WREXHAM Council’s debt per resident is the highest in Wales for the third year in a row – but new data from the Taxpayers Alliance suggests Flintshire has got its debt levels under control.
While the level of local authority debt in Wrexham has increased by £100 per person in the last 12 months, in Flintshire it has only gone up by £3 per person.
Flintshire remains seventh in Wales according to data published by the Taxpayers Alliance on every authority in the UK.
The report shows that in the past 12 months Wrexham’s debt has increased from £520,879,000 to £542,521,000.
That means Wrexham’s debt per resident has risen from £3,825.80 to £3,924.
Flintshire’s overall debt position has increased by significantly less – just £540,000.
It’s total amount of debt stands at £362,332,000, a debt per head of £2,325.
Wrexham Council said that it’s borrowing levels over time have been strongly influenced by it’s significant social housing stock.
“The overall level of debt for Wrexham Council is proportionately higher than across Wales due to us having retained our council housing stock,” said a Wrexham Council spokesperson.
“Wrexham also has the highest proportion of local authority housing stock in proportion to total housing stock, where council houses make up roughly 18% of the total.
“Wrexham have the third largest housing stock in Wales and have the biggest stock in North Wales by some margin – 4,000 more than Flintshire – and neither Gwynedd nor Conwy have maintained their council house stock, therefore they have no borrowing relating to council housing.
“It is not accurate to compare all Welsh Councils debt levels to population without adjusting for those councils with a retained housing stock. If we had no housing stock our level of debt relative to the size of the population would likely to be amongst the lowest.
“Wrexham has a significant Housing Revenue Account capital investment requirement, £42.5m in 2026/27 and a further £154.4m for the following four years – which is largely funded through borrowing.
“When we borrow money to make improvements to our housing stock, it allows us to carry out work from the ‘chimney pot to the front gate.’
“This includes new roofs, fascia boards, gutters, windows, kitchens and bathrooms, and external works such as new fencing and footpaths – helping to bring our homes up to Welsh Housing Quality Standards.”
Chief executive of Flintshire County Council, Neal Cockerton, said: “Flintshire is the sixth largest Council in Wales. Like all other councils across Wales, Flintshire has borrowed to invest in essential services and local infrastructure as outlined in its capital programme.
“This reflects the council’s commitment to long-term investment in affordable housing, schools and community facilities for the benefit of the residents of Flintshire.
“Approximately 36% of this debt is ringfenced within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), meaning it is used to fund new social housing through borrowing.
“The council’s borrowing decisions are guided by a robust Treasury Management Strategy, which is signed off each year by full Council and regularly reviewed to ensure financial sustainability and value for money.
“The authority aims to strike a careful balance between securing low interest rates and maintaining cost certainty over the life of its borrowing activity.
“Each year the Council is required to set a Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy which ensures the Council sets aside some of their revenue resources as provision for the repayment of debt. The actual ratio of financing costs to the net revenue stream for 2025/26 is less than 5% for the Council and is consistent with prior years and other Councils.
“Flintshire remains committed to transparency and responsible financial planning. We continue to manage our finances responsibly and review our borrowing regularly to ensure it delivers value for money and supports the needs of our residents now and in the future.”
