 had already been allocated to highways, another £400,000 for schools and a further £2m added to the council’s general reserve.