BRIDGEND County Borough Council has said there will be delays in a number of capital projects in its budget for the 2025-26 financial year including a number of new school developments.
The details were given at a recent full council meeting where members were updated on the authority’s annual capital programme which was set to be worth more than £160m.
A capital budget is money set aside by a local council for long-term investments such as the creation of new buildings, facilities, roads, equipment, and other major developments.
Council bosses in attendance were asked to note a “net slippage” of £84.5m into the 2026-27 financial year with a number of projects delayed to the next year and beyond.
Some of these include flag-ship projects such as the Heronsbridge replacement school site at £37.9m and the Mynydd Cynffig replacement school site at £13.1m along with additional works to upgrade the Waterton depot and the delivery of new waste vehicles.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Martin Williams said this was a severe slippage in such a short period of time adding that with construction inflation the cost of delay could end up being worth an extra £4.2m which the authority may have to find.
However Cllr Hywel Williams responded to this by saying the figures discussed in the report were only indicative with legitimate reasons for slippage being out of the council’s control.
The deputy leader Cllr Jane Gebbie said where slippage had occurred it was for sensible and practical reasons such as planning timelines, ecology requirements, and construction sequencing and was not due to financial weakness.
Speaking on the report she said: “It shows a very strong and well-managed capital position. We’re seeing major investment across the county borough with a £78m programme that is fully funded.”
The leader of Bridgend County Borough Council John Spanswick also highlighted that it would not be a simple case of unspent money doing nothing as the sum would still be earning interest that could potentially go towards costs in the future.
The update on the council’s £78m capital programme was later noted by members in attendance alongside a separate report on its treasury management.
