MEMBERS of Bridgend council have called for clarity over Welsh Government plans to review the funding formula for local government in Wales.
It came after the new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government said it would look at the formula as part of their manifesto in 2026.
They said they would do this in order to make sure it “better reflects the real cost of delivering services in different parts of Wales and introduce a funding floor to ensure that no local authority is disadvantaged”.
The discussion was started by Labour councillor Jon Paul Blundell at a full council meeting held in June where he said any changes to funding could have major implications for local authorities such as Bridgend.
He also noted the importance of making sure any reforms reflected fairness and transparency and did not disadvantage communities within Bridgend county borough.
Councillor Blundell put a motion forward to write to the Welsh Government seeking urgent clarification on the detail, scope, and proposed implementation of any reforms with assurances they would not have a detrimental impact on residents.
He also requested the council be fully consulted on proposals before implementation.
Cllr Ross Penhale-Thomas said he supported the motion though noted he felt a sense of irony in asking for urgent clarification from the new government given they had only been elected weeks ago while the previous Labour Government had more than 25 years in power.
He also proposed an amendment that recognised how local resources were shaped by the UK Government’s funding arrangements and called for continued reform of the Barnett Formula to make sure Wales receives a fair and needs-based level of funding.
The Barnett formula is used by the UK Treasury to calculate the annual block grants for the Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish governments.
Cllr Blundell rejected this amendment saying his motion was aimed at the immediate reforms proposed by Welsh Government.
However he added that he would be happy to work with Cllr Penhale-Thomas on a wider piece about the Barnett Formula in the future.
Cllr Tim Thomas said he was disappointed with this response as it would be more economical to include the amendment in this motion and save time doing a separate one.
The amendment was later rejected by a vote of members with the original motion agreed unanimously.
